central nj art
“But the walls of the garden were disappearing, and the distinction between it and the landscape beyond became harder and harder to find. Renaissance Italian gardens had been built by preference upon slopes that gave views of the countryside beyond, connecting the garden to the world.”
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Growing up in central New Jersey, I had little idea that I was surrounded by cool places to see art in person. Now living back in my home state, I wanted to share a few of my favorite local places for art excursions.
I came across ArtYard by accident and was blown away I hadn’t heard of it before. What was this beautiful contemporary art space doing in a quaint river town? ArtYard was founded by a group of artists and encompasses a few buildings in Frenchtown, sharing a wide range of programming. During my visit, I saw a show of Janet Ruttenberg’s massive Central Park paintings. I believe they will reopen in September, by appointment.
Grounds for Sculpture is a 42 acre park, home to 300 contemporary sculptures and 6 indoor galleries that show temporary exhibits. The organization puts on educational workshops, concerts, and performances. It’s a good place to visit on a day you’d rather be outdoors, and I think there is something special about seeing the art and gardens as the seasons change.
Main Street Gallery is a great place to see some of my work in person locally. The owner Jen is an absolute joy to work with, and I always enjoy going in to see what’s on display. You can expect to find a selection of work that speaks to the local coastal community along with a wider range of figurative and abstract contemporary art. Some of my favorite pieces are the etchings by Helen Frank, a painter/printmaker who was recently inducted into The Met’s permanent collection.
I consider this museum a hidden gem of New Jersey. The permanent collection of artifacts and paintings is incredible, and they usually have a more contemporary exhibit going on as well. They are technically closed right now, but there is plenty to explore on their website until the museum reopens.
Another great art space located in Frenchtown. Founded by painter John Schmidtberger, SFA gallery shares the work of mid to late-career artists. The few shows I’ve seen speak to the painterly painter in me, with a variety of life paintings reminiscent of Fairfield Porter.
