Three Ridgewood Teens Honored for Commitment to Arts

Three Ridgewood students were honored on May 5 for the 31st annual Governor's Awards in Art Education at the State Museum Auditorium in Trenton.

Ridgewood High School students Mark Kendrick and Alexander Alpert were awarded, as was Bergen County Academies' Justine DeSilva, of Ridgewood.

"We don’t teach arts in public schools to train artists – studying the arts develops
life skills that will have increasing value in our globalized world,” said Bob Morrison, governance chair of the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership in a release.

Morrison pointed to numerous studies that showed creativity as one the most valued skill CEOs target when hiring new candidates. Morrison cited examples, such as playing in a musical ensemble that fosters growth in teamwork and cooperation while leading to an understanding of the value of "setting performance goals." Morrison also noted that studying visual arts "helps students communicate their ideas more clearly."

A total of 81 high school students were honored for their "exemplary work in creative writing, speech, dance, music, theatre and visual arts," according to the release.

Further, "education and arts professionals were chosen for their exceptional commitment and contribution to arts education."

“I am honored to recognize these outstanding students and educators for their excellence in arts and arts education on this 31st anniversary of the Governor’s Awards in Arts Education,” Governor Chris Christie said in the release.

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno was also on hand to offer remarks on the students and the value of arts in today's education.

[Editor's Note: Mark Kendrick was incorrectly cited as "Matt" Kendrick. The error has been corrected.]