On June 11, 2026, students, parents, and art teachers gathered at the Rye Central Administration Building in New York for the 8th Annual Student Art Exhibition, showcasing work from 1st to 12th graders across all five Rye City School District buildings. The exhibition featured a range of media including paper-collage, printmaking, painting, and mixed media, with highlights such as sixth grader Angelica Song's paper-collage lizard and high school senior Nanami Aoyama's AP piece combining embroidery, Procreate, photography, and painting. Art teachers Anthony Campbell, Kim Tamalonis, and Bendis Mani spoke about the developmental progression and sophistication of student work.
The exhibition matters because it provides a rare opportunity for young artists to see their work displayed in a professional administrative setting, connecting elementary and high school art experiences side by side. It also reinforces the value of arts education in public schools by giving central office employees a daily visual connection to the creativity of the students they serve, and highlights the depth of Rye's K-12 art program, which culminates in advanced mixed-media projects at the AP level.