Photo Credit: William F. Spencer Photography
Jersey City, NJ – The Central Avenue Special Improvement District Management Corporation, in partnership with the Jersey City Board of Education is pleased to announce the fifteen (15) winners to the third annual Heights Halloween Window Painting Contest on Central Avenue. A short award ceremony to recognize the winners was held on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 107 Bowers Gallery and ArtSpace. The fifteen student winners had their artwork displayed (in photograph form) at the art gallery during the ceremony.
In total, 121 students painted Halloween window portraits on 90 participating storefront locations along the Central Avenue shopping district (North Street to Manhattan Avenue). Students in grades 4th through 8th partook in the contest using their knowledge of primary colors (black, white, blue, yellow, red) to paint an assortment of fun Halloween scenes for all to enjoy. The fifteen winners were selected based on the categories of humor, content, and overall composition per grade level.
The panel of judges include Jersey City Deputy Mayor Vivian Brady-Philips (on behalf of Mayor Steven Fulop); Councilman Ward D, Michael Yun; Artist Kristin DeAngelis who owns and operates 107 Bowers Gallery and ArtSpace; ChicpeaJC blogger, Lynn Hazzan; and Joseph Nachbaur, State Farm Agent and CASID Vice-President (S). They were tasked with the difficult decision of selecting only 15 winners. Some of the judges said it was a challenge narrowing down the choices because there were so many good paintings this year.
“This was extremely difficult to judge, all the participants did an amazing job,” said Kristin DeAngelis, owner of 107 Bowers Gallery and ArtSpace. “Student artwork keeps getting better and better each year.”
Jersey City Deputy Mayor Vivian Brady-Philips and Councilman Michael Yun were on hand to help distribute the awards along with a variety of monetary prizes generously donated by State Farm Agent Joe Nachbaur (505 Central); Novick Hardware (302 Central); and Renato’s Pizza Masters (274 Central). Students were joined by their proud parents and art teachers at the event.
“The students again did an outstanding job making the Avenue look festive for Halloween,” says Sanford Fishman, CASID President. “Central Avenue appreciates the Jersey City School District and all of the hard work the art teachers and District Supervisor, Ann Marley, puts into this event making it a great experience for the kids. It is really a fun encounter for local businesses when students come back to remind us of the time they painted on our windows for Halloween.”
Trick-or-treaters along Central Avenue will get to enjoy the artwork during this year’s Halloween festivity which falls on a Tuesday. Storefront windows will be cleaned and portraits removed starting on Wednesday, November 1st.
The winners of the contest, by category, are:
Humor:
| Student | Grade | School | Portrait# | Store Location |
| Simran Rambarrat | 4th | PS# 25 | 82 | Steven E. Baskin, D.D.S |
| Christal Indar | 5th | PS# 6 | 95 | Salerno Salumeria |
| Nasir Stukey | 6th | PS# 15 | 4 | C.H. Martin |
| Isamar Pagan | 7th | PS# 27 | 14 | Pizza Masters |
| Denise Mejia | 8th | PS# 23 | 103 | Eye Candy Blow Out Bar |
Content:
| Ludelle Marasigan | 4th | PS# 38 | 118 | Tochimilco Grocery |
| Cariline Ramos | 5th | PS# 8 | 57 | Bond Drugs |
| Shameya Williams | 6th | PS# 15 | 5 | C.H. Martin |
| Ashley Arkais | 7th | PS# 38 | 119 | Jersey Cycles |
| Mohammad Umar Massod | 8th | PS# 4 | 22 | El Gordo Restaurant |
Overall Composition:
| Mujtaba Raja | 4th | PS# 25 | 80 | Up and Down Smoke Shop |
| Shaun Saldivar | 5th | PS# 38 | 114 | iVape Vapor Shop |
| Michelle Jones | 6th | PS# 15 | 2 | Stop & Shop Supermarket |
| Alwyna Andrade | 7th | PS# 39 | 74 | Oaxaca Food Mart |
| Kelly Cabrera | 8th | PS# 4 | 25 | Kikiriki Pollos a la Brasa |
This event was made possible through the efforts of the Central Avenue S.I.D. Management Corp. and funded in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Thomas A. DeGise, County Executive, and the Board of Chosen Freeholders.