Oyster Bay High School senior Christos Kokotos has been named a Scholar-Artist in the 2026-27 Long Island Scholar-Artist Awards. 

Presented by the Long Island Arts Alliance in partnership with Newsday, the awards recognize high school seniors who excel in both the arts and academics. Students are nominated in one of five disciplines: visual arts, music, theater, dance or media arts. Each year, 20 students are named Scholar-Artists and another 20 receive Awards of Merit. Honorees are featured in Newsday throughout the school year and recognized at a year-end celebration.

Christos was selected as a Scholar-Artist in visual arts for his work in photography. A hobbyist photographer for much of his life, he said his interest in the art form grew as he was introduced to different cameras, lenses and editing techniques.

“I was exposed to what is really possible through photography,” Christos said. “I was eager to learn new skills and expand my knowledge.”

Although primarily self-taught, Christos credits Oyster Bay High School art teacher Mr. Boris with giving him opportunities to explore new subjects and locations through photography class field trips.

“Trips to the city and Brooklyn have given me so many opportunities to capture interesting moments and landscapes,” he said.

Christos has experimented with several genres of photography, but street photography has become his favorite.

“I love capturing random moments that would otherwise be mundane and ignored if not for the particular composition, lighting and coloring I present them in,” he said.

He also enjoys photographing cityscapes, an interest connected to his fascination with architecture. New York City, particularly Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs, provides much of his inspiration.

“Having grown up in Queens, I have very early memories of beautiful sunny days accompanied by perfect weather in the city,” Christos said.

Earlier this year, he set out to create an image that captured the nostalgia of those memories. With his camera in hand, he walked across the Brooklyn Bridge toward Brooklyn before turning his lens back toward the landmark.

“I took a photo that does exactly what I was hoping it would,” he said. “Looking back at it, I can almost feel the weather through the image.”

While Christos does not plan to pursue photography as a career, he intends to keep creating and developing his skills.

“Being named a Scholar-Artist has truly boosted my confidence in my art,” he said.

Congratulations to Christos on this outstanding recognition!