Monmouth County Arts Council

MCAC ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF
2006 ARTS EDUCATION AWARDS

(left to right) Lynn Reich, MCAC Board Member; Peter Lyden, MCAC Board President; Luba Corichi, Teacher of the Year; Paul Hart, Master of Ceremonies; Joseph Pacelli, Administrator of the Year; Robyn Ellenbogen, MCAC Arts Education Director

   The Monmouth County Arts Council is pleased to announce the winners of the 2006 Arts Education Awards, which were held at Two River Theater in Red Bank on May 17, 2006.

   Each year, MCAC highlights outstanding arts programs, arts educators, administrators, arts-infused schools and interdisciplinary projects in Monmouth County, which successfully incorporate the art standards in the curriculum. This year's juror was Laura Petrovich-Cheney a board member of Arts Educators of New Jersey, as well as an art teacher, artist and fashion designer.
   Luba Corichi, art teacher at The Rugby School in Wall, was awarded Teacher of the Year, and Joseph Pacelli, headmaster at Oak Hill Academy in Lincroft, was awarded Administrator of the Year. According to Petrovich-Cheney, the decision was difficult, as all of the nominations were outstanding art educators and clearly are leaders in the field.

   "Luba Corichi (was chosen) for her commitment to showcase her students' work in local, state and national forums," Petrovich-Cheney said. "Her teaching reflects the philosophy that self-expression through the arts is an essential part of a child's development in which he or she can become a creative and responsible person and to achieve highest aspirations of the human spirit."

   And regarding Administrator of the Year, Petrovich-Cheney noted, "Joseph A. Pacelli, (was chosen) for his commitment to promoting the visual and performing arts for his students. He has made the visual and performing arts a permanent part of the school and has proven that the art program is an integral part of the total education program at Oak Hill Academy."

   Also honored at the event were the MCAC's chosen "Champions of the Arts," who included Gloria Stravelli, Editor of The Hub; Cheryl Cummings, Executive Director of the Brookdale Network; and Barbara Barnes, Art Teacher at Matawan Regional High School. Entertainment featured performances by the talented teens from the MCAC's recent Teen Arts Festival, including Eric Larson, a Rugby School senior, with his own monologue, and Devan Marotta, a Monmouth Regional freshman, on the classical guitar. Another highlight included a check presentation by Panera Bread for monetary donations made to MCAC as part of their Operation Dough-Nation fundraiser.

   The Monmouth County Arts Council, located at 107 Monmouth St., Red Bank, is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the county by providing resources to support, inspire and foster the growth and development of the arts. For more information, visit www.monmouthartscouncil.org or call 732-212-1890.

   The Arts Education Awards is made possible through funding from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, through the County Historical Commission, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.