More than 2,200 votes were cast this year for the Long Island’s Best 2022 Visitors Choice Awards – by individuals visiting the Museum in person as well as online.
The Museum is pleased to announce the following winners: Phoebe Pinder, Glen Cove High School, has won the Visitors Choice Award and Amber Dacanay, East Meadow High School, has won the Virtual Visitors Choice Award. Congratulations to both artists on this incredible achievement and thank you to everyone who voted!
Phoebe Pinder’s digital work of art, Incandescent, was inspired by Alison Saar’s Reapers, 2021, which is on view in the exhibition Moonstruck: Lunar Art from the Collection. In her artist statement, Phoebe explains, “I was first drawn to the piece Reapers by Alison Saar because of the melancholy blues and the intriguing way the artist intertwines the figures with the environment. The feelings that this piece evokes made me reflect on current events and the world around us. It made me think about atrocities not just inflicted on African Americans, but also others. The Russo-Ukrainian War has been ravaging Ukraine and all the innocent people in it… the subjects are… grounded by their anger and intertwined through the ground they stand on, fixed to their place as they fight for their home.”
Amber Dacanay’s mixed media drawing, Intimacy’s Embrace, was inspired by Joseph Hirsch’s Moon Dreamers, also on view in the Moonstruck: Lunar Art from the Collection exhibition. In her artist statement, Amber states, “I have always found intimacy to be intimidating. Allowing others to see me at my most vulnerable causes great worry. This is often an obstacle in my personal relationships, as I usually associate intimacy with the deepest, darkest aspects of myself. However, my inspiration artwork reminded me that intimacy is not always bold and extravagant. It is often defined by the subtle nuances of a shared moment... From blocking out general shapes with my feet for a strong foundation, to establishing discreet details with scribbles and lines, I built an intimate connection with this artwork that mirrors the moment shared between the subjects.”
Amber Dacanay also submitted a compelling video of her process as part of the new Long Island’s Best Challenge, a video challenge that invited students to share behind-the-scenes films through social media.
Watch Amber Dacanay’s Process Video
Read more about the artwork & browse the exhibition!
