The Donna Drake Show and Spotlight at The Paramount Highlight Long Island Artists - John Guarneri’s “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire” Named Best in Show

Huntington, NY, December 05, 2020 --(PR.com)-- Through a media partnership between Donna Drake, host and creator of "The Donna Drake Show" and Spotlight at The Paramount, an experiential gallery and restaurant located at The Paramount in Huntington Long Island, local artists and their works created during quarantine were showcased in a public art exhibit and via a social media campaign.

"Betwixt: Thanks 4 U," the week-long social media awareness campaign was sponsored by Donna and her company, Drake Media Network, Inc. and featured "Quarantine Art," Spotlight at The Paramount’s public exhibit which ran through November 25. The proceeds from all works of art on display sold went directly to the artist, with 10% being donated to Huntington Hospital in support of their COVID-19 response programs.

Acclaimed art jurors decided on a best-in-show of the quarantine art exhibit. Thirty-five (35) artists participated in the exhibit and the following works were chosen as winners:

Best in Show - John Guarneri - "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"
First Place - Marni Butchkoski - Pencil Drawing of Doctor
Second Place - Francesca Petrizzo - Sea Passion
Third Place - Francesco Caverna - Phase 4

Honorable Mention - Krystin Banko - Chandelier
Honorable Mention - Marissa Plant - Caution to the Wind - photo
Honorable Mention - Christine Vinelli - Grand Central
Honorable Mention - Meagan J. Meehan - Strange Waves
Honorable Mention - Joseph Rotella - Unknown Hope
Honorable Mention - Cass Jones - Sweet Misery

Acclaimed art jurors for "Betwixt: Thanks 4 U” include:

- Charles A. Riley II, PhD, the director of the Nassau County Museum of Art and the author of thirty-seven books on the arts, cultural history, business and politics, including Color Codes, Free as Gods, The Saints of Modern Art, The Art of Lincoln Center and The Jazz Age in France. The former editor of Art & Auction magazine, Dr. Riley has curated several exhibitions in galleries and museums in Asia, Europe and the United States. He is a professor at Clarkson University and a jurist on public art selection committees.

- Susan Gatti is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work includes oil painting, filmmaking and figure sculpting. Her oil and acrylic paintings range from figurative scenes depicting the hustle of New York City to the relaxed, salty long island beaches she calls home. She is also the founder of QUE Productions, creating story-driven content which have garnered in over a dozen Telly awards for TV commercials, corporate videos, animations and documentary film.

- Gina Piccirilli Hayden an award-winning artist, is best known for her ceramic sculptures. Her classical Fine Art education and extensive background as a Trompe-l’oeil artist helped her develop self-taught techniques rarely achieved in the clay sculpture world. Gina’s fascination with nature and its frailty is the basis for the symbolism she sculpts. Named one of the top 40 artists in the country by Art News for two consecutive years, Gina’s work is highly sought after by collectors around the globe.

- Steve Zaluski is an international artist who creates paintings, mobiles and outdoor kinetic sculptures. His welded bronze and aluminum works have been installed in corporate locations, private collections, shopping centers, hospital systems and public gardens around the world.

"Thank you to all of the artists who have participated in the exhibition. We are so very thankful for everything Donna Drake has done to bring these opportunities to the local artistic community. Congratulations to John Guarneri for this amazing honor," said Krystin Banko, Spotlight at The Paramount Curator.

Said Drake, "We wanted to do our part to show our support for the visual arts, especially during this challenging time. We’re excited we were able to partner with Spotlight at The Paramount and highlight great artists while giving back to the local community."

More info available Facebook and Instagram @spotlightnyart and on The Donna Drake Show Facebook page.

About The Donna Drake Show:
The Donna Drake Show: Live it Up! is a weekly, 30-minute television and digital talk series produced by Drake Media Network, Inc, which for the last 20 years has specialized in content strategy and video content production. Drake Media Network is also the creator of OTSN, The Online Trade Show Network and Virtual Gala Network. The Donna Drake Show airs weekly in New York on CBS's WLNY every Saturday at 6:30 am and is also available on Dish and DIRECTv. Digitally, The Donna Drake Show can be seen nationally and internationally on YouTube and several OTT and on demand platforms including Syncbak's VUit, FOOTPRINT Network and on Android, iOS, Apple TV and Roku.