Kevin Unick wins WVT Telephone Directory cover art competition

WARWICK-Kevin Unick of Warwick, a 25-year NYPD veteran, was awarded first place and his watercolor Amity Church will grace the cover of the 2005-2006 WVT telephone book. Awards for the 26th annual WVT Communications (Warwick Valley Telephone) directory cover competition were presented Nov. 3. Born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Kevin received formal art training at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. He was the recipient of numerous awards and exhibited at several galleries. Upon leaving school, Unick opted for a career in law enforcement and 25 years later is still a proud member of the New York City Police Department serving in the rank of Inspector for Patrol Borough Bronx. Upon moving to Warwick four years ago, he was inspired by the beautiful vistas and began painting again in watercolor and oil. Kevin and his wife Laurie have three children; Ryan, Kristen, and Matthew. Second place went to James M. Amore of Warwick for his watercolor West of Warwick-Edenville. James' painting Rural Warwick was featured on the cover of WVT's 2001-2002 WVT directory. Born in Cornwall, he has spent nearly his entire life in Orange County. This has served as inspiration for his landscape paintings. A graduate of the art program in New Paltz, James initially supported himself in the sports genre for 20 years. His later work represents a return to his original interest in landscapes inspired by the Dutch and Flemish painters of the 16th and 17th centuries. Third place went to Eugenia Zaccardi of Greenwood Lake for her oil Montage of Warwick. Jean attended Grand Central School of Art in New York City majoring in commercial and fine art and worked as a commercial artist for several years. She then received her BA and taught art in the New Jersey parochial school system to grades K-8 for 30 years. Recently retired, she paints and draws with the Warwick Art League under the tutelage of Evelyn Porter of Grahamsville. Jean has exhibited her work with the Warwick Art League, Studio Monday at SUNY Orange in Middletown and at the Catskill Art Society in Hurleyville. Jean had a personal exhibition at the Pequannock, NJ Library and will exhibit at the Greenwood Lake Public Library in the spring of 2005. Paintings from past phone book covers may be downloaded as computer desktop backgrounds from the company's web site, www.wvtc.com/covers. These three paintings are on display at WVT, 47 Main St., Warwick, during regular business hour