The Coaster

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI

Work by Liz Toth, a junior at Neptune High School, is part of the permanent collection at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

Not many 16-year-olds can say their art work is part of a permanent collection at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

But Liz Toth, a junior at Neptune High School, can claim that distinction, which she earned coincidentally.

Toth accompanied her step-father Harry Hukkinen, a professional artist, to a project he was working on for artist Robert Whitman at the Guggenheim.

It involved technology and Hukkinen, who describes himself as technology-challenged, brought Toth and her mother Amy along for support.

Toth ended up taking short videos on the streets of New York City with her cell phone and they were accepted into the project, becoming a part of the permanent collection at the famed museum.

Whitmans collection is a video cell phone project entitled Local Report.

Toth began taking photographs about four years ago.

Mostly just around my house, Toth said.

The 16-year-old was recently honored again when some of her photographs were accepted into an international juried art show at SICA (Shore Institute of the Contemporary Arts) in Long Branch.

The exhibit opened Oct. 12 and runs until Nov. 9. One of Toths photographs was sold for $125 at the opening. It is entitled Doorbell and depicts the doorbell on the familys home,

The doorbell is painted green with the background tinted in pink.

The show will run until Nov. 9.

As a professional photographer himself Hukkinen said he saw potential in Toth several years ago.

It took me 10 years to get as good as she was then, he said. It was natural to her, she is doing wonderful work.

Toth attends the Communications High School in Wall in the morning to study photography and art.

She said she would like to go into the field of graphic art in college.

Toth said in her senior year she will work with her art teacher to decide which college will be best for her.

When she was accepted into the SICA show, Toth said she was very excited.

It was the first time I tried to get into any show, she said.

Toth said she began taking pictures in eighth grade with her own camera.

I just took pictures around the house, she said. I went outside and took things I didnt think that anyone would take pictures of.

And photography is not her only talent.

Toth plays tenor saxophone in the high school band, an instrument she learned in December, with the help of band director Ray Kelly.

I joined the band last year, I just caught on to it, Toth said.

Toth said she is interested in taking pictures of the beach and boardwalk and tries to capture people with the ocean in the background.

She would eventually like to travel to England and Australia to take pictures as well.

The entire family is creative and Amy Toths film work was also accepted into the SICA show.

Hukkinen said his work was the only one not accepted.

But Ive been very fortunate in my art, he said good naturedly.

Toth has three brothers who are also involved in creative endeavors.

It makes for a nice unity, Hukkinen. Someone is always working on something.

Toth said she was very surprised to to have one of her pieces sell at her first show.

I was just entering it to see if I could get in, she said.

This photograph by Liz Toth of Neptune called Doorbell was featured in a recent juried art exhibit in Long Branch.

Contact Joanne Papaianni at joanne@thecoaster.net.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 1:45 pm and is filed under Arts & Entertainment, Neptune. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.