Endless Possibilities

By Brianne Harrison

One of the wonderful things about the arts is that they frequently provide a means of expression for those who struggle or are unable to express themselves in other ways. Those with severe physical disabilities may fall into this group, but a New Jersey nonprofit called A.R.T. (Artistic Realization Technologies) helps them realize their full (and impressive) creative potential by providing them with the tools and technology they need to paint, take photographs, and sculpt. A.R.T has helped many artists create beautiful works that have been shown in galleries in New Jersey and Manhattan.

From February 25-28, A.R.T. will come to the Princeton University Art Museum with a new show entitled “A New Way of Seeing.” Stop by for the opening reception, from 6-8 p.m. on February 25, or check the show out over the weekend—admission to the museum is free, and the works will astonish you.

If you’re feeling more active this weekend, you might want to take part in the Enable Possibility Pursuit on Sunday. Possibility Pursuit includes a 5K run, indoor and outdoor fitness walks, and a dog walk. The event is geared towards persons with disabilities, their families, and friends. Pledges and funds raised will go towards supporting the services Enable provides to the disabled and their families. For more information, visit enablenj.org.

No Gloom in the Gallery

del la Serna, Open Bowl, 2009
courtesy of groundsforsculpture.org

By Brianne Harrison

There’s no denying, it’s cold outside. And not terribly colorful, unless you’re a fan of slush grey. So, why not thaw out and brighten up the weekend by ducking into an art exhibit (or two?)

Saturday and Sunday are the annual Artists’ Days at Sickles Market in Little Silver. Local artists will be on hand to show their work and give demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. And while you’re there, you can grab a few gourmet goodies to enjoy later!

Also displaying the work of New Jersey artists is the Noyes Museum of Art in Oceanville. The current exhibition features handcrafted pieces in metal, wood, textiles, ceramics, and other, more unusual materials. The show only runs through February 28, so head over soon if you want to see it!

Over at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, visitors can enjoy free admission for the rest of February. Current exhibitions include Albert Paley: Dialogue with Steel—elaborate, impressive sculptural works by a former jeweler—and Jacobo del la Serna’s Reflections on Tradition, which highlights the artist’s beautiful, delicate pottery. You can also see the unusual, whimsical hand-blown glasswork of Flo Perkins.

In New Brunswick, the Zimmerli Museum is showing an exhibition of children’s book illustrations from 1960 through today, focusing on how they highlight social themes and subjects of contemporary culture. Artists’ whose work is on display include Catherine Stock, Roger Duvoisin, and E.B. Lewis.

Dollars and Sense

By Lauren Johnson

This past weekend I had the pleasure of spending a lovely evening at The Arts Council of Princeton to see the opening of Consumed: An Exhibition about Art, Money and Consumption, which consisted of a variety of works that showcased the diverse perspectives and relationships artists have with money.

I found this theme intriguing in regards to the contemporary art world, since a shaken economy makes it impossible for any creative person to not face economic reality. While some artists may repurpose the marketability of their work, others may use it as a springboard for new ideas. This show was a refreshing showcase of both.

Plus, they had cookies. Shaped like dollar signs.

Upon entering the Arts Council building, my friends and I were immediately whisked into the mass of a buzzing crowd of people still wearing hats and jackets, thawing out from the frigid outdoors. After a few minutes of letting our toes regain feeling, we hung our jackets and proceeded into the exhibition.

The first piece I unintentionally noticed (though it was on the other side of the room, a crowd had gathered around), were two very bright, crisp, (and stylistically obvious) dollar signs by none other than Andy Warhol. The inclusion of these two pieces was entirely appropriate seeing how influential he was in the translation of consumerism to pop art (and later, vice versa). Nearby was a series of line drawings by Rachel Perry Welty, which turned out to not be line drawings at all, but rather razor-thin cut fruit stickers and barcodes arranged in round, organic shapes on paper. On the opposite wall hung Andrew Wilkinson’s piece, ‘MY GOD IT’S GOOD,’ a wry parody of Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper that consisted of Pillsbury Doughboys feasting on fast food and Coca Cola.

Consumed is a refreshing look at art, money, and the modern day interpretation of both. The show is currently on view and will run until February 27th.

For more information, please visit artscouncilofprinceton.org


**Images courtesy of Arts Council of Princeton**

There’s no I in Team

By Lauren Johnson

What do you get when you combine art and altruism? Something truly great.

On November 21st, I had the pleasure of experiencing said greatness at an art show in Trenton sponsored the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). The group of artists are part of a cooperative called the A-TEAM Artists of Trenton, which is comprised of individuals that use the services of the soup kitchen, and is run by volunteers that focus on helping them develop entrepreneurial skills while encouraging camaraderie and support.

The show was hosted at Artworks, and consisted of about 20 different artists’ work ranging from drawings and paintings to handicrafts and sculptures. All of the pieces were extremely unique, and each style told a distinct story about the person behind the work. To set the mood, music by The FunkTASKtiks (comprised of TASK patrons and volunteers) played a vast selection of pop, funk, and soul that had everyone swaying to the beat. The band was formed through TASK’s Performing Arts Program, called The SHARE project, which offers musicians of any skill level the opportunity to participate in organized band practices and take music lessons.

One group of work that I really enjoyed seeing was a series of carefully handmade dolls (pictured) by an artist named Brook Beatty. Each of her dolls had a unique persona — while some were beautifully simple, others were fantastically dressed in brightly colored beads, accessories, bits of fabric, and costume. Each doll came with a little paper nametag carefully tied to their feet, and were inspired by either celebrities or people she knows.

The show is located at Artworks, 19 Everett Alley in Trenton and can be viewed through January 2nd. All proceeds go directly to the artists.

For more information on upcoming A-Team shows, visit trentonsoupkitchen.org/ateam.php

Image photo credit: wilkinsonmedia.net

Festive Feasts and Family

By Brianne Harrison

As we’re fast approaching a holiday dedicated to feasting, it seems only fitting to mention Festive Feasts and Culinary Creations, a new exhibit at the Monmouth Museum that runs through January 3.

Festive Feasts is the museum’s annual holiday exhibition, and it features trees decorated by local garden clubs and the Friends of the Museum, stories and family-friendly activities, and their traditional, ever-expanding model railroad. The museum also has several holiday and food-related activities scheduled throughout the month. Activities include a festival of songs with Maureen McCrink on November 29; Chocolate Fairies with Don Magee—a chocolate tasting featuring bittersweet chocolate popcorn and fountain dipped chocolate pretzels on December 6; stories of festival feasts with Joan Jannerone on December 13; and Who Says You Can’t Play With Your Food? where participants learn to make crafts with food items, on December 20.

Holiday programs are held from 2-3:30 p.m. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $7 per person (children under 2 and Monmouth Museum members free). Visit monmouthmuseum.org for more information.

Don’t Miss…
The Thanksgiving Family Festival on November 27. Find buried treasure, uncover ancient stories, and learn to make pottery at the Newark Museum.

Annual Tree Lighting at Palmer Square on November 27. Enjoy music by Holiday Brass and the Princeton High School Choir as well as a reading of The Night Before Christmas before the 65-foot Norwegian spruce is lit by Santa Claus. Festivities will continue every Saturday and Sunday afternoon in December and on Christmas Eve.

Gifts from the Ancestors Offers a Rare Glimpse of Ancient Arctic Life

By Brianne Harrison

Princeton University has, among other things, an excellent art museum that is (rightly) celebrated for its extensive collection and illuminating exhibitions. With their most current exhibition, Gifts from the Ancestors: Ancient Ivories of Bering Strait, they may have outdone themselves. The massive collection of hundreds of ancient ivories carved from walrus tusks—mostly dating from 100 AD to about 1200 AD, are not only exquisite works of art; like most anthropological finds, they provide information about how ancient people of the Bering Strait region lived, hunted, amused themselves, and died, and what was important to them. In addition to showing the beautiful pieces, the exhibition examines their uses and the information they provide to give a more complete picture of life in an ancient subsistence society in the frozen north.

One might think that people who had to struggle day to day just to bring home enough food to feed their families wouldn’t be too concerned with making their everyday objects beautiful. This exhibition definitely proves that assumption wrong. The most commonplace objects—handles, harpoon heads and shafts, needle cases, combs, spoons, and gut scrapers—are intricately carved in such a way that you see something different depending on what angle you view the object from. One harpoon counterweight had the face of a predator carved into it when viewed one way, but if you turned it upside down, you could see a tiny human face carved in as well. Viewing many of these objects is like pulling out an ancient Magic Eye book.

And why should these ancient hunters have taken such care with commonplace items? The exhibition posits that including images of the prey in their weaponry may have been the hunters’ way of bringing luck to the hunt and honoring the animal that would provide sustenance for themselves and their families. But other objects’ meanings are more opaque than that—there are wonderful tiny gaming pieces in the shape of birds, as well as human figures, and small carvings of various animals that have no obvious use. Were these toys? Objects of worship? It’s difficult to say, but they’re still enjoyable to look at.

Gifts from the Ancestors was a long time coming—many of the pieces were gifted to the museum many years ago by Lloyd E. Cotsen, a member of the class of 1950. It took nearly a decade to bring the exhibition to light, but I think most visitors will agree it was well worth the wait.

Bonus: The Arts Council of Princeton, which is a short, pleasant walk from the University Art Museum, is presenting Dry Ice: Alaska Native Artists and the Landscape as a companion exhibition/counterpoint to Gifts from the Ancestors. Dry Ice will be on view through November 21.
102 Witherspoon St., Princeton, artscouncilofprinceton.org

Gifts from the Ancestors runs through January 10, 2010. For more information, visit princetonartmuseum.org.

Celebrating and Elevating Urban Art

By Brianne Harrison

For the most part, we look at graffiti and see narcissistic defacement—someone so enamored of themselves they simply have to scrawl their name on a train car or a highway overpass or a wall. And typically, that’s exactly what graffiti is. But every now and then, an actual artist takes up this medium, and instead of a sloppy, drippy name, we see an astonishing mural, usually colorful and packed with meaning, that moves beyond vandalism and becomes art, in some cases, actually elevating its (oftentimes) rundown surroundings.

That type of “street art” is what’s being celebrated in Fresh from the Streets, an exhibit at the Mikhail Zakin Gallery at the Art School at Old Church, which will draw to a close on September 10. The exhibit brings a typically urban form of art to the suburbs and features an 8’ x 20’ collaborative mural created by street artists Leon Rainbow; Demer; Will Kasso, and Chris, Veng, and Kev/Psyn of Robots Will Kill. Other artists, such as Karlos Carcamo, Michael Ciccotello, Joe Egan, Dan Fenelon, Jerry Gant, Peter Krsko, and Sue Zwick are showing stickers, posters, stencils, paintings, and sculptures influenced by street art and urban culture.

If you’re interested in pursuing art yourself, you might want to take the opportunity to check out the courses offered at the Art School at Old Church. A $40 annual membership fee (for an adult, teens 15 and under are $20) allows you to participate in the school’s courses. Life drawing studio time (Saturday mornings) and workshops are separate. Regular courses include ceramics, drawing, fiber arts, glass, jewelry, painting, photography, sculpture, and watercolor. Workshops for fall 2009 include papermaking, sculpting with books, functional pottery, creative dollmaking, introduction to stained glass, and jewelry making.

The Art School at Old Church is located at 561 Piermont Rd. in Demarest. They can be reached at 201.767.7160 or info@tasoc.org. For more information, visit tasoc.org.

A New Vision of Home

image courtesy of jerseycitymuseum.org

By Brianne Harrison

With the rise of oil prices and increasing concern about the environment, Smart Growth (and its sidekick, Urban Revitalization) has become a new focus for politicians, builders, and urban planners. Smart Growth aims to contain sprawl and its attendant traffic problems by building smarter—focusing development of homes and businesses around transit hubs and moving back toward the early-century model of building around town squares rather than scattering homes around car-dependent suburbia.

Old cities, which, naturally, were densely built near transit, are prime targets for Smart Growth, and northern New Jersey cities such as Newark (yes, Newark), Hoboken, and Jersey City have reaped the benefits. Jersey City in particular has gone through a major renaissance, and now architecture students are trying to take Jersey City’s heart--Journal Square—into a new, more environmentally conscious period.

In (Re) Centering: New Visions for Journal Square, architecture students from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture display their urban housing proposals for Journal Square. The designs aim to be both global and local, focusing on fitting into Journal Square itself while also addressing wider concerns, such as minimizing commuting times, the importance of home, and environmentalism. The show grew out of a recent course at the Architecture School, which explored new ways to make housing affordable and keep it connected to the many resources of an urban area. The exhibition is thought provoking and will have you thinking about housing and Jersey City in a whole new way.

(Re) Centering: New Visions for Journal Square runs through August 22 at the Jersey City Museum, 350 Montgomery St., Jersey City, 201.413.0303, jerseycitymuseum.org.

A Fun-Filled Fourth

By Brianne Harrison

For many people, this will be a long weekend, which makes it an ideal time to hit the Jersey Shore to relax and (hopefully) soak up some sun. There’s little risk of boredom once the sun goes down: there are plenty of events planned to keep you busy this Fourth of July weekend.

If you head down early, you can get things started on Friday when Chelsea Palermo performs live jazz and blues at Tim McCloone’s Supper Club in Atlantic City. Enjoy drinks, dancing, and beautiful ocean views on the boardwalk. If you’re going to be in the LBI area, you may want to check out the Chocolate Bar Surf Soiree at the Chocolate Bar LBI, which will feature the launch of Joe Freeman’s Old Soul Surfboards and the opening of a new surf photography exhibition from Matt Schwartz’s She Hit Pause Studios. You can continue to pay homage to beach culture on Independence Day with an evening of Surf Art, Film, and Fireworks at Lightly Salted Surf Mercado in Asbury Park. Check out the new exhibit of surf photography by Ryan Tatar at 7, a screening of the Australian surf documentary “Under the Sun” at 8, and a fireworks display at 9.

If you’re in AC, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and Harrah’s Resort will join forces to present a July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza. Take in the sights from the two hotels starting around 9:15.

If at any point you want to beat the heat and escape into a cool theater, there are a number of shows on in Atlantic City this weekend, including Cirque Dreams Pandemonia at the Trump Taj Mahal—a show that unleashes “inventive acrobatics and free-ranging whimsy in a playground of imagination and Technicolor atmospherics.” Shows are 3:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and best of all (in this economy, at least) tickets are surprisingly affordable, ranging from $25-35. Also affordable is the Carnival of Wonders, playing at the Trump Plaza theater. Carnival of Wonders combines magic with comedy and spectacle to keep the surprises coming. Tickets are $25.

If you’re a history buff or just want to learn something new, What Were They Thinking? 160 Years of Bad Taste is currently running at the Carriage House Gallery at the Emlen Physick Estate in Cape May. Featuring fashion follies throughout history, the show will have you constantly wondering: Just what were they thinking? Also in Cape May is Historic Cold Spring Village, which is hosting an Independence Day Celebration July 4 and 5, featuring a 19th century baseball game, patriotic programs, live music, and the history of Old Glory.

Women’s Art, Women’s Vision

By Brianne Harrison

It’s Women’s History month, and what better way to celebrate than by taking in some spectacular exhibits that celebrate women’s art and craft as well as women’s empowerment?

First up is “Women’s Art, Women’s Vision,” an exhibition of rugs and needlework at the Burlington County Annex Art Gallery. The works run the gamut from traditional to experimental and celebrate techniques and works that struggle to be recognized as art. Traditional needlework associated with women, such as embroidery, rug hooking, and quilting, is often dismissed as merely “craft”, which unfairly denies the creators credit for their creativity and skill. Just because something is functional doesn’t mean it can’t be considered a work of art.

Appropriately for Women’s History Month, Gallery Twenty-One in Newark has chosen to showcase the work of Myra Alpizar, an artist who provocatively uses embroidery (usually thought of as delicate work) to create pieces that highlight and denounce the abuses and struggles women have had to face throughout history. The artist has endured her share of hardship: she was exiled from her native Cuba and now lives in Spain. She has channeled her painful history into works that are thought-provoking and, on occasion, disturbing, but certainly fodder for a good conversation and debate.

Finally, the Jersey City Museum is examining images of women in its exhibit “Paper Dolls,” which runs through mid-May. Figurative prints from artists that include Mac Adams, Isabel Bishop, William Gropper, James Rosenquist, and Kenneth Hayes Miller examine how artists depict women and girls.

Women’s Art, Women’s vision runs through March 28 at the Burlington County Annex Art Gallery (Smithville Rd. and Meade Ln, Eastampton, burlcoarts.com). Mayra Alpizar’s work can be seen at Gallery Twenty-One (611 McCarter Highway, Newark, gallerytwenty-one.com). Paper Dolls runs through May 16 at the Jersey City Museum (350 Montgomery St., Jersey City, jerseycitymuseum.org).

Art Lovers' Delight

By Brianne Harrison

New Jersey is particularly blessed when it comes to arts venues, not just because of the state's close proximity to both New York and Philadelphia, but also because of the many spectacular museums, galleries, and theaters our state houses. And this is an excellent weekend to enjoy those amenities throughout the Garden State.

Lovers of the visual arts shouldn't miss Collide-A-Scope on Friday. For this event, Asbury Park's premier galleries throw open their doors for tours and offer special discounts. Further inland, Princeton University Art Museum premieres Myth and Modernity: Ernst Barlach's Images of the Nibelungen and Faust on Saturday, Feb. 21 (the show runs through June 7). This is the only venue in the U.S. that will be hosting this show, which showcases the versatility and narrative power of German sculptor, printmaker, and playwright Ernst Barlach.

In honor of Black History Month, Burlington County Freeholders are exhibiting the works of African American artists from the Amistad Cultural Alliance of Southern New Jersey at the Smithville Mansion Annex Art Gallery in Easthampton. "Keepers of the Dream" runs to the end of February.

If music is more your line, check out Titans of Song: A Musical Tribute to Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson at the East Brunswick Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 21. This tribute to two of the 20th century's greatest entertainers will be performed by the group Follow the Drinking Gourd.

For anyone looking to get a jump start on St. Patrick's Day, the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing on Saturday, Feb. 21 at the State Theatre of New Jersey statetheatrenj.org in New Brunswick. The evening will feature traditional Irish music played on the violin, Irish flute and whistles, Bodhrán, and Uilleann Pipes as well as singers and Irish dancers.

Opera New Jersey is kicking off its 2009 season with a concert-staged production of Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus at the Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown on Feb. 20 and at the State Theatre in New Brunswick on Feb. 22. Come enjoy this comic romp of mistaken identities, practical jokes, and masquerades set to the memorable tunes of the Waltz King of Vienna.

A Spot of Art

By Brianne Harrison

With the economy the way it is and people losing their homes, now might not seem the best time to give money to the arts instead of, say, charities devoted to homelessness or mortgage relief. But as important as those charities are, it’s also vital to support the arts and their venues, many of which struggle even when the economy is strong.

All things considered, it was both surprising and gratifying to see such a large crowd at Princeton Art Museum’s annual fundraiser last Saturday night. More than 200 art lovers and patrons descended on the jewel of a museum in the middle of campus to meet and greet, enjoy some drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and in some cases, give informal guided tours of the collection that would put many professional guides and docents to shame.

And what a collection they have to work with! Although the museum isn’t large, it boasts works from some of the best-known artists in history (Monet, Manet, Degas, and Goya share wall space with Georgia O’Keefe, John Singleton Copley, and Andy Warhol) along with dozens of little- or unknowns. The museum also has two rooms filled with ancient artifacts, including a fragment from an Egyptian sarcophagus, pieces of Greek and Roman statuary, jewelry, and incense burners.

Perhaps one of the best things about the museum is that it’s free and open to the public, although there is a fee to view certain special exhibitions. If you’re in the Princeton area and hankering for a spot of art, the museum is certainly worth an hour or two of your time.

The museum is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. For further information, please call 609.258.3788 or visit artmuseum.princeton.edu

The Monday Muse: Now is Then: Snapshots from the Maresca Collection

By Kimberly Baldwin

From now through May 11, 2008, view vintage images from America's golden age of snapshot photography at the Newark Museum. From early portraits to contemporary voyeurism, the 150 works in this exciting exhibition chart the evolution of snapshot art and form an extraordinary document of American life in the first half of the 20th century.

After viewing the exhibition, take notice of the flat-screen monitors on the museum's walls -- these are digital snapshots submitted by the public. Here you'll find present-day documents of our lives, as well as evidence that, while photographic technology changes continually, our needs for snapshots remains constant. Submit your own photograph, or view the current submissions at flickr.

The Newark Museum is located at 49 Washington Street, Newark, 973.596.6550. Suggested admission is $9 adults, $6 children, students with valid id, and seniors. Winter-spring gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and weekends 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Image above: Untitled (Dancing Couple), 1945 – 49, gelatin silver print, Gift of Frank Maresca, 2002

The Monday Muse: Art Around the State

By Kimberly Baldwin

From classic to contemporary, New Jersey's art scene is as vibrant as ever. Here is a sampling of current and upcoming exhibitions worth checking out.

Proudly We Serve: Our African American Military Experience, From the Civil War Forward, 1/19-4/6
An exhibit that highlights the contributions of African-Americans in photographs and artifacts -- from military uniforms and American flags to photo albums and written accounts. $2 or free with any Physick Estate Tour. Call for gallery hours.
Mid-Atlantic Center For the Arts, Cape May, 609.884.5404, capemaymac.org

The Nature of W. Carl Burger, 2/1-5/9
Master of mixed media W. Carl Burger sticks to the basics and says, "You should never tire of some of the ordinary things, such as nature." His current exhibit features large scale paintings of Southern New Jersey. Admission $4, Seniors and Students with ID $3, Members and Children under 6 free. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Noyes Museum of Art, Oceanville, 609.652.8848, noyesmuseum.org

An Educated Eye, 2/23-6/15
The Princeton University Art Museum celebrates its 125th anniversary with an exhibition featuring many of its important works selected from among the museum's distinguished holdings. Free. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, 609.258.3788, princetonartmuseum.org

Gretchen Ney Laugier: A Retrospective, 3/1-31
Taking cues from her father, the modernist painter of the abstract, Lloyd "Bill" Raymond Ney (1893-1965), Gretchen Ney Laugier has avoided the pressures associated with being an occupational artist by simply choosing to not make it her profession. Here, her vibrant paintings are on display -- many for the first time. Free. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Riverrun Gallery, Lambertville, 609.397.3349

Kristin Lerner/Jules Shaeffer, 3/1-4/13
The contemporary figurative paintings of Kristin Lerner are paired with the surrealistic sculptures of Jules Schaeffer. Free. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Ellarslie Mansion at the Trenton City Museum, Trenton, 609.989.3632, ellarslie.org

Young at Art, 3/3-30
Perkins Center's Young at Art Annual Exhibition, one of the center's most popular exhibitions, gives young artists in grades K through 8 the chance to exhibit their work in a professional setting. Free. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Perkins Center for the Arts, Moorestown, 856.235.6488, perkinscenter.org

An Italian Sense of Place II, 3/4-4/5
When shown together, the pivotal Italian color photography of Luigi Ghirri, painter Franco Guerzoni's collaborative photo-sculptural collage meditations, and the delicately apposite photo-projections of American Nancy Goldring create a rich understanding of the idea of Italian Landscape from within and without Italy and the Italian sensibility. Free. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
George Segal Gallery at Montclair State University, Montclair, 973.655.3382, montclair.edu/Arts/aec/art_galleries.html

Dreams, Fantasies and Wondrous Curiosities, 3/5-4/26
This exhibition, curated from the Rutgers-Camden Collection of Art, explores the artistic imagination in a selection of works that present elaborate visions, quixotic states of being, mysterious encounters, fantastical landscapes, among others – sharing in this pervasive urge to present an alternative to the natural world. Free. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts, Stedman Gallery, Camden, 856.225.2700, rutgerscamdenarts.org

The Monday Muse: Frida Kahlo at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

By Kimberly Baldwin

Organized in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the artist's birth, Frida Kahlo is the first major Kahlo exhibition in the United States in nearly fifteen years. This exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art presents over 40 of the artist's most important self-portraits, still lifes, and portraits from the beginning of her career in 1926 until her death in 1954.

Rendered in vivid colors and realistic detail, Kahlo's jewel-like paintings are filled with complex symbolism, often relating to specific incidents in her life. In her iconic self-portraits the artist continually reinvented herself. Paintings like The Two Kahlos (1939, shown above) demonstrate her penchant for self-examination, and works like Henry Ford Hospital (1932) and The Broken Column (1944) express her struggles with illness throughout her life.

The exhibition opens February 20 and runs through May 18, 2008. Tickets for this exhibit are issued for a specific date and time, and include an audio tour. Buy online anytime or by phone 215.235.7469, 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m

Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th St. and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA
215.763.8100
www.philamuseum.org

The Monday Muse: (AUCTION) RED

By Kimberly Baldwin

An art auction to love -- about love -- takes place this Valentine's Day at Sotheby's. Hosted by (RED) co-founder Bono and artist Damien Hirst, the auction will feature donated works from more than 60 contemporary artists, including Hirst, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons, Matthew Barney, Cecily Brown, Takashi Murakami, and Banksy (who thoughtfully defaced a Hirst piece just for this special sale).

Every penny of the estimated $21 million raised will go directly to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Damien Hirst said to the Independent newspaper, "Money is a key and what we raise from this auction will make a huge difference for a lot of people. For a relatively small amount of effort on each artist's part we can actually save many lives. It's great to be able to give something back and make a difference." I'd personally love to see auction sales go through the roof.

Wondering what's behind the parentheses or brackets used by (RED)? It's there to denote an embrace.

Pre-sale exhibition (through Feb. 13):
Gagosian Gallery
522 W. 21st St.
New York, NY
212.741.1717
gagosian.com

(Auction) RED (Feb. 14, 7 p.m.):
Sotheby's
1334 York Avenue
New York, NY
212.606.7414
sothebys.com

The Monday Muse: Paul Stanley

By Kimberly Baldwin

Who knew that KISS front man Paul Stanley had such a passion for painting? Certainly not me! Turns out "The Starchild" made his debut as a painter in 2005 and continues to create emotionally charged compositions, citing Kandinsky, Mondrian, Klee, and Rothko as influences. And collectors are gobbling his works up; Stanley's art sales exceeded $2 million for 2007.

Stanley will present his work at two special appearances at the Wentworth Galleries in Hackensack on Friday, February 8 and Short Hills on Saturday, February 9. Both events are free and open to the public, but require an RSVP.

Friday, February 8, 6 to 9 p.m.
Wentworth Gallery – Riverside Square Mall
171 Riverside Square
Hackensack
RSVP: 201.488.7661

Saturday February 9, 4 to 7 p.m.
Wentworth Gallery – Short Hills Mall
1200 Morris Turnpike
Short Hills
RSVP: 973.564.9776

The Monday Muse: Robert Mahon

By Kimberly Baldwin

Photographic artist Robert Mahon has spent nearly three decades incorporating chance into the process of creating conceptual multi-image portraits. When using even a single element of chance in or out of the darkroom -- from determining which lens is used, the shutter speed, or the printing techniques -- an apparently ordinary image is rendered into something unforseen. Mahon says, "I keep in mind Robert Frost's remarks about making poetry ... 'If there's no surprise for the writer, then there's no surprise for the reader.'"

Mahon's latest work -- Merce Cunningham at 88 -- combines photos of Merce Cunningham, moonflowers, and text fragments from the writings of John Cage, who was Cunningham's life partner and Musical Director of the Cunningham Dance Company for over 50 years until his death in 1992.

Mahon photographed Cunningham, who is often referred to as America's greatest living dancer and choreographer, in 2006 after a long morning of teaching. Shown in a wheelchair, Cunningham appears serious and introspective, and still very much a force of nature.

While watching Cunningham's dancers, Mahon was reminded of moonflowers he had photographed in his garden the previous year. "After a night of being in full bloom, the delicate white flower slowly contorts and folds in on itself under the morning light. The movement stops when the moonflower finally curls into a taut irregular sphere and falls from the vine." Paired with Cunningham, the association of movement is exquisitely conveyed.

Merce Cunningham at 88, photocollages by Robert Mahon, are on view in the gallery at Holsome Teas, 27 Witherspoon St., Princeton, through Feb. 29. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

The Monday Muse: The Guinness Collection

By Kimberly Baldwin

A clown that loses its head—and gets it back. A ten-foot high mechanical one-man band. A fairground organ that booms out ragtime tunes. A box that teaches birds to sing. All these amazing, 19th century mechanical marvels—and more—are currently on view, many for the first time ever, at the Morris Museum as part of the Musical Machines & Living Dolls exhibition.

The exhibition features over 150 pieces from the world-renowned Murtogh D. Guinness collection of musical instruments and automata. Largely dating to the 19th century, these ingenious objects once brought animated, musical entertainment to private settings and public places. Now, through video and audio technology, hands-on activities and live demonstrations of select instruments, visitors can see and hear these beautiful and intriguing historic objects and experience for themselves a largely lost chapter in entertainment history.

Steven H. Miller, executive director of the museum, noted that "before there were CDs, iPods, records or DVDs, and well before film, radio and television, there was an amazing age of mechanical invention that brought entertainment to people around the world. The Morris Museum is proud to present the story of this extraordinary epoch.”

The Morris Museum, located at 6 Normandy Heights Road (at the corner of Columbia Turnpike) in Morristown, is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission to the museum is $8 for adults and $6 for children, students and senior citizens. Admission is always free for museum members and is free to the public every Thursday between 5 and 8 p.m. For more information, call 973.971.3700, or visit morrismuseum.org.

About the image above: It’s all about illusion! This automaton performs a trick that results in its head disappearing—and then magically reappearing—on a table (complete with blinking eyes). Then, with a gentle wave of a feather fan, the head is back where it belongs! All is done to music, as this automaton contains a two-tune, cylinder musical movement.

The Monday Muse: Explore Homer's Epic

By Kimberly Baldwin

The Princeton Artists Alliance presents visual interpretations of Homer's Odyssey as contemporary works of art beginning January 11 and continuing through April 13, 2008 at the Noyes Museum of Art in Oceanville. Contemporary views of Poseidon's wrath, Penelope's tears, and Odysseus' escape from the Cyclops are among the struggles captured in this exhibition. Princeton artist Marie Sturken's handmade paper piece Outwitting the One-Eyed Giant (shown above) was inspired after the artist read Book 9: Lines 477-487, which talks about escaping from the sleeping Cyclops.

Two free lectures will be offered at the museum by The Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies at the Richard Stockton College of NJ in conjunction with the exhibit. On February 1 Professor Kate Ogden will present "The Continuing Classical Influence in Western Art" from noon to 1 p.m. and on March 23 Professor Rob Nichols will discuss "How Greek is Grecco-Buddhist Art?" from noon to 1 p.m.

Meet the artists at the opening reception on Friday, January 18 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Galleries are open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission fees are $4 for adults and $3 for seniors and students. Call 609.652.8848 or visit noyesmuseum.org for more.