The co-chairs of The Guild of Creative Art in Shrewsbury are among the individuals and organizations recognized by the Monmouth County Arts Council for their contributions to arts education, during a May 9 ceremony.

Press release from Monmouth County Arts Council

Each May, as the school year comes to a close, The Monmouth County Arts Council recognizes outstanding arts educators, arts organizations and arts advocates who support our mission of enriching the community by inspiring and fostering the arts in Monmouth County.

Sponsored by OceanFirst Foundation, the annual Arts Education Awards and Showcase will be held on Monday, May 9, and will be hosted at the award-winning, state-of-the-art facility of the Middletown Arts Center.

Students, parents, teachers and community arts supporters are invited to attend the special evening honoring and acknowledging the power of arts education. The evening will feature select student performances, as well as highlights from our recent Monmouth Teen Arts Festival.

Scheduled to appear are Monmouth Regional High School’s outstanding group of musical theatre students, who were nominated to go on to the NJ State Teen Arts Festival in June, and who will perform the heart-tugging Songs for a New World.  Kevin Oakley and Quwaamiir Harmon, incredible dancers and musicians from Asbury Park High School, will capture audiences with their unique duet.  Communications High School students Darcy Darbin and Tanner Richardett, will enliven our ears and our minds with poetry (both pieces also nominated for the upcoming NJ State Teen Arts Festival). And finally, we highlight the extraordinary artwork created by the students of Middletown-based Oasis tlc, taught by our Community Champion of the Arts honoree, Sarah Hilton.

The award categories and honorees for 2016 are:

Community Arts Education Organization

Belmar Arts Center

Arts Organization Leader

David Levy & Leslie Backlund, Co-Presidents of the Guild of Creative Art

Community Champion of the Arts

Sarah Hilton, Arts Educator for OASIS tlc

Arts Education Advocate

Richard McKenna, Senior Vice President of Sales at Hatteras

Outstanding Educators in Visual & Performing Arts

Judy Raybon, Visual Arts Educator of Collier Youth Services

Gerald Romano, Director of Bands at Monmouth Regional High School

Refreshments and light fare will be served at the event. Go here for additional details and to purchase tickets.