PAL?kids are artists

In February, Queens children, parents, staff and community neighbors gathered at the 61st Annual Police Athletic League’s (PAL) Brotherhood/Sisterhood Art Contest in Manhattan.
Over 100 PAL youngsters, ages six to 18, received recognition for their demonstration of this year’s theme, “Careers: Who I Choose to Be.”
The exhibit showed the winning artwork that expressed the young artists’ visions of cultural diversity in their communities and how career paths intertwine with community life.
The colorful creations included a variety of art mediums such as posters, murals, three-dimensional crafts and quilts. The Award Ceremony celebrated the winning students from full-time and part-time PAL Centers throughout the five boroughs for their outstanding artwork.
Young people from PAL’s Far Rockaway Beacon, P.S. 214 in Flushing and PAL’s Foster-Laurie Center in Hollis, which is in danger of closing, were among the honored artists.
Pedro Danielsen, Mariah Marshall, Demi McWilliams, Tamia Melville and Aleoa Roache, from PAL’s Far Rockaway Beacon, received the” Best in Show for Artwork” Award.
In the “Posters” category, Grace Elizabeth Quaye from Far Rockaway Beacon and Shane Johnson from the Foster-Laurie Center received awards.
Misha-el Cochy and Kristiana Leplanche from PAL’s Foster-Laurie Center were recognized for their work in crafts. Mural winners included Daniel He, Kathy Sha, Karmen Wu, Rebecca Zhang, Ericka Syvanen, Jennifer Maybloom, Endy Bermudez, Madison Carrera, Sophia Miao, Allard Peng, Alan Sun, Iris Lin, Leo Sakagami, Jun Jie Wang, Nailah Matthews-Brown, Eliza Padilla, Celeste Pilataxy and Jose Rodriguez all from P.S. 214. Shaniyah Holmes, Quamyce Saverby and Jeremiah Wright, from the Foster-Laurie Center, were given awards for their Quilts.
The Police Athletic League, founded in 1914, has been serving New York City’s young people for more than 90 years. PAL provides recreational, educational, cultural, and social activities to tens of thousands of boys and girls annually. It is the city’s largest, independent, nonprofit youth organization. For more information, visit www.palnyc.org.