Press Release Jan. 13, 2016: Shoreline Arts Alliance will hold the 32nd annual juried competition and exhibition of student art, Future Choices 2016 from February 17 – March 8 at the Sill House Gallery of the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.

This competition and exhibition is open to all high school students in grades 9 – 12 who live or attend school in these CT towns represented by Shoreline Arts Alliance: Branford, Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haven, East Hampton, East Lyme, Essex, Guilford, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Madison, Middlefield, Middletown, North Branford, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, Salem and Westbrook. Home schooled students and boarding students are also invited to participate in this competition and exhibition.

This will be the fourteenth year that this student show will be held at the Sill House Gallery of the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The artists' reception and awards presentation will be held on Sunday, February 28 from 3 – 5pm with awards being presented at 3:45 p.m. in the Chauncey Stillman Gallery. The co-chairpersons for this competition and exhibition are Kathleen Bidney Singewald,and Jackie Fastaia.

Presenting this exhibition of the best high school art in the region served by Shoreline Arts Alliance at this prestigious location provides a very special opportunity for these aspiring young artists. If you are interested in submitting work for this show please contact your high school art teacher or Shoreline Arts Alliance at (203) 453-3890 or donita@shorelinearts.org.

Submissions will be accepted on February 10th and 11th (snow date February 12th) from 2 – 5 p.m. at the Sill House Gallery of the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, 84 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT. If you are unable to drop off on these dates please contact Shoreline Arts Alliance by phone or email (see above) to make other arrangements. Students may submit up to 3 works of art and the submission fee is $5 per piece.

In 2015, more than $50,000 in cash awards, prizes and scholarships were presented. Awards for Best in Show and First, Second and Third Place in the categories of Ceramics, Digital Animation, Drawing, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Prints, and Sculpture are determined by the judges. In addition, the Judy Streeter Outstanding Art Award will be presented to an area high school in recognition of their arts programming. A new award in memory of Ruth Baxter, who co-chaired this program for many years, will be presented for the second year.

Sponsors to date for Future Choices 2016 are: Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts: A College of the University of New Haven, Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and CT Office of the Arts.

The Shoreline Arts Alliance is a premier source of cultural events and competitions for people of all ages.