• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Eastwick Press Info
  • Contact Us

The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

  • Community Calendar
  • School News
  • Sports Outdoors
  • Obituaries
  • Letters & Comments
  • Church Directory

Painting Wins National Competition

June 23, 2023 By Eastwick Press

Will be Featured at Smithsonian

Submitted by BCS Communications
Berlin High School (BHS) senior Daniel Rivera’s powerful painting, Tears of Miss Justice: Mourning a Broken System, is a national award winner. Daniel won the Best in Show award in the annual Democracy Collection Student Art Competition sponsored by the National Art Education Association and the Art in Embassies of the US Department of State. This competition provides an incentive for students to explore democracy through the creation of art. Daniel won not only the top award for the Northeastern Region, but Best in Show out of the entire country.

Daniel started Tears of Miss Justice in Mrs. Samantha Colbert’s Berlin High School Intermediate Studio Class in the fall of last year. He worked on his painting in Mrs. Colbert’s art room for the next five months. When the painting was completed, BHS English and Language Arts teacher Ms. Mikaela Marbot helped guide Daniel through his artist statement writing, part of the submission process for adjudication.

A panel of visual arts professionals, including renowned graphic artist Shepard Fairey, chose five winners from 30 finalists: four regional winners and one Best in Show.

This September, Daniel and Mrs. Colbert will travel to Washington, DC to participate in the Smithsonian Museum’s Art Activations for Democracy event. Daniel’s painting will be at the Smithsonian where his work will be displayed; it will then become a permanent part of the Art in Embassies Collection where his painting will potentially travel throughout embassies of the world.

The following is Daniel Rivera’s artist statement:
“I created Tears of Miss Justice: Mourning a Broken System to portray what I see in our country. She represents the way I see many of us blind to the truth of how our two-party system causes pain and fights amongst citizens of America. Her tears represent the citizens of America. The colors of her tears represent the two different political parties, while the presence of the tears symbolizes the sadness and pain our country faces when the parties fight, argue, and pit the people against each other. Miss Justice is set in an all black background to make her the focal point, with shades of gray in her face representing a sense of dread and despair. Her blindfold, which the tears bleed through, represents the way I see many of us blind to the truth behind our system.”

BHS Senior Daniel Rivera with his painting, Tears of Miss Justice: Mourning a Broken System. Photo courtesy of BCS Communications.

Filed Under: Berlin School Dist., Member Exclusive

Primary Sidebar

Archives

Footer

Local News

Brunswick Town Board Highlights

by Denise Wright The March 13th Brunswick Town Board meeting was filled with conversation and resulted in the passing of two resolutions. During the Building and Codes report, 25 building property inspections and 22 follow-up complaints were reported for the month of February. The State Uniform Code Administration Compliance Report has been prepared. The historian […]

March 21st, 2025 Edition

View this week’s entire newspaper:

Stephentown Board Highlights

by Denise Wright The Stephentown Board’s St. Patrick’s Day meeting began with a moment of silence to honor former town board member Gerry Robinson. Robinson focused on “improving local service opportunities, protecting Stephentown’s unique rural environment, and increasing local jobs and amenities by encouraging economic development appropriate to the size, atmosphere, and well-being of our […]

School News

Berlin School Board Appoints New Superintendent

Submitted by BCSD Communications The Berlin Central School District Board of Education selected Mr. Kenneth Rizzo to be its next superintendent of schools, effective July 1st. Mr. Rizzo was unanimously appointed by the board at its meeting on March 6th.

Wildcats Compete at the New York State Indoor Track Championships 

Hoosick Falls CSD Indoor Track Submitted by HFCSD Communications The Wildcats put forth a great effort at the New York State Indoor Track Championships on March 8th. The girls 4×400, consisting of Emma Waugh, Mihaly Blake, Ava Salvsevold, and Erin Conety, had a huge upset in their race. Going in as the underdogs, the girls […]

Winter Scholar Athletes and Varsity Teams

Brunswick CSD Submitted by Brunswick CSD Communications Brunswick CSD is proud to announce its winter Scholar Athlete sports teams for the 2024-2025 season. The school fielded seven varsity teams, including Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Boys Wrestling, Competitive Cheerleading, Unified Bowling, Boys Indoor Track, and Girls Indoor Track. In addition to the exciting lineup of winter […]

Copyright © Eastwick Press · All Rights Reserved · Site by Brainspiral Technologies