NJ Teen Arts Tour to Feature RFH Grad’s Piece

Hive Mind, a porcelain piece created by recent Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduate Dante Cioffoletti, has been selected for the New Jersey Teen Arts Touring Exhibition and will be exhibited throughout Monmouth County for the next year.

“I created Hive Mind in my RFH art class, working from the prompt ‘Skulls and Bones,’” said Cioffoletti. “The skull is porcelain, and made with real dead bees from my friend’s bee farm.”
Ciofoletti, an 18-year-old Fair Haven native who plans to attend Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), was recently chosen as the recipient of the RISD Annual Art Award. Each year, a select number of secondary schools with noteworthy programs are invited by the president of RISD to nominate an accomplished artist from their senior class for this award.
At the recent RFH Senior Awards ceremony, Ciofoletti was presented with the RFH Fine Arts Department Achievement Award for Outstanding Performance in Fine Arts, and the Tom Regan Art Scholarship.
“I love the art program at RFH, it has taken me in and pushed me to all of my successes,” he said. “It’s challenging, thought-provoking, and — most importantly — a family. I would like to thank the entire art program, but especially Ms. Okeson and Mrs. Lanfrank. They’ve done incredible work for me, and given me a confidence in my artwork that I never had before.”
Although his plan is to study ceramics at RISD, Ciofoletti says that could be subject to change.
”RISD requires all freshmen to take a foundation year, where we take a class in a bit of every media, and where a lot of students change their direction,” he said. “My plan for now is to study ceramics at RISD, but I’m open to any path I fall in love with.”
— Edited press release from RFH