Hilltop student to have artwork displayed at NJPAC

SPARTA — A Hilltop Country Day School student has been chosen for the second consecutive year to display a piece of student artwork in the Art Educators of New Jersey Spring Exhibit at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
Richard Cort ’18 has been chosen to display his mixed media piece in the exhibit beginning on May 1.
“We are so honored to be included in the AENJ Spring Exhibit for the second time in two years,” said Art teacher SuzAnne Pacala. “Our dynamic art program allows students the space to take risks creatively and express themselves in a safe space. To have a piece by one of our student’s recognized by the AENJ is a sense of validation in the great work we do at Hilltop.”
Cort of Belvidere, used water colors, acrylic paint, sketch pencils and charcoal in the piece.
“When I started this project I was going for a Charles Burchfield look,” Cort said referring to the late American painter known for his passionate watercolors of nature scenes and townscapes. “As the days started to go by I realized I had something else exciting.”
In a time when many public schools have had to cut funding to arts programs, Hilltop continues to invest in the arts. The school recently purchased new art easels for the state-of-the-art studio and held a successful Paint ‘N Sip fundraiser led by expert art teacher Mrs. Pacala.
The Hilltop curriculum, which begins in preschool, also educates students in digital art and exposes students to many different art materials including paint, paper, clay, wire, fiber, and glass. Two and three dimensional work is encouraged.
“I’m so honored to be included in the AENJ show,” Cort said.