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Portraits of prominent African American men and women created by students from Asbury Park High School will be displayed in the library of City Hall throughout the month of February, in celebration of Black History Month.

Visual art students from Asbury Park High School took some time out to salute their heroes and heroines by creating portraits in their honor, according to a news release from the district.

This year, 20 students participated in the program. Expect to see portraits by Michelle Obama, Queen Latifah, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Michael Jackson and Jessie Jackson.

“Artistically, students learn portrait drawing and the importance of value to create the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface,” said Jean Johnson, high school fashion and art teacher. “Our more advanced students painted their subjects.”

Student portraits have been a fixture in City Hall since the first exhibit debuted in 2006, the release stated. This will be the first year a writing component was added to the so students could explain in detail why they admire the person selected to portray. The writing component was added to model current core curriculum standards, the release stated.

In 2011, the project earned the Power of Art award from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and Lab School of Washington, D.C., according to Johnson.

City Hall is located at One Municipal Plaza.

[Portrait of Jessie Jackson by APHS senior Damon Browns.]

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