Audrey Zhang, a sixth grader at Island Trees Memorial Middle School, took home first place in the Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA) on Sept. 17. Zhang was honored at the Cradle of Aviation Museum for her work and was presented with a $500 check and an iPad Mini. Many dignitaries were on hand, including State Education Department Regent Roger Tilles.
On Sept. 19, Tilles returned to Island Trees Memorial Middle School, and was the featured speaker at an assembly honoring Zhang’s achievements. Tilles spoke to the fifth and sixth grade students about getting involved in the arts, making art and music a passion, and the necessity of focusing on the arts in the 21st century.
The Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA) is a collaborative network of the region’s not-for-profit arts and arts education organizations. The goal of LIAA is to promote the awareness of and participation in Long Island’s world-class arts and cultural institutions. LIAA offers various resources to member organizations, is an advocate for arts education in the schools, and works together on methods strategies for community involvement in the arts. Arts Alive LI has taken the lead in advancing the LIAA’s vision of showcasing the region’s best and brightest artists. In cooperation with Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Arts Alive LI recently sponsored a poster-contest to kick-off an upcoming event in collaboration with the Long Island Children’s Museum and the Cradle of Aviation.
