South High School artists Derrick Pao and Xiaomiao Yao have been accepted into the highly competitive 2026 Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at the Heckscher Museum. Derrick’s work, “Pandemonium,” and Xiaomiao’s work, “Layers of Exposure,” were created in Megan Cashman’s College Advanced Art class.
Now celebrating its 30th year, Long Island’s Best is the only juried show on Long Island that offers high school students the opportunity to exhibit their work in a museum. This year’s competition received 402 entries from 63 public and private schools, with 84 pieces selected for display.
During the fall, South High’s College Advanced Art students visited the museum and viewed the exhibit, “Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History,” to serve as an inspiration for their original compositions. Submissions for the Long Island’s Best contest were judged on the combination of studio skills and the ability to compose an artist statement describing their work process from inception to resolution.
“This was an extremely challenging undertaking and the entire South High Art Department is incredibly proud of their hard work and their achievements,” praised art teacher Ms. Cashman.
Long Island’s Best is currently on display through May 3, 2026. The Heckscher Museum of Art, located at 2 Prime Avenue in Huntington, is open Thursdays through Sundays from 12–5 p.m. For more information, visit www.heckscher.org.