Wayne Art Student To Receive Prestigious Award Thursday

WAYNE, N.J. — Simone Ferguson will be honored by the National Art Education Association Thursday.

Ferguson will be recognized by the 2017 Rising Stars Secondary Recognition Program at the NAEA's national convention in New York City for her artwork and desire to pursue art education as a career.

Ferguson, a Wayne Valley High School student, "exemplifies the highly qualified art educators active in education today: Leaders, teachers, students, scholars and advocates who give their best to their students and the profession," NAEA President Patricia Franklin said in a statement.

The NAEA is the professional association for art educators of all levels of academia and at art museums throughout the United States and abroad.

Ferguson's work has been displayed at Wayne Board of Education meetings in years past.

Send local news tips, photos, and press releases to daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Photos: Some of Simone Ferguson's artwork. — Courtesy of Simone Ferguson