Dunstable artist, Tiffany Nguyen, was one of twelve budding artists from high schools all over New England to be recognized last Wednesday as finalists in Art of Harmony: An Art Competition. The competition, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, drew more than 10,000 entries in nine metropolitan areas across the United States. The contest encouraged participants to use any artistic medium to express what "Living in Harmony" means to them. Tiffany�s painting was done in oil and acrylic.
[0]Tiffany Nguyen's entry in Coca Cola "Art in Harmony" competitionAccording to Tiffany, "living in harmony means essentially being at peace, establishing and maintaining peace with other people and overcoming past grudges and differences, culturally and socially. People play a great role in our lives, they can spark hope, joy and anger with us, and break hearts as well as mend broken ones."
Tiffany is a junior at Groton Dunstable Regional High School. One of her art teachers, Maureen Green-Stevens, encouraged Tiffany to enter the competition for the experiene and the exposure. "This was the most challenging competition I have been in, but it was also the most fun," Tiffany said. "I really liked going to the awards ceremony, because it gave me a chance to interact with other kids on the same level who share my love of art."
"The caliber of artistic talent we consistently see every year through the Art of Harmony program is impressive both in the quality and diversity of the art," said Carlos Pagoaga, national program manager for the Art of Harmony competition.
The artwork of all twelve finalists will tour the metro area and receive national visibility when exhibited at The Coca-Cola Company's worldwide headquarters in Atlanta, which receives more than 750,000 vistors annually. In addition, finalists received U.S. Savings Bonds and cash prizes, and select works may be replicated as outdoor murals throughout their neighborhoods.
Tiffany has been drawing ever since she could hold a pencil. "I have fun doing art," she says. "It's what I look forward to every day." Except for a few times when other things (like studying for SATs) have demanded more of her attention, Tiffany spends some time doing something to develop her artistic skills every day. She's comfortable working with a wide variety of media, but she especially likes the process of building up transparent layers in watercolor. She also likes oil painting because "you can mess up and just paint over it. Then someone comes along who thinks that the thickness of the paint was intentional." Some of her favorite painters are Monet, Jackson Pollack, and Andy Warhol. She gets a lot of positive comments on her work from her friends, but she is most appreciative of constructive criticism that can help her reach for the next level.
Tiffany has taken a number of studio art classes at GDRHS [0] and plans to take the Portfolio Prep class next year, which will help her apply to art schools, such as the Rhode Island School of Design, or Montserrat College of Art, or Syracuse University, College of Visual and Performing Arts. She knows she wants to pursue some kind of career in art, but it�s too early to zero in on any particular discipline. However, it's safe to say that at least one company has already recognized her talent.
A sample of Tiffany's art, along with other artwork by high school students in the area, is currently hanging in the "Color, Line and Design" exhibit at the Groton Public Library and will be there through an artists' reception that will be held from 5:30-7pm on Thursday, April 28. You can also look forward to seeing more of Tiffany's artwork and that of other advanced art students from the high school featured at the district-wide Arts Festival being held from 6-9pm at the middle school on May 19 and May 23-26.