Date Fest 2014

By: Michael Bernbaum

Community Writer

Photo Courtesy of:

Michael Bernbaum

Photo Description:

Congratulations to Valley View High School visual arts students for a successful event at the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival! Top row, from left: Angelica Lor, Alejandro Castillo, Brianna Galvan, Kyle Simpson, Eric G. Gonzalez, Imani Bell; middle row: Erick Fernandez, Aaron Elias, Shayne Knutzen, Deandra Guzman, Ariel Randolph, Josue Mendez, Yessenia Puentes-DeLaCruz; seated: Luz Lugo-Herrera, Taariq Elmahadi, and Kathy Lee Castaneda.
Seventeen creative visual artists from Valley View High School (VVHS) in Moreno Valley had their work exhibited at the National Date Festival and Riverside County Fair in mid-February. Valley View students garnered eighteen 1st place awards and two 2nd place awards in a variety of two and three dimensional media classes including sculpture, ceramics, black and white and color drawing, chalk pastel, and mixed media. “Our students look forward to showcasing their work in the community. The Date Festival offers them the unique opportunity to have over 100,000 people see their work; and awards them for the quality of their skill and ideas” states, Michael Bernbaum the Visual Arts Chair at Valley View. “We are very proud of the excellence that our students demonstrate with regard to innovation and imagination.” Special recognition was awarded to Ariel Randolph for best of class in the chalk pastel category and Taariq Elmahadi for best of class in the sculpture category. First place winners in the two dimensional creative arena were: Ariel Randolph, Angelica Lor, Deandra Guzman, Imani Bell, Kyle Simpson, Eric G. Gonzalez, Kathy Lee Castaneda, Luz Lugo-Herrera, Elvis Ortiz, Aaron Elias, and Brianna Galvan. In the three dimensional creative categories, 1st place awards were won by: Taariq Elmahadi, Josue Mendez, Erick Fernandez, Shayne Knutsen, and Alejandro Castillo. Second Place recognition was awarded to: Deandra Guzman and Yesenia Puentes-DeLa Cruz. Of the Riverside County schools in attendance, students from VVHS received the highest number of awards for their submissions.