Victor Central Schools is proud to announce its new Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Hall of Fame. The program was created to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of outstanding alumni, staff and community members who have excelled in the arts. It was also established to inspire current students to make contributions to the arts by reconnecting those selected for the hall of fame with our students, staff and community.
Candidates for the Visual and Performing Arts Hall of Fame can be nominated in one of four categories:
Please take a moment to nominate a deserving candidate by filling out the Visual & Performing Arts Hall of Fame Nomination Form.
2024 Inductee
Creator: Justin Barnes
Class of 1997
Justin Barnes is the founding partner and Executive Creative Director of VERSUS, an award-winning and culture-defining creative agency based in New York City. The studio brings together teams specializing in live action, editing, motion design, computer graphics, and animation. After graduating from Victor in 1997, Justin traveled the world as a skateboarder. He later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Brooklyn College and began working as an art director and motion designer across broadcast TV, commercials, film, and the web. In 2013, he leveraged his expertise and creativity to launch VERSUS. The Emmy award-winning company has produced work featured on Thursday Night Football, in advertising campaigns like "Lenovo Presents: ThinkPad and the Beatbox Torture Test," and in full-length feature films. Holly Boisvert, who nominated him, said, “Justin is an inspirational alumnus. He shares his talent, creativity, and vision globally. He embodies a 'be yourself, don't compromise, work hard, educate yourself, travel, and grind' attitude.”
2023 Inductee
Theatre: Benjamin Alexander Barbash
The Victor Arts Hall of Fame committee honored its 2023 inductee, Benjamin Alexander Barbash (Class of 1991), posthumously, at a special recognition ceremony during the October 12th Board of Education meeting. Barbash was a highly respected visionary, artist, businessman and a friend to all. After graduating from VCS, he attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University . His career spanned from the east to the west coast. He worked for the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City. After, he returned to Victor where he established a fiber art center and served as the executive director of Valentown Hall. Later, Barbash returned to NYC for a job with Actor’s Equity and relocated to Los Angeles where he became the manager of a landmark motion picture theatre, the Fairfax. Barbash wanted to tie his passion to theater to some kind of legacy and heritage. He dreamed of implementing theater programs in shopping malls regionwide and developing a cultural corridor along Route 96 from Rochester to Oswego. According to Barbash’s father, “He could go out and bring people together in ways no one could think of.