Young artists are capable of amazing creativity and skill!

Huntington, NY – The Heckscher Museum of Art is pleased to present the exhibition Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at The Heckscher Museum, opening Saturday, April 9. Youthful energy paired with remarkable talent fills the Museum galleries with over 80 high school student works of art. Now in its 20th consecutive year, Long Island’s Best continues to challenge high school students from across Nassau and Suffolk Counties to professionally push their creative potential.

The annual Long Island's Best juried exhibition is a longstanding hallmark of the Museum's educational programs, in which students are able to further connect their experiences in the Museum to their art making in the classroom. The young artists featured in Long Island’s Best visited the Museum with their teachers during the school year to explore and interact with original works of art. This juried exhibition is the only one of its kind on Long Island that provides select students with the unparalleled opportunity to exhibit their artwork in a museum. The quality of the artwork is exceptional and delivers a professional-level show.

“…Each year the works of art are stronger, and more importantly, the artist statement to explain the artwork and experience in creating it, has become more compelling, advancing the literacy component of the program,” says The Heckscher Museum’s Director of Education and Public Programs Joy Weiner. Students gain first hand insight on the exhibition process and have their work documented in a professional color catalogue. Long Island’s Best remains on view through May 15, 2016.

Also on view Celebrating 20 Years: Long Island's Best Alumni Exhibition, featuring a selection of works from past exhibiting Long Island’s Best artists. To celebrate this anniversary, visitors are invited to view alumni artwork spanning the history of this annual arts-in-education initiative. Over 4,500 students have entered Long Island’s Best prestigious juried exhibition since its inception. This rare opportunity exhibits extraordinary work by Long Island high school students - both past and present. Celebrating 20 Years: Long Island's Best Alumni Exhibition remains on view through May 8, 2016.

Generous support for Long Island's Best is provided by Neiman Marcus, Presenting Sponsor.

Additional funding from Inna Gellerman, DDS, Gellerman Orthodontics; The Claire Friedlander Family Foundation; and The Laura B. Vogler Foundation.

(Marissa Olsen, Pomegranate, 2015, Digital photograph)