Painting of Pope John artist Devin Sellinger is selected for touring exhibit
Sparta. Devin earned the highest honor at the Teen Arts Festival for her oil painting “Your Happiest Day,” one of only three selections to represent Sussex County for the state touring exhibit to run virtually from June 1-3.
| 22 May 2021 | 12:41
Devin Sellinger (left) and sophomore Danielle Kelly show their pieces of artwork that have earned selections at this year’s Sussex County Teen Arts Festival (Photo provided)
Pope John XXIII Regional High School senior Devin Sellinger and sophomore Danielle Kelly each had their artworks selected at the 52nd Sussex County Teen Arts Festival to represent Sussex County at the state and local levels.
Devin earned the highest honor at the virtual festival for her oil painting “Your Happiest Day,” as it was selected to the New Jersey State Teen Arts Touring Exhibit. Her painting is one of only three selections to represent Sussex County for the state touring exhibit, which will run virtually from June 1-3.
Devin’s painting was also selected to the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council (SCAHC) Select Virtual Exhibit. The painting is of a bride getting ready in front of a mirror on her wedding day.
“This is great,” said Devin, whose painting is of a bride getting ready in front of a mirror on her wedding day and focuses on the pressures of marriage, especially on women.
“I’ve been taking art classes for a really long time and have submitted pieces to Teen Arts in the past, but I have never got to states. This is always something I wanted and I’m so happy.”
Kelly had two of her pieces of artwork selected at the festival. Kelly’s white charcoal, “Tiny Flame,” was selected to the SCAHC Select Virtual Exhibit, while her watercolor painting, “Moscow in May,” was chosen to be displayed in the SCAHC Select Virtual Exhibit and the Teen Arts website gallery. “Tiny Flame” shows a black lantern that uses white as the shadow instead of black, while “Moscow in May” focused on St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia.
“I’m really shocked,” Kelly said of having her two pieces of art selected. “I was looking at all the pictures during the festival online and said to myself, ‘Wow! These are really good!’ I wasn’t expecting this, but I am happy. I put a lot of work into them, so this is great.”
Eighth grade student Tricia Kelly also represented Pope John at the festival, submitting two pieces of work. Tricia’s marker piece, “Word Bird,” and her colored pencil, “Mood Ring” were displayed virtually during the festival. Sellinger, Danielle Kelly, and Tricia Kelly’s art teacher is Mrs. Susan Elvena.