Nightmare on Main Street is the Huntington Arts Council’s annual exhibit for student artists in grades 6 -12. The students are invited to submit work inspired by the following statement by our juror, Lauren La Bella.
During the Bubonic Plague, the Plague Doctor became a momento mori, a symbol for one’s last earthly moments, as this was usually the last thing a person would see before meeting their death. The long beak of the mask was filled with herbs and spices that were believed to filter out the “bad spirit”, protecting the wearer from those he was visiting; the long, waxy coat and hat protecting their skin and clothes underneath. A long staff was used to make contact with the bodies without having to touch them directly. This ominous uniform, once functional and commonplace, became a masquerade costume for those celebrating the Venetian Carnival, a time where one could conceal their identity while partying and living freely for a short time, once a year. This frightening yet beautiful disguise was just one of the many characters to choose from. Similarly, Halloween is a once a-year opportunity to disguise yourself or be unknown, and to celebrate the darker parts of life. In the medium of your choice, show us how you interpret these concepts.
About the Juror: Lauren La Bella (b. Long Island, NY, 1993) has a BFA in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She has participated in group and solo exhibitions in New York and Savannah, Georgia. La Bella has a background in fashion and photography; both of which heavily influence her work process, techniques, and materials. Her media of choice include but are not limited to: acrylic and oil paint, watercolor, graphite, installation, and time-based media, working in both small and large scale. Currently, La Bella is working out of the fine art gallery and private tattoo studio, The Gallery @, in Huntington, New York, which she co-owns with artist Brittany Ziems.
* HAC can only accommodate digital submission at this time