NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A Year of Creative Expression for New Rochelle public school students reaches its pinnacle on Thursday, April 19 when the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence hosts its 20th Annual Awards Gala, celebrating community leaders in the arts, health, and business, as well as New Rochelle High School student leaders.
Leading the honorees is 3D pop artist Charles Fazzino, whose work has been inspiring students across the district all year. “Bedazzled by Fazzino” is an exhibition of student work hanging alongside Fazzino’s and will take place at the Fund’s Museum of Arts and Culture inside NRHS from April 9th to May 9th. A reception with the artists is scheduled for the evening of April 12th.
“Hundreds of New Rochelle students enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing Mr. Fazzino’s world-renowned work this school year,” said Andrea Berman, Executive Director of the New Rochelle Fund. “They learned about making 3D art from working artists and their school art teachers and produced some amazing pieces! We are so grateful for the time, attention, and experience Charles Fazzino and his team shared with us.”
The Gala will be hosted by Errol Louis (NRHS Class of 1980), host of Inside City Hall on NY1, CNN Contributor and New York Daily News columnist. Also being honored are:
Michael Fosina (NRHS Class of 1980), President New York Presbyterian at Lawrence Hospital and Linda Fosina, Coalition Coordinator at NR Focus.
Carol Archer (NRHS Class of 1987), Executive Manager of the Chairman and CEO of Azul Airlines.
Andy Capellan (Girls Varsity Track Coach)
With the success of students the top priority for NR Fund, the spotlight will also shine on the following seniors who were selected by the City School District of New Rochelle:
Annael Alvarez (Arts and Culture Award)
Andrew Sorota (David A. Garfinkel Citizenship Award)
Jonathan Saddler (Eric Tutera Sports Leadership Award)
Zahra Masih (Technology Award)
For 20 years, the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence has provided students across the city with unique artistic, cultural and educational opportunities like Poetry Out Loud, subsidized SAT and ACT Prep courses, and a new grants program that supports administrators, teachers, and community members in their efforts to give all New Rochelle students the opportunities to succeed.
About the Honorees
Charles Fazzino, The Master of 3D Pop Art, is one of the most popular and highly-collected artists of all time. During his more-than-thirty years as a pop artist, he has inserted his unique, detailed, vibrant, and three-dimensional style of artwork into the very fabric of popular culture. Fazzino’s artworks are exhibited in hundreds of museums and galleries in more than twenty different countries. He has received many private and important commissions and has been selected as the official artist for festivals and events all over the world including The Super Bowl, MLB All-Star Game, The Olympics, and the GRAMMY Awards. Charles is often referred to as a pop culture historian because of the breadth of his work and the way it touches his collectors and captures the best parts of their contemporary lives. His legacy will mark him as part of the next generation of famous pop artists as he follows the paths originally forged by pop art pioneers such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Red Grooms. See his entire collection at www.fazzino.com
Michael Fosina, ’80, was born and raised in New Rochelle. Michael and Linda both graduated from the University of Delaware and, after marrying in 1991, they chose to join the rest of the Fosina clan and raise their family here in New Rochelle. Their children, Amy, Stephanie and Christopher, are graduates of NRHS and are the fourth generation of Fosina’s to have graduated from the New Rochelle public school system. Linda has been an active community volunteer, especially with school PTA’s, serving in various roles including Co-President of Daniel Webster, NRHS and the PTA Council. She served on the board of her neighborhood association in Premium Point Park as well as volunteered with the Partnership for the Huguenot Children’s Library and the Fund for Educational Excellence. Linda currently works as the coalition coordinator of NR FOCUS (Families Organized to Curb the Use of Substances) and was a recent recipient of the Fund’s inaugural grants program. Michael received his MPH from Columbia and has worked at NewYork Presbyterian for over 25 years. He is board certified in healthcare management and on the national American College of Healthcare Executives Board. He was a Congressional Fellow, an Atlantic Philanthropy Health and Aging Policy Fellow and a Fellow in the New York Academy of Medicine. Two years ago, he was named as President of NYP Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville and has since partnered with NRHS to sponsor programs such as Careers in Medicine and Family University. Bringing the excellence of NewYork Presbyterian and Columbia physicians to Westchester is an exciting initiative which allows him to combine his professional career and his love for the local community. Michael has also volunteered in many capacities, including as a Little League and Youth Football League coach, and as a board member of several local organizations such as the New Rochelle Sports Hall of Fame, Youth Tackle League Advisory Board, Greater NY Boy Scouts of America, Premium Park Neighborhood Association, Silvercrest Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation and NYS Council of Senior Centers and Services. Michael’s parents, Joe and Mickie Fosina, received an award from the Fund in 2009. Michael and Linda are proud to continue the long-standing Fosina tradition of service to the New Rochelle community.
Carol Archer, ’87 is Executive Manager of the Chairman and CEO of Azul Airlines, David Neeleman, who also is the founder and former CEO of JetBlue Airlines. Carol moved to New Rochelle from the island of Jamaica at age 12 with her mother and graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1987.Carol started at US Airways in their local sales office, as an Administrative Assistant in September of 1993. She later went on to New Air in 1998, which ultimately became JetBlue and began flying in February of 2000. In 2008, Carol left JetBlue with the CEO to start Azul Brazilian Airlines which began flying in December of 2008 and went public last year. Carol lives in Harlem, NY and is involved in a number of not-for-profits including the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and the Ovarian Cancer Foundation.
Coach Andy Capellan is in his 38th year coaching at NRHS. He has compiled an outstanding record as the Head Girls Track and Field coach. His teams have won the League titles over 40 times, the County Championship 35 times and the Sectional Championship for Section One Class A on 30 occasions counting both winter and spring. Over the years, he has produced countless New York State and National Champions. His hurdlers are usually in the state ranking, both boys and girls. Coach Cap, as he is referred to, has received several coaching awards, notably the Frank Maguire Foundation Award and was elected to the New Rochelle Sports Hall of Fame. Two years ago, he was elected to the Armory Hall of Fame in Manhattan. In addition, Capellan has received Coach of the Year Honors from the Gannett Newspapers too many times to count. For the past 2 years, Andy Capellan was the New York State Coach of the Year. Off the track, this past fall, he was recognized by the Hispanic Institute for outstanding contribution by a Hispanic in the Field of Athletics. Capellan has also served as an Associate Professor at The College of Westchester for the past 9 years.