Art In The Park Exhibit Information

Thank you for participating in the Cranbury Arts Council's Art in the Park sessions for 2011. The December exhibit at the Gourgaud Gallery, located in Cranbury Town Hall, will feature the artwork that has been created from the May-October sessions. If you are interested in submitting artwork to be exhibited, please bring your work to the Gourgaud Gallery on Wednesday, November 16 between 10-11 am. The application is attached to this email and must be filled out when your work is dropped off. Please read all of the information- no work that is not properly wired with name,title and price on the back of each piece will be accepted. Up to 5 peices can be submitted and the Gourgaud Gallery committee will jury the work for the exhibit. You will only be contacted prior to the exhibit if any of your pieces will not be included in the exhibit and arrangements for pick up will be made at that time.

The reception will be on Sunday, December 4 from 1-3 pm and artists who plan on attending are asked to bring a small plate for the reception table. The exhibit will run from Dec 4-26 and pick up day and time will be announced the week before exhibit ends. Thank you again for participating in Art in the Park 2011- we look forward to seeing all of the varied and beautiful artwork created from the sessions this year.

Please remind any fellow artists who joined you as some artists did not leave email info. Applications can also be picked up in the Gourgaud Gallery during the week, Mon-Fri 9am- 4pm located at Town Hall,23-A N. Main St, Cranbury NJ 08512.

Thank you,

Amy Amico

Cranbury Arts Council

October Exhibit: Sara Lee Pindar, At Home and Abroad

NEW EXHIBIT AT GOURGAUD GALLERY – OCTOBER 2011

BY BOB GILBERT

The new exhibit at the Gourgaud Gallery, "At Home and Abroad", features the photographs of SaraLee Pindar, a Burlington County (NJ) resident.  The photos capture some of the picturesque and exciting places that she has visited, both far and near.

 I met SaraLee at the show opening on Sunday, October 2, and learned more about her.  SaraLee was born and raised in Philadelphia.  Her mother was an art teacher as well as an artist whose paintings were exhibited in the prestigious Philadelphia Museum of Art and in other venues.  From the earliest days, her mother taught her about composition and to “see pictures within scenes”.  SaraLee explained that “to see pictures within scenes” means that when appropriate, to find an interesting area of detail within a larger subject and then photograph it.  This principle ultimately became an important part of SaraLee’s technique.

SaraLee recalls that early in life, she found that she did not possess a gift for drawing, and ultimately turned to photography as a medium of artistic expression.  She started taking photos in 1957, but could not afford a darkroom or professional development services, and went no further with it.  Seven years ago, thanks to the development of digital photography, things changed.  She showed some of her Alaska photos to a relative, who was highly impressed and stated “you can sell these”.  Hearing such high acclaim, in conjunction with the availability of digital technology, prompted SaraLee to pursue photography more seriously.  She has been showing photos for the last five years, during which time she has been in thirty juried shows and has won seven prizes.

In the photo of SaraLee Pindar accompanying this article, she is seen with her husband, Gerald, who accompanied her on the journeys to the locations depicted in her photographs.  Gerald even assisted her with the taking of one of the photos currently on display.  At the time, SaraLee was attempting to photograph a swan in the water.  Unfortunately, the swan had the back of its head to the camera.  Gerald cleverly tossed a pebble in the water in the area where SaraLee was standing, prompting the bird to turn its head toward SaraLee and enabling her to get the perfect shot.  Way to go Gerald!

All are invited to see this outstanding exhibit!

Arco de Jesus
Additional photos from the show can be seen on Facebook: Gourgaud Gallery

 The Gallery is located in Town Hall, in Cranbury, New Jersey and is free and open to the public Mon- Fri from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and the First, Third & Last Sunday of the month from 1-3 p.m.

Sara Lee and Gerald Pindar

Our Activites are posted in the Monroe Township Newsletter on line

We are now listed under EVENTS in the Monroe Township e-newsletter:
http://www.monroenjonline.com/index.php/monroe-twp-nj-events-activities
 

Christmas Time Is Here!

OK, we know it’s closer to Labor Day, but the Cranbury Arts Council is getting the Christmas spirit a little early as we proudly announce the second annual Fall production for kids: “A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS.”

Kids grades 2 thru 9 are invited to join our musical production of the timeless TV classic. We’ll need Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and a whole assortment of beloved “Peanuts” characters to bring Charles Schultz’s story to life.

Additional songs and dances have been added to make “A Charlie Brown Christmas” a wonderful start to the holiday season and YOUR CHILD CAN BE A PART OF IT!

Attached, you will find a brochure with all the information about our production. Brochures will also be available at the Cranbury Public Library.

Rehearsals begin Wednesday, October 5 and will be held every Wednesday and Thursday from 6:45 to 8:45. The final performance will be on Saturday, November 19. (Think of it as an early Christmas present!) The cost is $250.00 per child with a 10% discount to any Cranbury Arts Council members.

Spots are limited and will fill up early so fill out the registration attached and mail it to:

CRANBURY ARTS COUNCIL

PO BOX 643

CRANBURY, NJ 08512

If you have any questions about the program, please e-mail us at: kidstheatrecompany@gmail.com

So, be a part of a Christmas tradition and join the cast of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

In the words of Linus: “This is what Christmas is all about!”

SEPTEMBER EXHIBIT

GOURGAUD GALLERY NEWS

The Gourgaud Gallery has many exciting new events beginning in September 2011.  On Cranbury Day, Sept. 10, 2011, the WINTER WORKSHOP SERIES exhibit opens.  It includes :

Artists’ work from the classes that were offered, including collage, landscapes, and watercolor.

 In the area surrounding Town Hall and the blacktop area behind the Cranbury School, between the hours of 10-4, the Cranbury Arts Council (CAC) will be hosting a sidewalk sale, which will include matted and framed paintings, open gallery exhibit, and Cranstock on Cranbury Day.  Included in this wonderful event, will be live music.

UPCOMING EXHIBITS:

September: “Winter workshop Series” (Sept. 4-25—opening Sept. 10)

October: Photography-Artist Sara Lee Pinder (Oct. 2-30)

November: The Suburban Art Guild (Nov. 6-27)

December: “Cranbury Gardens IX”-works from Art in the Park (Dec. 4-26—closed Christmas Dec. 25)

OPEN CALL FOR JANUARY EXHIBIT ”WINTER LIGHT”.  Applications will be available on web site in the near future: www.cranburyartscouncil.org.

As part of the non-profit CAC, the Gourgaud Gallery donates 20% of any art sales back to the CAC and its programs that support and promote the Arts in our community. The Gallery is located in Town Hall and is free and open to the public Mon- Fri from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and the First, Third & Last Sunday of the month from 1-3 p.m.  New exhibit receptions fall on the First Sunday from 1-3 p.m, where you can meet the exhibiting Artist(s).  Anyone wishing to exhibit at the Gourgaud Gallery can obtain an application at the Gallery or at www.cranbury.org.  For information on upcoming programs and events, join us on FACEBOOK: GOURGAUD GALLERY, and on the GOURGAUD GALLERY BLOG at www.Gourgaudgallery.blogspot.com . If you are interested in CAC membership or participating in any way, please email us at cranburyartscouncil@gmail.com. 

Coming in September

The September exhibit at the Gourgaud Gallery will be showing the Art Work of artists who attended the Winter Workshop Series at the Gourgaud Gallery (www.GourgaudGallery.blogspot.com), (https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Gourgaud-Gallery/108657442495068), and The Cranbury Arts Council www.cranburyartscouncil.org

The Winter Workshop Series consists of classes in collage, watercolor, art history, and painting Landscapes.  The Art Show opens September 6, 2011. The artist reception will be held in conjunction with Cranbury Day, September 10, 2011.

In addition to the Art Exhibit, there will be an outdoor sale of matted and framed original paintings and craft items in the parking area outside the gallery.  A percentage of sales of these items will benefit the Gourgaud Gallery and Cranbury Arts Council. (Sept. 10, 2011).

AUGUST EXHIBIT AT GOURGAUD GALLERY – PROFILE OF THE ARTIST – ZARA FINA STASI

AUGUST EXHIBIT AT GOURGAUD GALLERY – PROFILE OF THE   ARTIST – ZARA FINA STASI

BY BOB GILBERT

ZARA FINA STASI

The August exhibit at the Gourgaud Gallery is entitled “21 Years of Painting: Travels and Experiences from Around the Globe”, and features the oil and watercolor paintings of Ms. Zara Fina Stasi.  The collection represents Zara’s travels abroad as well as scenes from Cranbury and Cape May, and includes landscapes, portraits, and still life. 

Zara is a native of Cranbury and is presently a senior at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, where she is majoring in Art and History. 

Zara turns twenty-one years of age shortly, and I wondered about the title of the exhibit, which seems to indicate that she has been painting since she was born.  She explained that “I have been painting since I was old enough to hold a brush for no reason other than I love to paint”, and that the title conveys that painting has been an important part of her life from early childhood.  In fact, she participated in juried art shows at the Gourgaud Gallery as a child, and even at that time, there was a bid to purchase one of her paintings.

 Many of the paintings appearing in the current exhibit have been made in the last two years, but Zara is also including a number of paintings that she created as a child, as early as seven or eight years of age.  This will demonstrate the progression of her work. 

Zara states that she has a passion for art history, and that she has been greatly influenced by Van Gogh, de Kooning, and Rothko.  She describes her style as leaning toward expressionism.

Zara is a very well rounded individual involved in many interesting extracurricular activities at school unrelated to art.  She is a Tour Guide at Historic Williamsburg and is the Chief Justice of the Undergraduate Honor Council at her College.  With respect to the latter, she is one of twenty-four elected Justices on the Council.  As Chief Justice, she is in charge of the Council, which enforces the school’s honor code by adjudicating cases involving alleged student misconduct.  Zara has gained valuable experience through this position, including learning how to be a manager and how to use advanced computer programs.

Could her position as Chief Justice on the Honor Council mean a possible legal career for Zara?  Probably not, as her first love is art.  She is considering a career as a full-time artist, as an art teacher, or as a member of the Art or History Departments of a museum.

All are encouraged to visit the Gourgaud Gallery to view Zara’s work.  The show runs from August 5^th – August 28^th, with the Artist’s Reception on August 5^th from 6PM – 8PM.  The Gallery is open Monday through Friday (9AM – 4PM), and the first, third, and last Sunday of the month from 1PM- 3PM

Additional information and sample paintings are available on Facebook on the Gourgaud Gallery fan page:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Gourgaud-Gallery/108657442495068

                                                     SAMPLES OF ZARA'S PAINTINGS