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September 2025
student artists

Some of the best art colleges in the country can be found in our region along with many exceptional art departments within universities. RSFAA reaches out to art programs in PA, DE, NJ, and NY to invite full-time art students to apply for both of our annual shows. Learn More

“Rittenhouse has been creating space for young artists for nearly 100 years, and their work has been powerful for both the art community and also the community at large.”  

- Frances Donnelly Wolf - artist, and former First Lady of Pennsylvania

Students

September 2025 Student Artists

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Michael Ballezzi

materials

I work primarily in oils, but use a variety of dry mediums for studies. Many of my preparatory drawings are in graphite, charcoal, pastel and chalk.

artist statement

Through figurative realism, I aim to explore the layered nature of identity. My recent work often involves multi-figure compositions that seek to reveal the tensions between our inner lives and outward presence.

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Stephanie Brown

materials

Pastel

artist statement

I'm a pastel painter striving to capture my experience of light and color, whether in the landscape, in a rose garden, or with two simple lemons on a plate. I paint realism, mediated by emotion.

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James Cochrane

materials

I work on linen canvas, both acrylic primed and oil primed. Lately, I have started laying in a tone for the canvas, then drawing and values with burnt umber/white, and finally scattered color.

artist statement

Paintings of everyday life that draw the viewers attention to beauty in simplicity. I strive to find the truth, beauty, and goodness in all my subjects, from simple still life to the complicated cityscape.

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Rita Denicuolo

materials

My work renders the exaggerated fashion croquis in an editorial style, using mixed media such as acrylics, marker, graphite, watercolor, colored pencil, gouache, and crayon on paper, canvas and board.

artist statement

As an emerging fashion designer in my mid-20s, my body of work documents this transitional moment of my career through illustrative renderings of fashion imagery using traditional media. I achieved my BFA in Illustration at Rochester Institute of Technology, and through leaning into inventiveness and expression, the practice of illustration led me to the world of fashion. After recently completing my MS in Fashion Design from Drexel University, my work primarily focuses in fashion design and illustration. Through vibrant color and graphic technique, I paint fashions designed by myself and iconic designers in an editorial style. My work showcases the fashion croquis in various styles, color palettes, and media, emphasizing pose, energy and drama reminiscent of a fashion magazine.

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Abigail Dudley

materials

Oil paintings on canvas and linen. The paintings on display will most be from observation.

artist statement

The work I will be displaying are oil paintings done from observation.

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Claire Fukuchi

materials

The materials I used for four of the pieces were gouache. I used the alla prima technique and focused on layering my colors instead of blending them.

artist statement

I enjoy the challenge of creating realistic pieces by focusing on the detail and texture of the subjects of my art. Although I create pieces in different mediums and styles, I find myself drawn to gouache paint with a graphic style. By implementing this graphic approach into my art, I have made my pieces more vibrant and defined, something that reflects my personality. My goal is for my art to bring people as much joy to look at it as it brings me to make it.

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Jay Harris

materials

I use contemporary realism to create works of art that represent the trans and nonbinary community; my emphasis on color and subject matter is extemely important to me

artist statement

I use contemporary realism to create works of art that represent the trans and nonbinary community. I'lI be exhibiting thesis work exploring my experience as a nonbinary realist artist navigating today's sociopolitical climate.

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Trevor Jennings

materials

Paintings are made by using junk material to make shapes, spray paint is applied, then I use ink or paint to fill in the shadows. I try to pair the painting to a dadaist poem.

artist statement

I am a USAF veteran, & my work explores PTSD, anxiety and depression, as well as my relationship with my son and fatherhood. The body of work I have produced is largely based on Graffiti and dadaism.

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Anna Romaniuk

materials

I use traditional materials like oil paint and graphite.

artist statement

I will be exhibiting a mix of drawings and paintings from my first year as a student at Lyme academy and personal work that was done during summer break.

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Rhythm Soto

materials

Drawings was created using graphite and charcoal. Techniques includes observational drawing, layering, and contour lines. Other pieces may include digital media, oil painting, and printmaking.

artist statement

I create art to freely express my thoughts and emotions, exploring the tension between beauty and chaos. This body of work reflects my studies in drawing, painting, printmaking, and digital media as I experiment with composition, storytelling, and various techniques through observation.

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Victor Surbrook

materials

My work explores a mix of mediums and the overlap between painting and drawing. Most commonly I work in oil, watercolor, charcoal, pencil, and print media, as well as combinations of these.

artist statement

My work comes primarily from imagination and intuition, centering around intimate, sensitive scenes of figures and nature. I am interested in capturing a sense of tranquility and sublime beauty, both through the human figure and the natural landscape. With the creation of artwork as a meditative, contemplative practice, I aim to capture the sense of peaceful memories and relationships with others through my work.
I utilize several different processes and techniques, and much of my work appears stylistically inconsistent. Some pieces emphasize detailed, naturalistic depictions, with others based in stylized, curvilinear forms and exaggerated color palettes. I tend to mix wet and dry media, such as charcoal and oil paint, or pencil and watercolor, investigating the overlap between painting and drawing. This exploration has led me in many different directions, and I have discovered multiple ways of working that I find joy in.
The body of work I plan to exhibit would be a culmination of my student work throughout the past year, as well as works created over the summer. I will be spending a month in Europe this July/August, and plan to create a series of landscape paintings throughout my time traveling.

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