By EVA HANEGRAAFF
NORTH READING — It is no secret that North Reading tends to excel. Whether it be in our exceptional test scores, or our award winning performances, North Reading is always striving to be its best.
This is no different when it comes to visual art as well, with North Reading student, Michael Foley, winning the Grand Prize at the Sixth District Congressional Art Competition, and securing a $1,500 scholarship to the prestigious Montserrat College of Art’s Pre College Summer Program.
Foley’s piece will also hang in the Capitol Building for the next year along with the winners of other congressional districts.
Nearly 100 students submitted artwork for this competition across 22 schools in the congressional district. Foley as well as all other contestants sent in their entries to the office of their congressional representative. North Reading is represented by Congressman Seth Moulton (D-Salem). From there, panels of the district’s artists select the winners. Foley was recognized for his prize both within his district and at the annual award ceremony in Washington, D.C. This year, the award ceremony for the Sixth District was held on Saturday, March 15 at the Montserrat Hardie Building in Beverly.
Foley describes his winning painting, “Lone Ranger,” as “more of a western style.” He was inspired by the process of painting itself. He explains, “it [the painting] started as more of a dystopian town, and then it switched to more of an abandoned place, and I thought that was pretty cool so I went with that,” explaining that “it was the first layers of paint that I put down that changed my perspective on the piece.”
Foley spent five weeks working on his acrylic painting, a process that he describes as being fulfilling in many ways as it has allowed him to learn and grow as an artist, expanding upon the skills he has learned over his years in high school art classes.
On his win, Foley says, “it was very surprising.” He goes on to say, “without my teacher, Mr. Dexter, I couldn’t have done it.” Andrew Dexter is an art teacher at the high school who Foley has known throughout his years in high school in which they have built a close bond. “Through the years I’ve known him, he has given me a lot of encouragement and feedback and ideas on what I can do with my paintings,” he said.
Art has been a major part of Foley’s life up to this point, and winning the prize, for him, was a significant encouragement. He explains art’s impact for him in saying, “it’s allowed me to express myself and given me a place for my creativity.”
This summer, Foley plans to attend the Montserrat program and grow his understanding of art. “I think it would be a cool idea to see and attend and interact with a bunch of different people,” he said. He plans to attend Endicott College in the fall where he will major in architecture.
Foley’s accomplishment just adds to North Reading’s incredibly list of successes and demonstrates an individual’s ability to create something influential through art.