Island Trees Student Artists Showcased at C.W. Post Gallery

Each year, CW Post University hosts the "Advanced Visions: High School Artists of Excellence" exhibit, honoring local high school students with exceptional artistic abilites. The selective exhibition began on Dec. 21 and is currently in its seventh consecutive year.

From Island Trees, Whitney Dobladillo and Katie Muller were chosen among several talented artists in Mr. Karl Hedstrom's advanced placement art class. Both Dobladillo and Muller discovered their passion for art at a very young age and plan to pursue a related field next year in college.

"I was really honored; I was shocked he picked me," Muller said. "When teachers do that I just feel really happy."

Muller plans to attend C.W. Post in the fall where she will study as an English major and art minor. Her piece that is currently featured in C.W. Post's S.A.L Gallery is a collage she painted early in the year. "My concentration is illustration so I did the painting all illustration-based," she said. "The painting's of a girl; I added different effects and materials."

Dobladillo, who plans to pursue a degree in Graphic Design, considers pencil drawing her favorite kind. Her featured watercolor piece began as an accident and turned into one of her best yet.

"I printed out a picture of the city and it came out in three different sections of color because the ink was running out," she said. "Mr. Hedstrom liked the whole idea and said I should paint it exactly like this. I went along with it and I really liked it too."

Just like Muller, Dobladillo was very surprised when she was picked to appear at in the Advanced Vision exhibition. "The fact that it's in an actual college and other people will be looking at it, and I'm going to be looking at other kids my age and their talents," she said. "I started getting excited."

Hedstrom, who nominated both girls to be showcased in the exhibition, has been an art teacher at Island Trees High School for many years. "When I looked at all their work, they really had some the best out of the students I had this year," he said.

The Island Trees seniors are joined by high school artists from all over Long Island, including Wantagh, Bellmore, Huntington, Northport, Plainview and several other schools.

The exhibit will run through Jan. 26 and is open to all free of cost. An award ceremony will be held on Jan. 29 at C.W. Post to honor the students on display.