Fine Arts Gallery
Exhibitions 2023
I See Your Story
November 2 – December 8, 2023
Opening reception November 2 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present, “I See Your Story,” featuring the works of the talented artists Nanette Reynolds Beachner, Stephanie Guillen, and Leslie Sheryll. This immersive and diverse exhibition is a testament to the power of visual art to convey narratives and ignite profound emotions. Visual storytelling allows the artists to convey complex emotions, ideas, and concepts in a more accessible and engaging manner than text alone. It bridges language and cultural barriers, making it easier for people to connect with a narrative.
Each artwork in this exhibition provides a glimpse into the artist’s world, offering visitors the opportunity to explore a wide range of narratives, perspectives, and emotions. The themes explored by these artists span personal experiences, societal commentary, environmental concerns, and cultural heritage, creating a rich tapestry of stories for viewers to engage with.
The participating artists have each mastered their unique styles and techniques of mixed media, photography, and collage, allowing them to convey their messages with deep emotional resonance. Visitors to the exhibition can expect to be moved and inspired as they connect with the stories on a profound level.
“I See Your Story” is set to be an unforgettable journey through the realm of visual storytelling. It invites attendees to immerse themselves in a world where art and narratives converge to create a profound and transformative experience.
See more work at:
Nanette Reynolds Beachner: https://www.instagram.com/reynolds.nanette/
Stephanie Guillen: www.stephanieguillen.com
Leslie Sheryll: https://www.lesliesheryll.com/
Dreamscapes
A solo exhibition of Caridad Sierra Kennedy’s paintings and works on paper.
https://www.caridadkennedy.com/
September 8 – October 15, 2023
Opening September 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm as part of JC Fridays
Please visit us for JCAST, October 11 – 15
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present “Dreamscapes” – an extraordinary painting exhibition that will take you on a mesmerizing journey through the realm of dreams and the untamed imagination.
At the heart of this exhibition is the talented artist Caridad Sierra Kennedy, whose visionary creations serve as portals into surreal worlds and untamed thoughts. Caridad’s artistry goes beyond the canvas, as she weaves emotions, symbolism, and ethereal beauty into each stroke of her brush. Her pieces evoke a profound sense of wonder and introspection, inviting the viewer to explore their own dreamscapes and deepest desires.
Caridad Sierra Kennedy, a visionary artist and a native of Hudson County with Latinx heritage, has honed her craft through years of dedication and exploration. She draws inspiration from the rich tapestry of nature, the mysteries of the universe, and the intricacies of the human mind. Caridad’s distinctive style combines elements of surrealism and magical realism, transporting us to realms where the ordinary and extraordinary coexist in harmony.
Her use of vibrant colors and intricate details allows us to glimpse into her subconscious, unlocking hidden meanings and interpretations unique to each observer. As you wander through this exhibition, prepare to be immersed in an array of dreams, memories, and metaphors, all meticulously brought to life by Caridad’s deft hand and boundless imagination
We invite you to join us on this enchanting journey through “Dreamscapes” and witness the magic of Caridad Sierra Kennedy’s exceptional talent as she unveils the wonders of her imagination on paper and canvas.
Environmental Exuberance
February 14 – March 24, 2023
Opening February 14, 5:00 to 7:00 pm
JC Fridays: March 3, 5:00 to 7:00 pm
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present Environmental Exuberance featuring the work of artists, Katrina Bello, Peter Delman, and Laura Twersky. Each artist has his/her own unique vision of the environment, the landscape, and the pressing issues that face us all. We invite you to leave the mundane world and fill your eyes and imagination with the paintings and photographs of these artists that transform the senses.
Katrina Bello is a visual artist who draws and photographs the beauty and complexity of the natural world. She states, “I see our relationship to nature as a point of departure in understanding humanity. Using drawing, video, and digital photography, I’m particularly interested in portraying landscapes of wilderness especially the ones that are distant and remote — their vastness and seeming emptiness speak of what is “other” to our human world, our dreams, our fears, and what is beyond our control.” See more work at: https://katrinabello.com/
Peter Delman is a painter whose work focuses on environmental themes. He says, “My paintings search for the spark of magic in such subjects as kelp and cactus: humble, but also strange and fascinating. I find sources in aquariums and greenhouses, but my most prized images come from the wild. I’ve found the right image when it somehow matches a shape in my inner landscape.” See more work at: https://www.peterdelman.
Laura Twersky is a biologist by training with a passion for the environment, sustainability, and photography. She finds beauty in NYC parks, dragonflies, birds, and flowers. As a scientist, her latest research was focused on the putative endocrine-disrupting causes of the declining numbers of amphibians and the increase in amphibian malformations. She is an ardent and active member of the Sustainability Committee. See more work at: https://www.instagram.com/
Exhibitions 2022
Nature Photography from All Seven Continents: work by William Gutsch
November 2 through December 2
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present the photographs of William Gutsch in our exhibition, Nature Photography from All Seven Continents. He has been able to travel the globe and capture photographic images across all seven continents. His hope for this exhibition is to spread an awareness of, and appreciation for, our planet’s fragile and endangered beauty.
Dr. Gutsch has had a multi-faceted career with degrees in Mathematics, Astronomy (Astrophysics), and Science Education (with specialization in astrophysics, curriculum & instruction, behavioral psychology, and statistical methods). As a writer, producer and director in New York, Hollywood, London and elsewhere he has acquired many years of experience working in close conjunction with the arts community from artists and photographers to cinematographers, choreographers, dancers, musicians, composers and actors. In the process, he became immersed in the arts and has a profound appreciation for the blending of science and arts cultures.
He has served as Chairman of the American Museum-Hayden Planetarium in New York, served a double term as President of the International Planetarium Society, was President of Great Ideas which has provided consulting, writing, and production services for NASA, he has worked with astronauts and served as President & CEO of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, he is a Distinguished Professor of the College of Arts & Sciences at Saint Peter’s University, and was President of the Board of Directors of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (a position at one time held by Dr. Edwin Hubble for whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named).
He also has written, produced, and/or appeared in programs for PBS, NBC, CNN, The Learning Channel, ITV (London), NASA-TV and regional US educational television. He was nominated for an Emmy in 1986.
Gutsch is the author of several books and numerous features and shows for television and large format and domed theaters worldwide. His science programs are currently seen on four continents. He has led and lectured on excursions and expeditions to South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Antarctica, given speeches and papers at conferences from Moscow and Tokyo to Buenos Aires and Berlin, and has delivered invited lectures at leading institutions of higher learning from New Delhi to Santiago and Shanghai … including Harvard, Oxford, and the California Institute of Technology.
We are part of JC Fridays.
Indelible
Trish Gianakis
September 9 through October 13
We are part of JC Friday and JCAST
Read the Jersey City Times review
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present Indelible featuring the work of Trish Gianakis.
This year is the Sesquicentennial Anniversary for the University and the 7th season for the Fine Arts Gallery.
Trish Gianakis is an Emmy Award Winning Artist, Graphic Arts Professor at Saint Peter’s University, NFT Expert, published poet, and Artisan in Residency @Bronxnet TV.
Her artworks have been exhibited internationally, across the East Coast and Arizona. With a Master’s Degree in Computer Art Installation from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, she has always been at the forefront of digital art and technology. Creating immersive art experiences and combining technology with her physical sculptures is her passion.
Her path as an artist began as a young child raised by her mother who was a gallery director and artist/oil painter in NY. Early in college as a design major, she knew technology would be the way of the future for artists. Staying on this path has lead her to be at the forefront of digital art. She earned a Master’s Degree in Computer Art/Installation Art at The School of Visual Arts in NYC.
Her career has taken many turns, in 2001 she founded Classe Design, working as Creative Director/Business strategist for various entertainment and Pharma corporations until she was diagnosed with cancer. She states that cancer brought her back to her art and passion. Her creations touch on themes of humanity, peace and survival.
She finds that emerging technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality (XR) has reached a point where it is catching up with human interaction making a seamless transition to create freely. With these tools, she combines her raku sculptures with digital art (XR) to create immersive experiences.
See more of her work at: https://trishgianakis.com/
Artist Madness/Peacock Creative Network: Senior Thesis Exhibition
April 21 through May 5
Artist Madness/Peacock Creative Network: Senior Thesis exhibition showcases two of Saint Peter’s University’s finest 2022 Graphic Arts Seniors. The works exhibited are created in computer programs and natural media.
Stefanie Galarza is from North Bergen, New Jersey. She is an aspiring graphic artist who likes to create digital art and enjoys traveling. She has experience using various art mediums for her projects. These works include self-portraits, still life, and cover art for a famous singer-songwriter, Camila Cabello, using Adobe Illustrator. Her works also include collages and an online newsletter. Her work was featured on the front and back cover of the Pavan Literary Magazine. She was awarded the NSLS (National Society of Leadership and Success) Honor Society Certificate in 2021, is on the Dean’s List, and is currently the Vice-President of the Kappa Pi Arts Honors Society. In her leadership role, she has hosted events, planned and scheduled event dates, and set up club meetings. With a camera in hand, she is always on the go, traveling to countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia; where she took many photographs of sites she visited.
Maryvit Luna is a Graphic Arts major preparing to receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in late May. She is currently working on her art empire and she is tackling it through her social media. She showcases her traditional/digital pieces she has made throughout her college career by posting them on her TikTok and Instagram art pages. She has plans on being the head Graphic Designer of a company. She specifically is aiming for a company that works with social media and marketing. She is currently interning at Illuminations PR and Careiginal Designs. They work with celebrities and help grow small influencers. It has really helped with her perspective as to where she would like to go as a designer. She has also been awarded the Jasha Green Memorial Award. She has been on the Dean’s List for all four years of her college career. She is currently the President of the Kappa Pi Arts Honor Society.
https://www.instagram.com/
Seeing Someone Else Is Seeing Yourself, featuring the work of PE Pinkman
February 3 through March 25
Read the Jersey City Times article.
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present Seeing Someone Else Is Seeing Yourself, featuring the work of PE Pinkman. This year is the Sesquicentennial Anniversary for the University and the 6th season for the Fine Arts Gallery.
Mr. Pinkman’s paintings and drawings bring together observed moments and perceived connections with personal insights, art historical references, and structural elements. He expresses himself in his work with a didactic approach that isn’t always clarified. A portrait isn’t just a depiction of the person, but rather a picture of that person viewed through an interpolated lens. His drawings include both the quotidian and the humorous. His paintings suggest something deep and intimate, psychologically inquisitive, and suggestive. “Growing up gay in the 1960s and 70s meant constantly struggling with yourself as you related to the rest of the world,” he explains. “It required carefully reading all the signs and signifiers people were throwing at you to piece together a whole and safe life for yourself. The other was always a threat, or a lover. Sometimes both.”
The large group of drawings seen here, part of a 100-image cycle completed during the pandemic, uses his own image as an avatar for the anxieties and fears present during the 2020 election cycle and the ongoing COVID pandemic.
Born in 1955 in Newark, NJ, Mr. Pinkman received his Bachelor’s in Fine Art and Art History from Seton Hall University in 1979. His early works were first seen publicly in galleries in New Jersey and New York in the mid- 1980s and early 1990s in Torn Awning Gallery, La Mama La Galleria, and Charas El Bohio. More recently the artist’s paintings and photographs have been included in exhibits at the Lourve, Paris; World Trade Center, New York; Drawing Rooms, Jersey City; and the Monmouth Museum, Lindcroft, NJ. Mr. Pinkman currently resides in Plainfield, NJ where he maintains his studio.
Throughout his career as a painter, he has maintained a presence as a curator and director of non-profit organizations including the New Art Group (1992 to 2018), Art Group NYC (1990 to 1999), and the Watchung Arts Center (2005 to present), where he currently is a Co-President and VP of Visual Arts Programming.
See more of his work at: http://pinkmania.com
The exhibition runs from February 3 through March 25, with the opening reception on February 3 from 6 to 8. The show will be part of JC Fridays on March 4. The gallery is free to the public and all are welcome. During COVID a mask will be required to enter the building along with your vaccination card. We are committed to keeping us all safe. Parking is available on the street.
Exhibitions 2021
Inside Outside
October 28-December 3
Read the Jersey City Times review
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present Inside Outside, a painting show featuring the work of Jennifer Krause Chapeau and Linda Streicher.
Our world is a complex place, with many layers one over the other. This exhibition explores the dualities of inside and outside space. As we peel back these layers, fascinating things are revealed. It is possible to experience and to see the inside and outside at the same time. That is where the magic begins. How does our perception of our environment change as we move through it? Where do these worlds meet and cross over?
Jennifer Krause Chapeau has always gravitated to the earth and landscape for her subject matter. She is compelled by the vistas she sees as she travels looking out the window of a train or car. She experiments with incorporating a sense of motion, speed, and the passing of time in her canvases. See more at: https://jkrausechapeau.com
Linda Streicher has a background in architecture and painting. She said she started using painting to design space but now uses painting to blur the line between representation and abstract, twisting our understanding of perception. She is interested in looking at our environment in a way that opens an awareness of how we perceive ourselves perceiving space. See more at: http://www.lstreicher.com/
The exhibition runs from October 28 through December 3, with the opening reception on October 28 from 5 to 7. The show will be part of JC Fridays on December 3. The gallery is free to the public and all are welcome. During COVID a mask will be required to enter the building along with your vaccination card. We are committed to keeping us all safe. Parking is available on the street.
Dot Paolo’s The Monkey Bars and the Crow
Please read the review written by Tris McCall on Dot Paolo’s work in the Jersey City Times.
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present Dot Paolo’s photographic series started in 2019 The Monkey Bars and the Crow. Dot Paolo is an artist, curator, gallerist, and educator. She was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and received a B.F.A. in Art Education and Sculpture from the University of Bridgeport, Ct. in 1978 and an M.F.A. from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University in 2009.
She says this series started with a single idea surrounding her childhood, the monkey bars or jungle gym, in the schoolyard of Irving School in Highland Park, NJ. It was the place where she played during recess as a child and it became a hangout as she became an adolescent. It brought back fond memories of the valuable playtime she had as a child. Dot has been collecting many of the toys she had as a child and investigates how they might have influenced her artwork.
She first started the search for set-up items, then immediately built a model of the monkey bars out of wood. Her photographs narrate the squirrelly thought process from the very first time she made a structure out of marshmallows to the present.
The photographs are divided between using miniature items in a diorama format and real to life size still life’s and landscape photographs. She manufactures some of the objects and buys the others. One of the photographs is a re-imagined advertisement for jewelry. In this series, she also references the movie, Birds, by Alfred Hitchcock. She has been collecting antique toys and objects for many years to use in my photographs.
Starting her own business as a Corporate Art Consultant and Gallery Director, Rabbet Art Gallery, Inc. was established in 1984 and is still operating in Branchburg, NJ. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, NJ.
As a master printer, Dot prints her own work on a matte cotton paper on an Epson P6000 printer.
Find more of Dot Paolo’s work at: https://dotpaolo.com/
The Business of Art
Athony Crincoli, an Accounting, Finance major at SPU has been creating a series of podcasts about a variety of very interesting topics. Here is his interview with me, Beatrice Mady, the Director of the Fine Arts Gallery.
Please take a listen to #16 and all the podcasts.
#16 – The Business of Art, How Appraisals & Auction Houses Work, How to Start a Career in Art w/ Beatrice Mady, MFA by Common Cents Finance • A podcast on Anchor
On this episode, Anthony had the pleasure of speaking with Professor Beatrice Mady, a Professor of Graphic Arts and Director of the Fine Arts Gallery at Saint Peter’s University. In their conversation, Professor Mady was able to provide tremendous insight into the business aspect of the art world.
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present: The Rebel’s Revolution: Senior Thesis Art Exhibition
This year, due to COVID-19, our exhibition will be virtual. A video of the artists and their work will be on IG_TV https://www.instagram.com/spu_
As an artist, Deyra Acosta enjoys captivating an audience in digital and hand-crafted beauty. Whether it is through a photograph, an advertisement, or a customized article of clothing, she is determined to make people stop and take a second look at her work. As a 1st generation university student, her goal is to continue to grow in her education and excel in her artwork. https://deyraacosta.myportfolio.com
Leslie Delgado is an upcoming graphic designer whose artworks are inspired by her surroundings. Her love for fashion and nature takes a big toll on her art as it’s continually changing and advancing. Being perfect is difficult to accomplish, yet she trusts that with enough practice and hard work, her specialty will permit others to see the crude truth and excellence of her hard work. She hopes to influence others by letting them know that anything is possible and to see her art become meaningful to them as well. https://lesleydelgado.com
As an artist, Karlissa Giron wants to explore everything she is capable of, in regards to both her imagination and her abilities. She especially enjoys exploring the genres of Goth art, with its grim and dark themes and colors, and fantasy art, with its endless possibilities. Using oil paint, brushes, and a canvas, she feels like a whole new world opens up to her, and she wants to bring that fantastical world into our reality. https://karlissangironart.wixsite.com/my-site-1
Angelica Jacobs is a DIY artist that likes to get their hands dirty. Along with their love for color, their love for the punk scene, other artists and etc. inspire the wonders of their art. Dive into the many different mediums they have to offer. https://artpunkjunk.page
Graphic designer and photographer, Jennifer Rojas, always had a keen eye for creativity. The focus of most of her work is on illustrations and photographs. Her subject matter is by capturing from daily life moments to landscapes. She aspires to create more of her designs and to share them with others. https://jrojas166.wixsite.com/my-site
Melissa Rojas is a graphic artist and photographer, striving to tell a story through her illustrations and photographs. Most importantly she wants her artwork to make a difference. Whether it is politics or the people around her she is inspired to make pieces that are important to her. She uses her creativity to the fullest and wants to capture the beauty in everything she sees. She is not afraid to explore artwork with different types of mediums. Her goal is to grow and help others with her art. https://mrojas17.myportfolio.com
Digital artist, Athena Serrano uses her creativity to express herself through illustration. Her femininity and her love for history, fashion, cute aesthetics and elegance are elements found in her works. As a 2nd generation Filipino American, she is passionate about uplifting the pride of a diaspora’s heritage and educating about her ancestral roots and racism towards Asian Americans. Athena is not ashamed to tell the world of her own individuality through her art.
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present the recent work of James Pustorino: Sound of a Star
The exhibition officially opens on February 26 and runs through April 9, 2021.
The virtual show will be part of JC Friday on March 5.
See the exhibition!
More work can be seen at these sites:
- https://jamespustorino.com
- https://www.facebook.com/james.pustorino.1
- https://www.instagram.com/jamespustorino/
Click here and experience the work in 3D.
JC Friday – March 5, 2021
James Pustorino is an artist, curator, and arts organizer and is Director of Drawing Rooms, a Jersey City art-space. As Executive Director of Victory Hall Inc. a Jersey City based non-profit arts organization, he has produced exhibitions and public art projects in Jersey City and lower Manhattan as well as directing projects for students and classes for developmentally disabled artists, and publishing books through Victory Hall Press.
Pustorino began formal training at age 11 and has been exhibiting art since age 13. He received his BFA from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1983, with a focus on printmaking, drawing and painting. After college, he exhibited briefly in the East Village, NYC and then began showing and organizing exhibitions in Pittsburgh, PA and Columbus and Youngstown, OH. This led to Pustorino having a few major works included in larger exhibits both at the Butler Institute and at the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio. Pustorino moved to the Jersey City area in 1997 and continued to exhibit in venues throughout the U.S., including Odetta Gallery, NYC, and the Jersey City Museum, and has had solo exhibitions with Chambers 916 Gallery in Portland, OR, and two solo exhibitions in New Jersey art centers in the past year.
Pustorino received a 2019 Fellowship in Painting from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. His artwork uses graphic, abstract and realistic form to explore concepts of narrative and spatial/structural composition. Pustorino’s large-scale compositions engage concepts of language and pictorialization, through varying systems of mark-making and adopted ‘cultural’ forms, positive/negative space, concepts of unfinished/finished, as well as representational/abstract. His work focuses on invention of form and the optics of color. He works in thematic series, produced on various substrates and in various media that he compares to a band creating an album or cd using specific musical instruments or tones to create an abstract ”narrative”.
About this series
“Light, like sound, moves in waves, and as sound and light waves are both visible and invisible to us, our world is filled with light we cannot see and sounds we cannot hear. In the Sound of a Star set of work I am envisioning a system that describes the visible and invisible structures around and above us.
The act of drawing a sound, and the concept of a star having a sound both stretch our comprehension and perception, but are not impossible.
These works are part of the Superstructures Series. ‘Superstructure’ is a term used to describe that part of a building or ship that is above a baseline, either ground or water. In this case I am using it to refer to a baseline of earth or the visible world. These are structures that I like to think exist above and beyond us. An additional point is that putting “super” in front of anything is an immediate reference to both the expansive commercial climate of our society and to the comic media.
The Superstructures are about light, mostly in the cosmic sense; creating a drawing and painting system that describes an “impossible“ structure – one that can perhaps only be built with drawing and color – where color can represent light waves as separated into component colors. The works rely on innate drawing ability – the idea that we can understand and express our experience of spatial realities through cultivating our ability to draw; that through drawing we can explore/express the physics of the world we exist in and are a part of.
This is art, not science, however, so all of these concepts are passed through the language of graphics, painting, and the comic strip — traditionally a vehicle of fantastic exploration. The scale and treatment of the works is meant to encompass the viewer and I suppose the approach can be considered Post-Pop. For me the reclaiming of popular or commercial media does not become a paraphrase or an ironic comment. It is a rich visual language developed over a century that has impact and communicates to the current generation.
In the Superstructures I am exploring building dynamic, 3-dimensional form working with both drawing and painting on a translucent film.
I am engaging concepts of delineating both 2-dimensional and three-dimensional planar surfaces, of creating convincing volumetric form, making an illusion of space that is described by the parts, fit together in such a way that they exert force upon another, push and pull each other – so that they can barely be contained by the limits of the picture plane. They should be like the parts of a clock or a motor, pieces that are both coming apart and being forced together at the same time by the unseen forces of physics at work.
The immediate references for this series include late De Kooning, Frank Stella, Al Held, Jack Kirby, – a mix of abstract expressionism and comic-book graphic form.” James Pustorino
Exhibitions 2020
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present the recent paintings of Gerald Hayes in Gerald Hayes Reconstructing Die-Cuts.
The exhibition officially opens on October 30 and will be part of
JC Fridays on December 4, 2020
See the exhibition! Click on this link: https://youtu.be/z1bp368Y-Ag
More work can be seen at:
https://www.ghayesweb.com/
https://www.facebook.com/gerry.hayes.7
https://www.instagram.com/gerryhayes2/?hl=en
Gerald Hayes is an American painter, who in addition to his paintings, has created installation sculpture and conceptual art documented in photography.
Hayes was born in Los Angeles and raised in various parts of the South. Hayes obtained a Bachelor of Visual Arts degree at Auburn University in graphic design with an emphasis on painting. For the next two years he was employed as the Art and Staging Supervisor for Auburn University Educational Television. He moved to Urbana, Illinois, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Printmaking at the University of Illinois. Hayes taught undergraduate painting and drawing for two years before moving to New York City in August 1968.
The major part of Hayes’ academic career was at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York (1971-2006). At Pratt Institute, Professor Hayes was full-time graduate faculty, teaching seminars in painting, drawing and printmaking. In 1985 he taught graduate painting while working as Assistant Chair of the Fine Arts Department until he resigned in 2006 and was awarded Professor Emeritus status.
About the work
“My painting surface for some time has been birch veneer wood panels. The flat shapes I’ve used have been influenced by the shapes of stamped and die cut pressed paper used in industrial packaging.
In 2017 I began to mount the “readymade” packaging form itself onto my wood panels. Related shapes and patterns were painted to blend the relief shapes with the painting surface.
Readymades or found objects had their origin in the Dada Art movement in Europe after the First World War, in 1920s. Often, the visual proponents of Dada: Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia and the American artist, Man Ray would not alter the objects but would just present it as an adoration of industrial manufacturing or as an anti-art sculpture of the time. Converting them into artwork by various means, they were called “rectified readymades”. Immigrating to America before the Second World War, New York Dada, was a post-facto of Duchamp. Leaving the politics of Dada in Europe, American artists in the 1970s saw Dada as having a sense of humor and irony that created a brief Conceptual Art movement.
Some 50 years after World War II, American Pop artists like Rauschenburg and Jasper Johns took their art even further, creating assemblages and ‘combines’ by adding found objects to their paintings. So in my own way I am continuing the tradition of post-modern art making.
The die-cut relief forms that I use are altered as I cut, glue and re-assemble the object, before painting. Rarely do I use the readymade paper as it is found. If I alter it by cutting and re-designing the form, it then becomes mine. My goal is to do more than embellish the object. These current artworks of mine are not a commitment to the future but a development from the past. As an artist open to ideas, new art will change.
~Gerald Hayes, 2020
Artworks and Exhibition
Hayes’ first solo art exhibition in New York was in 1970 at Reese Palley Gallery in Soho. He exhibited his sculpture installations in 1971 at Bradford College and his work was included in the “Lucht Kunst” (Air Art) exhibit at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
In 1972 his work was exhibited at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York. Sculpture and photo documentation pieces were included in an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, titled, “Earth, Air, Fire and Water: Elements of Art.” Virginia Gunter, curator of “Elements” exhibit, wrote a feature article on Hayes’ work for Artforum, (May 1973), titled “Gerald Hayes: The Creativity of the Psychological Eye”. Gerald’s photo-documentation and para-sculpture ideas were made public at the City University of New York. A full page of photos of some of these works were featured in FLASH ART magazine in October 1973.
Hayes began a new series of art work from 1973 to 1976, in the form of drawing with an ink compass on large photographs, relating the arcs of curved shapes to the patterns of plant leaves. A selection of these photo drawings were shown at the 112 Green Street Gallery in Soho and related works of drawn circles and leaf collages were also exhibited in the Bevier Gallery of Rochester Institute of Technology.
Hybrid Works
In 1978, Hayes’ work combined photography with painting into a complex circular form. An article written by the painter Craig Fisher for Arts Magazine (June 1980) discussed these works. Robert Pincus-Witten also discussed current and early works in his diary-style writing, “Entries: Styles of Artists and Critics” in Arts Magazine, (November 1979). University of California Santa Barbara Art Museum curator Phyllis Plous included Hayes’ leaf arc drawing, a new tondo painting and a wall installation in an exhibit titled “DARK/LIGHT” in 1980. The exhibit traveled to Scripps College in 1982 and was reviewed in Artweek and The Los Angeles Times which included a photo of his installation.
Solo Shows
A large scale tondo painting was exhibited at the Emily Lowe Gallery of Hofstra University “Abstract Painting, New York City: 1981”.
In March 1982 a show of Hayes’ tondo and square paintings were exhibited in Tribeca at the Harm Bouckaert Gallery, New York. A comprehensive monograph in ARTS Magazine (March 1982) by Robert Yoskowitz featured the paintings in the exhibit.
Exhibitions of his paintings in 1990 were at the Stockton State College Gallery, Pomona, New Jersey and at the Calkins Gallery of Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York. In 1997 an exhibit of Hayes’ pastel drawings, titled, “Drawing After the Arcade”, was at Southern Cross University Art Museum in Lismore, Australia. A catalog with an essay by Mario Naves documented the works in the exhibit.
Algus and MoMA
Mitchell Algus curated an exhibit for his Soho gallery in May 2000 of art from the early 1970s which included Gerald Hayes, Judith Murray, Deborah Remington and Ted Stamm.
Paintings by Gerry Hayes and Scott Malbaurn were shown at Denise Bibro’s Platform Gallery in Chelsea (2008). Hayes’ paintings were reviewed by Mario Naves for The New York Observer.
On May 14, 2009, Gerry Hayes was one of five artists whose work in the “Compass in Hand: The Judith Rothschild Collection” exhibition discussed their work at a public forum at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Hayes’ work in the exhibition was added to the Museum of Modern Art permanent collection. A biographical article on the work of Gerald Hayes (March 2011) was prepared by art historian, Helmut Kronthaler for a German art encyclopedia, “Allgemeines Kunsterlexikon”.
French art critic, Timothée Chaillou, included Hayes’ work in a group show in Paris in 2011, titled “No Color”. In 2016 Mitchell Algus curated the exhibition, Concept, Performance, Documentation, Language of works from the 1970s which included two of Hayes’ early photo works.
A series of early Spray Paintings were shown at David Hall Fine Arts in Wellesley, Massachusetts in 2018. A comprehensive essay by the writer and critic, Martina Tanga accompanied a fully illustrated catalog.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxjyVPDmyQw&feature=youtu.be
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present the work of Rodriguez Calero, Cheryl Gross and Abby Levine in Serious Whimsy, the first virtual exhibition of the Fall 2020 season. At first glance one might find the work fun, colorful and playful, but on a second more serious look, one can see these artists have addressed the deeper issues of politics, the environment, gender identity and roles, extinction, and race.
The exhibition officially opens on September 11, 2020 and will be part of JC Friday, on Sept 11 and JCAST, October 1 – 4.
Rodriguez Calero Visual Artist | Painter, Collagist and Photographer
Upon receiving her BFA in Puerto Rico, she returned to New York and continued her studies at the Art Students League of New York and focused in painting and collage under Master Artist, Leo Manso and held a National Endowment for the Arts residency at Taller Boricua which was located above El Museo, with fellow artists Marcos Dimas, Gilberto Hernandez, Nestor Otero, Jose Rodriguez, Fernando Salicrup, Jorge Soto and Manny Vega.
While at The League, she was the recipient of several awards and scholarships including the prestigious Edward G. McDowell Travel Scholarship, which permitted her to journey abroad to Spain and France to pursue her interests in art.
Rodríguez Calero has received residencies from The New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, and others include Jerome Foundation Scholarship, Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, NY, (1981-1982), Taller Boricua (1980-1982); Provincetown Art Association, MA (1985 -1986), Galeria Bonaire, Puerto Rico (1987-1988), Kenkeleba House, NY (1989-1990), Brandywine Workshop Center for the Visual Arts, PA (1999), and Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper, NJ (2000).
Her painting has been acknowledged by The New York Institute of Puerto Rico with the Honorary Artist of the Year Award; the Brooklyn Arts and Culture Association Painting Award held at the Brooklyn Museum, and from The National Association of Women Artists she was given the Belle Cramer Memorial Prize for Abstract Painting Medal of and the Audrey Hope Award.
In addition to these accolades, Rodríguez Calero has received fellowships from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation (1999), the New York Foundation for the Arts (2000), and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (2000 and 2002)
In 2004 Liquitex developers of acrylic paint and mediums, chose her as an Artist of the Month and in 2005 valued her, to represent, both Nationally and Internationally, the Liquitex Company, in celebration of their 50th Anniversary.
In 2006, she was featured in New Jersey Networks Public Television State of the Arts Series, “Sign of the Times”, 2008-2009; she received the prestigious Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant in painting. RoCa was an invited guest artist in 2009, to participate in an international exchange to create art pieces relating to the ancient gardens in Suzhou, China and in 2010 she was a finalist in Photographer’s Forum and was placed in their Best of Photography 2010 edition.
In 2015 her survey exhibit, Rodriguez Calero | Urban Martyrs and Latter Day Santos, curated by Alejandro Anreus at El Museo del Barrio, New York, was highly received and reviewed and was given an honorable mention by Hyperallergic of the 20 best NYC exhibits. Her works are in many private and public collections.
Her works the video are collages. These are done traditionally by hand, cutting out images and pasting them to a substrate.
https://www.rodriguezcalero.com
https://www.facebook.com/rodriguez.calero.9
Cheryl Gross Painter | Illustrator | Writer | Motion Graphic Artist
“I equate my work with creating and building an environment, transforming my inner thoughts into reality. Beginning with the physical process, I work in layers. I am involved in solving visual and verbal complexities such as design and narrative. My urban influence has indeed added an ‘edge’ to my work.” Cheryl’s work has often been compared to “Dr. Seuss on crack.”
How I got here or put down your phone and talk to me
My life experience was devastating. That coupled with my mother’s death and having to sell my house was indeed a test to my sanity. So much so, I lost all interest in listening to music. Being the social creature that I am, I needed to listen to something, so I turned to WNYC, NPR. After years of listening to National Public Radio penetrating my psyche, I now make socio-political art, which makes perfect sense. Most of my work if not all, revolves around social issues Steeped in metaphor my cartoon-like style makes the work more palatable, therefore allowing me to interpret complex issues otherwise not as easy for the viewer to digest.
A quote by Nicelle Davis explains my statement rather clearly:
Death is a charmer; nothing makes us feel more alive than brushing shoulders with him at a bar, in our cars, or at 5,000 feet in the air. Every time we risk and survive there is a thrill. We feel like we won more life because we are not the ones dying.
There is something sexy about Death, how when poachers take a machete to the face of an elephant, the gaping wound resemble a wet vagina, how sex is always better once it’s gone, or when whalers take a grenade harpoon to a whale—even more so when an entire species is gone, how life looks for life even inside a zoo.
But Death is a trickster. We can never win at his game. We might be living, but our humanity is dying. Soon, there will be nothing of our lives worth living for.
Her paintings (mixed media), consist of the following materials: archival ball point, graphite, color pencil, India ink, water color, acrylic, gouache on paper. Sizes range from 12”x12”, 12”x17”, 22”x30”, 26”x40”.
cmmgross@gmail.com
https://www.cherylgross.net
https://vimeo.com/user1358980
cmmgross@Instagram.com
cheryl.gross.144@facebook.com
cherylgross@twitter.com
Abby Levine Sculptor | Painter | Illustrator
Abby returned to the US in 2009 and moved to Union City NJ where she became involved with the art scene in Hudson County.
Now residing in Lakewood NJ with photographer Craig Radhuber, Abby exhibits in the New York metropolitan area in solo and group shows.
Abby states, “I have been exhibiting my work for over forty years, in major US cities and in other countries, and have done commissioned work for individuals and organizations.
All of my work is done in wood, carved, layered, and painted.
For the past twenty years my work has addressed politics and popular culture. Recently I have begun to work in a less narrative manner that is more directed by my subconscious than my intellect.
Although I have a degree in Fine Art, my inspiration comes from art that is generally referred to as “folk” or “outsider” art as well as from the officially sanctioned work of the Western “masters.” It has taken me a long time to free myself from my education and to find my own way.
Much of the work here is from the collection of the late Lineaus Lorette. Lineaus and I met in Texas in the early 1990’s when I worked baking pies and cookies for a local restaurant. At the time I was experimenting with Pyrography (wood-burning) as a graphic device and layered wood as a way to add dimension to my work. My first commission for Lineaus was a portrait of Frida Kahlo (as if the world needed another one!) This was followed by more portraits of his heroes, many of whom were Leftist icons, and more elaborate, historical and biographical pieces. In all, I made about thirty some pieces for him as commissions, and he purchased non-commissioned work of mine as well. In our collaboration, which lasted for over thirty years, I learned much about history, philosophy, politics and human relationships, all of which I wrestled into art.
Many of these pieces are from this collection, which is currently tied up in a legal dispute, and it is a pleasure to be able to share them here as a tribute to my dear friend and mentor.”
worldofgabby@yahoo.com
https://www.abbylevine.com
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present:
Through Her Eyes: Senior Thesis Art Exhibition
This year, due to the COVID-19, our exhibition will be virtual. A video of the artists and their work will be on IG_TV https://www.instagram.com/spu_fineartsgallery/ Starting April 16.
Karen Estrada is an upcoming graphic designer and photographer who creates works inspired from the opposing worlds of brightness and darkness. Her designs and photographs range from subtle, light hues to abstract, dark hues. She is motivated from the desire to create influential, communicative, and aesthetically pleasing art for her audience. Her current designs and photographs focus on using dark hues that highlight the beauty within different shades of black.
Vanessa Gomez is a graphic designer based in New Jersey. Drawing was her pastime as a child and grew to become her passion. Her inspiration and love for what she does stems from the raw beauty and brilliant colors of nature wherever she goes. She knows that perfection is impossible to achieve, but hopes that with enough continuous practice and hard work, her art will allow people to see the raw truth (and beauty) of Earth. She hopes to one day see her designs, illustrations, and photography on billboards and magazines everywhere.
Yenerys Guzman a painter in the truest sense. Her versatility with different mediums leaves you knowing she’s a master at her craft without any doubts. Whether it be for a client or her own artistic expression. Her current work is motivated by the painting series “Broken Beauty”, a three-piece series of acrylic on canvas work. Female beauty inside and out, takes a huge part of the series created. As an inquiry into and intervention upon what constitutes her paintings, how they are constructed, how they function, etc. Through an investigation of painting as a genre, she formally creates artworks surrounding the field.
Kimberly Jaramillo is a graphic artist and a native of Jersey City. She has loved drawing since she was a kid and what started out as a hobby turned into a career. Her art ranges from illustrations to photography. One of her passions is traveling and she likes to share her adventures through art. She aims to impact people and let future generations know that through hard work and motivation, anything is possible.
Jennifer Peralta is a photographer and graphic artist based in Plainfield, New Jersey. She found her love for photography in 2015 and started graphic design in 2017, she’s been into arts ever since. She enjoys many different types of photographic styles-contemporary, portraits, lifestyle, street art, landscape and events. She hopes that one day she will travel around the world and photograph the different things taking place around the globe, document new places to see and bring awareness of what is happening no matter the circumstance.
Odalys Perea-Isidoro is an artist that is passionate about film and digital photography. She is eager to explore new techniques in her photographs and to express the emotions in the images with the depth of color and light source. Between both film and digital photography, she enjoys film more because to her it looks more dramatic especially the black and white film. She enjoys taking black and white photos in both digital and film. She hopes that her work can influence others to see the emotion and feeling behind each and every photo.
Angelica Vasquez is a double major in visual and graphic arts. She likes to utilize her drawing and paintings to inform her digital designs. Her art is constantly changing and evolving. She never limits or bounds her talent to one media and tries to create what she feels passionate about; wanting her artwork to capture the viewer’s attention and reach out to them. She creates art to impact others and the world around her.
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present:
Forged in Fabric featuring the work of New Jersey artists Christine Barney, Mollie Thonneson and Anne Trauben. Each of these artists explores the traditional elements of art through her unique use of fabric.
The exhibition is from February 13 to March 27, 2020.
Opening reception is Thursday, February 13, 5 to 7 pm
The show will be part of JC Fridays on March 6 from 5 to 7pm.
Fine Arts Gallery
Mac Mahon Student Center
47 Glenwood Avenue, 5th Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07306
The gallery hours are Monday through Sunday 11 – 6
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
Christine Barney has a long history with glass growing up near Corning, NY, where her father, a physicist, worked for the Corning Glass Works. In 1985 – 87 she apprenticed in the Seguso factory in Murano, Italy learning how to design for production as well as the fundamentals of sculpture at the furnace. She states that the weight and substance of glass gives structure to color and light. It is quite unique and fascinating. With the new work in this exhibition, her sculpture have taken a new direction where her focus is on color and light has responded with moveable, sensuous fabric to the weight and physicality of glass. The pieces presented here represent a breakthrough in her understanding of the essence of glass; color, light, and transparency. The images and ideas derive from an understanding of light, filtered, changed and refracted by glass.
Website: https://www.christinebarney.com/about-3
strong>Mollie Thonneson’s exploration of fabric and recycled lingerie is a medium to express the female experience. Desire, possession, obsession, sexism, ageism, consumerism, love, and loss are just a few subjects she ponders as she cuts, layers, and stitches together transparent material and cast off intimate wear. She first began working with lingerie to achieve a sculptural effect in her fabric pieces, but quickly recognized the narrative possibilities connected to the plethora of lingerie she found at the second-hand stores. The artwork is a reaction to recent acquisitions of possessions left after death and features hose, garters, and jewelry. These items naturally lead to thoughts about aging, time, and passing, yet the work refuses to be melancholy, preferring instead to be a celebration of life.
Website: https://www.molliethonneson.com/
Anne Traubenis a visual artist, arts advocate, and the Curator and Exhibitions Director at Drawing Rooms, a non-profit art center and gallery in Jersey City. Anne Trauben works in both two and three dimensions across many media, including drawing, sculpture, collage and installation with wire, fibers and clay. This installation is composed of fabric, trim and other materials she has collected over the years, or was given to her. It was created on-site over many days, spontaneously and intuitively, without a set plan in mind allowing for quick decision making and chance happenings. What she considered was “this and that” thinking (something she brings to her work as a curator), is also important to the way she works as an artist.
Website: https://www.annetrauben.com/
Exhibitions 2019
The Fine Art Gallery is pleased to present:
Reprocess featuring the work of Jodie Fink and Robert Lach.
The exhibition is from November 7 through December 13, 2019.
The exhibition is part of JC Fridays on December 6, 5 to 7 pm.
Opening reception is Thursday, November 7, 5 to 7 pm
Fine Arts Gallery
Mac Mahon Student Center
47 Glenwood Avenue, 5th Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07306
The gallery hours are Monday through Sunday 11 – 6
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
Jodie Fink states: My work is sculpture, made mostly out of materials found discarded in our environment. I feel compelled to take these minimal incoherent fragments or ruins from our lives and make new creations.
These creations are small monuments to every passing moment and the recycling of refuse of every moment used. I want to build from our ruins a place that cannot be destroyed or neglected.
Website: https://www.jodiefink.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/jodie.fink.5
IG: https://www.instagram.com/finkjodie/
Robert Lach states: My work is materials and process driven. The focus is on the labor of craft by experimenting and manipulating everyday objects into art material. I usually build in units or multiples mimicking the biology and structure of living organisms. It is the beauty, organization, and simplicity of nature I try to replicate. I create green habitats based on the architecture and anatomy of nature that reference the design, form and structure patterns of natural world.
Website: https://www.robertflach.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/robert.lach.129
IG: https://www.instagram.com/robertlach3568/
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present:
Nature and Landscape featuring the work of New Jersey artists Francesca Azzara and Eileen Ferara.
The exhibition is from September 19 through October 18, 2019.
The exhibition will be part of JCAST weekend of October 3 – 6.
Opening reception is Thursday, September 19, 5 to 7 pm
Fine Arts Galley
Mac Mahon Student Center
47 Glenwood Avenue, 5th Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07306
The gallery hours are Monday through Sunday 11 – 6
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
Francesca Azzara states: “The landscape, or some manifestation of the landscape, has continually re-emerged in my work over the past 20 years. While landscape painting is steeped in history and place, my imagined landscapes, represent an interior universe of the conscience. These works are a manifestation of my inner self and metaphorically the visual settings reflect my thoughts, fears and dreams. Often, my work informs me of deeper issues that I have unconsciously avoided. It is a visit to a distant memory…one that cannot be fully recalled but can be comprehended. The visual environments I create are of a topography that is familiar but one that I have never visited. It is that fleeting moment, the ambiguity in the psyche, which I strive to make real.”
Website: https://www.francescaazzara.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/francesca_azzara_art/
Eileen Ferara: “‘Invasion’ is a body of work initially inspired by a single seedpod known as a Devil’s head pod. As my subject matter expands, I research and include other plant species that I encounter in the urban wilds of the greater NYC area. Japanese Honeysuckle, Empress Trees, and Trees of Heaven are all considered nuisance non-native species that have taken root in the area. While each plant has its own unique story, they also have some commonalities; successful reproduction strategies, the ability to thrive in areas where other species are challenged, the tendency to outcompete indigenous species, and all were introduced to North America by humans.
It is fascinating to think about how we define invasive species, and how much the human race should try to manage and protect local ecosystems, particularly when we have created the problem. While the proliferation of non-native species is an issue, the narrative is complex, the solutions are not always obvious or agreed on by experts. My work is inspired by the beautiful design of these objects, and the imaginary environments I create are a reflection on the fragility of balance in the environment and our relationship to the places in which we live.”
Website: https://www.eileenferara.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/eileenferarastudio
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to present:
Make Art and Design: Senior Thesis Art Exhibition
April 11 through May 9, 2019
Opening Reception: April 11, 2:30 – 4 PM
Featuring Graphic Design and Fine Art Seniors:
Precious Braswell is a Graphic Arts major with a concentration in Photography and a Computer Science minor. She hopes to put her stamp on the photographic industry and represent her generation through her artwork.
Website: braswellphotography.com, IG: @braswellphotography
Alexander Daoud states that art is a weapon that is used to push your creative mind into making the world yours. He hopes he will use his art to inspire the greater good.
Website: adaoud15.myportfolio.com/work
Samantha Felix is a Graphic Designer who is pursing the task of coloring all urban cities. Her goal is to make art that can give viewers a layered visual experience.
Tristan Johnson is a mixed media artist likes to take is his traditional work and turn them in digital illustrations and with his art he hopes to better express his thoughts and feelings to those around him.
IG: @imageknight_s_art
Nicole Marchitto is a mixed media artist who wishes for her art and teaching to inspire and impact the minds of tomorrow. She is a double major in Fine Arts and Early Childhood Education.
Eduardo Ramon states there are a couple reasons why he makes art. The ultimate goal list to make the best art he possibly can to inspire others.
Rachel Santos Villa is a graphic designer who wants her art to make an impact on others as her inspirations did on her. She is a double major in Communication and Media Culture, and Graphic Arts.
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
The Fine Arts Gallery is please to present From Here to Where, featuring photographs by New York based artist Daryl-Ann Saunders.
Artist Contact – URL: https://linktr.ee/DASaunders, E: das@DASfineart.com, IG: @DA_Saunders, FB: www.facebook.com/Daryl-AnnSaundersPhotography, LinkedIn: www.Linkedin.com/dasaunders
Exhibition: February 1 through March 22
Opening receptions:
February 5, from 5 to 8 p.m.
March 1, as part of JC Fridays from 5 to 7p.m.
Gallery Hours: Monday – Sunday 11:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Fine Arts Gallery
Mac Mahon Student Center
47 Glenwood Avenue, 5th Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07306
Saunders began as a self-taught photographer, assisting and studio managing for a number of established photographers while studying at The School of Visual Arts and The International Center of Photography in New York. Eventually establishing her own studio in Manhattan, Saunders worked as a portrait and interpretative photographer in numerous markets; editorial (Forbes, Business Week, etc.) and corporate (Showtime Networks, New York Life, etc.)
Throughout, she pursued her interest in fine-art photography, that being her primary focus today. She concentrates on several portfolios: “Beyond the Platform” – a color, night series from subway platforms; “Four-Star Accommodations” – a photographic contemplation of homeless individuals; “Crush” – a series delving into privacy and human dynamics on mass transit; “Amalgam” – cameraless photography; “Urban Orchestra” – architectural elements in mostly urban environs and “Pioneers of Bushwick”, a photo/ text project featuring long-time residents of Bushwick, Brooklyn. She worked on her Pioneers photo-text project as part of an awarded Brooklyn Arts Council artist-residency program, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
From Here to Where focuses on two series. The artist states that she has always been captivated by train/subway travel. As a city dweller, the subway is her primary mode of transportation. In “Beyond the Platform”, she investigates the close proximity between subway platforms and the surrounding community as it suggests a powerful theme of machinery vs. humanity.
In the hustle and bustle of subway travel, her attention is also drawn to what is quiet… still – – the homeless individuals seated or sleeping throughout the New York City transit system. Her curiosity and compassion is piqued by these quiet occupiers of uncomfortable space, who are largely unnoticed by the crowds swirling around them. She started to photograph them, their palpable alone-ness, within the context of their environment for “Four-Star Accommodations”. These images are artistically beautiful, but remind us how arduous life can sometimes be.
For information please contact
Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
For information please contact
Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
Exhibitions 2018
The Fine Arts Gallery is please to present Saturate/Desaturate, featuring paintings by
Mona Brody | monabrody.com
Stephan Cimini | stephencimini.com
Susan A. Davis | susandavisabstractart.com
Megan Klim | meganklim.com
Exhibition: October 23 to December 7, 2018
Gallery Hours: Monday – Sunday 11:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Fine Arts Galley
Mac Mahon Student Center
47 Glenwood Avenue, 5th Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07306
Each of these artists explores the most difficult element, color, in a unique and facinating way. Saturation is described as the purity of a color. Desaturation is described a color that is muted. Join us for a look at how these artists create compositions, express complex ideas and delight our senses with and without color.
Mona Brody has exhibited extensively in the United States and internationally. The intentional quality of the sublime emerges at the heart of her work. The metaphoric possibilities that result from the collection and discovery of natural objects, the physical space of the canvas, and the interaction of materials reveal the strange and uncanny place within the familiar.
Stephen Cimini creates paintings building on the architectural origins, which have been the basis of his work for over a decade; he started referring the compositions as random symmetry. That is, creating a balance on the canvas with no discernible pattern allowing a symmetrical, meditative composition to emerge. He employs the golden mean as a reference which can often be seen in the composition. Color remains a constantly
unfolding mystery.
Susan A. Davis has been creating paintings and drawings in various media, including notably oil, pastel, R&F handmade pigment sticks and watercolor, since the early seventies. Her work is focused on abstract forms exploring color, texture and depth, roughly in the tradition of color field painting from the late fifties and sixties.
Megan Klim juxtaposes several materials on one picture plane to create an interaction and conversation between them while highlighting the inherent qualities of the specific materials. A physical presence is apparent in her pieces from textured encaustic surfaces, punctured paper to grid like structures made of thread, wire or cloth. Through her use of pattern or repetition, she reflects upon human individuality while also offering
a tactile visual experience.
The exhibition runs from October 23 through December 7, with the opening reception on October 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The show will be part of JC Fridays with a closing reception on December 7 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The gallery is free to the public and all are welcome.
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
My Calling September 7
September 7 through October 12, 2018
Opening Reception: September 7, 5 – 7 PM
The Fine Arts Gallery is please to present My Calling, featuring photographs by
Amy Becker and Kerry Kolenut and paintings by Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern in a playful look at our love affair with our phones, not only used to make a calls, but as objects of veneration, access to social media, for making videos and used as a camera.
Amy Becker explores the abandoned phone booth or payphones with her camera. Her Dead Ringers depicts the remains of those machines and the environments in which they exist. Her world has turned into a perpetual scavenger hunt to discover payphones in familiar or new settings. She often finds payphones hidden in plain sight.
Kerry Kolenut creates a photo with in a photo as she skillfully takes pictures of others taking pictures. She says capturing the person in the moment of capturing a moment bypasses the subjectivity of the subjective by focusing on the subject herself, and interrogating the documented reliability of unreliable memories.
Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern is a figurative painter whose work is informed by a love of art historical images, and our contemporary culture of technology and fashion. The central theme of the work is based upon a duality– the coexistence of old and familiar with ever emerging new material that challenges and assimilates established concepts. She believes technology can never be completely separated from humanity – we an integral part of technological existence and innovation and it continues to evolve because of us.
The exhibition runs from September 7 through October 12, with the opening reception on September 7 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.. The show will be part of JC Fridays and the Jersey City Artists Studio Tour. The gallery is free to the public and all are welcome.
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
Designing A New World: Senior Thesis Art Exhibition April 19
April 19 through May 10, 2018
Opening Reception: April 19, 2:30 – 4 PM
Featuring Graphic Design and Fine Art Seniors:
Brigitte Arroyo
Aaliyah Closs
Pabel De Jesus
Jessica Dominguez
Leonardo Flores
Christian Guzhnay
Celina Marzullo
Melissa Romeo
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
Pattern and Structure February 15
The Fine Arts Gallery is pleased to host Pattern and Structure featuring the work of Harriet Finck, Jeanne Heifetz, Greg Letson, Nurpur Nishith, and Laura Petrovich-Cheney.
The show opens February 15 and runs through March 29. The artists reception is part of JC Friday, March 2 from 5 to 7pm.
Professor Jordan Smith, saxophonist and conductor, will perform a spirited program on March 2 from 1 to 1:30 in the Gallery.
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
Exhibitions 2017
Color as Noun, Pronoun and Verb December 1
Please join us for the opening reception of the exhibition, *Color as Noun, Pronoun and Verb*, at the Fine Arts Gallery on the 5th floor of the Mac Mahon Student Center Friday, December 1, 5 to 7pm.
Stop by to see this explosion of color and beauty and have a bite to eat.
This group painting exhibition features the work of
Andrea Epstein
Alyce Gottesman
Candy Le Sueur
Gail Winbury
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
Camera’s Vision: Archaeology|Architecture|Landscape September 8
Please join us for the opening of the exhibition, Camera’s Vision: Archaeology|Architecture|Landscape, at the Fine Arts Gallery on the 5th floor of the Mac Mahon Student Center on Friday, September 8th, 5 to 7 pm.
This group photography exhibition features the work of:
Michael Endy
Edward Fausty
Frank Gimpaya
Susan Evans Grove
Kay Kenny
Trix Rosen
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu
Exhibitions 2016
Doug Hilson: Portraits of India. October 21 – December 9
“I first became fascinated with portraiture as an art student over 50 years ago. I began doing life-sized portraits on canvas in the1980’s and taught university courses in both the history and drawing/painting of portraits.
In 2012, on my 3rd trip to India, I began to photograph Indian children & the elderly of India. Now after 7 trips to India I have close to eight thousand of these photographs.
India, as the fastest developing country in the World and arguably, the most colorful, has held both my fascination of this exotic culture and informed my painting for the past two decades. The color of India in general, and Rajasthan in particular, is a visual feast for any artist. In this country of one billion, 200 million people where 85% of the people live in small villages and where there is a rapidly growing middle class, there is a huge migration to the cities for a ‘piece of the action’, much like early 20th century America.
My interest as a photographer is to record the elderly, as their traditions, dress & culture are beginning to quickly change and the children, as the future faces of India.”
–Doug Hilson, 2016
Inaugural Exhibition Opening
Please join us at the inaugural exhibition opening at the Fine Arts Gallery on the 5th floor of the Mac Mahon Student Center on September 9, 5 to 7 pm. This exhibition is part of JCFridays and the Jersey City Artists Studio Tour. Mollie Thonneson is a painter and the inventor, designer, and manufacturer of TAG the Art Game, a nationally recognized game that helps people overcome their fears about art making. Alan Walker is a talented painter and musician. This team lives and works in Jersey City with their daughter Tulsi.
For information please contact Beatrice Mady at fineartsgallery@saintpeters.edu