Arts Council Awards FIVE Emerging Artist Scholarships to GRHS Seniors
Arts Council's Nena Colligan, Arts Council sponsor and GRHS Class of 2011 alum Will Wood, and writer, director and GRHS Class of 1969 alum Chip Deffaa (to represent for sponsor Barry Rubinow) were proud to present a $1,000 Emerging Artist Award to each of our five deserving Class of '26 GRHS Seniors at June 3's 2026 Awards Assembly at Glen Rock High School.
This year's recipients are: Uri Bashan, Charlie Chiappetta, Emily Hochman, Maggie Rundell and Samantha Silcock. Our recipients are passionate about what they do and where they’re headed. |
 Samantha Silcock
DEBORAH SISSMAN STUDIO ARTS - SAMANTHA SILCOCK A member of the National Art Honor Society and a self-proclaimed “hobbyist,” Samantha created an original piece that was selected from over 300 submissions as a finalist last year at the 2025 Bergen County Teen Arts Festival, and was the only GRHS work chosen last season. Although still undecided about her academic path when she attends Penn State this fall, she intends to keep performing, creating, and seeking out artistic communities that challenge and inspire. The arts have brought her joy, courage, and a stronger sense of self, she says, and they will continue to shape the person she becomes.  Maggie Rundell
WILL WOOD PERFORMING ARTS - MAGGIE RUNDELL Headed for Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, Maggie hopes to enter a career in which she can continue to sing, create, produce, and listen to music as a singer/songwriter and producer. She was very involved in GRHS musical theater and has been the “front man” for various cover bands, including "Stone Valley," the most recent. Her “alto” register is beautiful.  Uri Bashan
WOLL FAMILY FUND PHOTOGRAPHY - URI BASHAN - His attention-grabbing perspectives in his work are as varied as his subjects. He says that poetry and photography were primary outlets for expressing himself and asserting his identity. Uri photographed GRHS students at athletic events and in their daily activities for photography class and the yearbook. His next stop is attending Pre-Military Academy during his gap year in Israel, combining civic leadership, ideological education, and army preparation. Following military service in Israel, he plans to attend a public university there. He hopes to befriend and learn more about other artists by discussing their choices in creating art.  Charlie Chiappetta
ARTS CAREER - CHARLIE CHIAPPETTA - has worn many hats during her years at GRHS. As assistant director of the GRHS Theater Company, a choir section leader and officer, member of the Marching Band and the Tri M Honor Society, performer in every single HS musical and in 3 coffee houses, and as a contributing assistant director in the “Sharing the Arts” initiative, which provides inclusive performing arts programs for individuals with special needs, Charlie is all about encouraging others to love music. This harmonious mindset will certainly help her in being a music teacher, a career goal she will pursue at the University of Rhode Island.  Emily Hochman
BARRY RUBINOW FILMMAKING - EMILY HOCHMAN Emily will not be majoring in film or art, but she sees art as a means of connecting emotionally with others. Her playful 3 ½-minute “All I Want for Christmas” video, which uses a pass-the-mic, singalong-chain style, does just that. For Emily, art also provides a space to decompress and express emotions, which we can only assume will be a welcome respite from her efforts to study Nursing at the University of Maryland. Portrait images courtesy of student photographer Aahan Kapur, GRHS Class of '28
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