Three students from William Floyd High School have been recognized as winners in the Town of Brookhaven's fifth annual Lunar New Year Art Show. The event, organized in collaboration with the Asian American Association of Greater Stony Brook and the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Advisory Board, invited students to create artwork celebrating the 2025 Lunar New Year and the Year of the Snake.
Isabella Humberstone, James Start, and Coco Wang, all part of Theresa Bianco’s Portfolio Preparation class, were awarded first through third place respectively for grades 10-12. Isabella Humberstone secured first place with her piece "Four Leaf Year Snake." James Start earned second place with "The Mystical, Meandering Serpent," while Coco Wang received third place for "Guardian of Balance."
In total, seven William Floyd students had their artworks displayed at Brookhaven Town Hall's art gallery throughout January and part of February. They attended an award ceremony on February 2 where they were honored and given certificates of appreciation by the Brookhaven Town Office.
Isabella Humberstone explained her artwork: “I have drawn four leaves to represent the four seasons. The green color represents the Asian vine snake native to China. I wanted the snake to be long and winding to represent the length of the whole year.”
James Start described his creation: “My artwork is heavily based on the symbolism behind the Chinese zodiac snake. I added the camellia flower; the snakes meander downward. The traditional writing at the bottom explains how the Chinese zodiac snake is mysterious and misunderstood. The boxed caption and text are inspired by traditional Japanese artwork. The snake’s dragon-like head is based on a sculpture I came across while researching.”
Coco Wang commented on her work: “The snake coils around Yin and Yang as guardian of nature. The snake becomes core of drawing being red and guardian spirit of Yin Yang. The snake itself is based on Chinese leopard snake known for prominent spots so used gold color make them pop more. Drawing represents nature wildlife intertwining ideas balance foretold beginning time.”