The Social Event of the Season!

It's that time of year again...

Time to look back on the year behind, and ahead to the next, and celebrate the seasons with our members, patrons and friends both new & old.




As always, we will meet at Limani Grill (our favorite restaurant in Westfield!), where we have a special pre-fix dinner and a block of tables reserved. For information about the delicious $32 menu and to make a reservation, please contact our board member Avi at avikiriakatis@gmail.com 

Come celebrate with us!

WAA's Winter Windows Bring Cheer to Downtown Westfield

Last year was the first year that we displayed our members' original winter & holiday-themed artwork in the storefronts of downtown Westfield throughout the holiday season. It was our way of saying Happy Holidays and spreading cheer through original, locally-made artwork, and it was a hit with store owners, residents and tourists alike.



At the request of Sherry Cronin and the Downtown Westfield Corporation, we have created an all-new collection of artwork for 2016 that is on display 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on Elm Street (between Quimby & Broad).



This pop-up exhibit will remain up until January 12th, 2017.

Happy Holidays from the artists, patrons, and friends of the Westfield Art Association!

A look Back at Our October Event

This year we are exploring many different looks at the varied ways in which people within our local communities have made successful businesses and organizations built around art.

In October, we met for our monthly event at South Avenue Arts in Garwood. Owned by our board member Sharon Reed, this business provides studio space and classes for artists of all ages, and a gallery space for sales.




A look inside Sharon Reed's "creative, cooperative community art space."




If you missed this engaging event, feel free to stop by and check it out:
South Avenue Arts, 221 South Avenue, Garwood (across from Home Depot)
phone: (908) 654-2787
website: http://southavenuearts.com/

Paul Robeson Galleries Tour: 11/11/16

In the second of our events intended to show us the many faces of the business of art, on Saturday, November 11, the WAA hosted a special tour of the Paul Robeson Galleries on the Newark campus of Rutgers University. What a wonderful afternoon of artistic discussions, observations & insights!



Caren Choi, Assoc Director, took us on an in-depth, 2-hour walking tour of the galleries, including the exhibits "31 Central" (shown above, with Kati Vilim's artwork in view), "Partner In Crime," Vaughn Spann's site-specific mural, "Indivisible," and all 4 of the Seed Grant Galleries.




Artist Joan Pamboukes spoke to us at length about her on-site installation, "Beneath Such Dreamy Moments."

If you missed this great & free members' event, you can visit the galleries on your own:

Paul Robeson Galleries, 350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark NJ 07102
phone: (973) 353-1610
website: http://artgallery.newark.rutgers.edu/

OUR NEXT WAA EVENT: Sunday, October 30, 1-4p

Members, friends and patrons - please mark your calendars and join us as we celebrate the arts in our community in our exciting 95th year!

THE BUSINESS OF ART, Pt 1
Sunday, October 30, 1-4pm
South Avenue Arts, 221 South Ave, Garwood

This event, the first of several this season in which we will take a look at the business side of art, will be hosted by our board member Sharon Reed, founder and owner of South Avenue Arts. Sharon has built a "creative, cooperative community art space" by transforming the former Garwood VFW into this large, shared studio space. View the facilities for yourself as we enjoy snacks and conversation and Sharon shows us around her space, including the art studios, class space, and gallery while explaining to us how she brought her vision to life and how she expects it to grow as a part of our arts community.

For more information: http://southavenuearts.com/

Roselle Park Loves Art!

This annual event has grown remarkably since it's launch last year. Our artists once again set up a display of their artwork at this exciting arts event.



and several painted live on easels on this perfect fall afternoon. And a nice surprise...



our board member Paul Federico was commissioned by Roselle Park Mayor Carl Hokanson to paint the town park and gazebo!

WAA exhibits in Westfield's NEW Foundation Park

We hope that you will join us this coming Tuesday evening, 7-9pm on August 9, as artists of the Westfield Art Association exhibit their original art during the Sweet Sounds Downtown Jazz Festival.

This year is extra-special, as it is the 20th anniversary of this great Tuesday night event. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

Foundation Park is located near the train station along the eastern edge of Westfield's traffic circle linking North & South Aves with both East & West Broad Street. Parking is not obvious, so we recommend that you park as though you were going to an exhibit at Gallery U (which is right across the street from Foundation Park).

WAA Exhibit to Open at Gallery U

Celebrate local artists!



This Friday evening, August 5th, the Westfield Art Association members' group exhibition opens with a reception from 6-8pm.

Join us for light refreshments and meet 14 of our talented artists as we celebrate the local arts scene in our Westfield community.

See you there!

Jazz & Art: Together Again for Summer 2016

As we have been doing for so many years (94, to be precise), we will once again be displaying member artwork out-of-doors in Westfield during the summer.


a scene from our exhibit last summer at Sweet Sounds 2015 (click to enlarge)

This summer will be special, as it is the 20th anniversary of Westfield's popular Sweet Sounds Downtown Jazz Festival. We loved our spot in the pocket park on Elm Street (see photo above) last year, and will be setting up there again this summer on Tuesday, July 12. We will move to just-opened Foundation Park (adjacent the south side of the traffic circle) on Tuesday, August 9. On both nights, a selection of local artists - all WAA members - will be exhibiting their original artwork. These events offer a terrific opportunity for visitors and townspeople alike to spend a little time seeing wonderful art and talking with the artist. And, of course, enjoying the many live jazz bands.

The Westfield Art Association has been putting on outdoor exhibits, demonstrations, and artist lectures in our town since 1922, making it the oldest independent art association in the state of New Jersey.

Stephen D'Amato Exhibits at Gallery U

Our WAA long-time board member, workshop demonstrator, and former president, Stephen D'Amato, has a solo exhibit opening this Friday, June 10 at Gallery U.


click to enlarge

Stephen is a superb watercolor artist, and familiar to many in the NJ arts scene as an instructor. This exhibit features his paintings of the Jersey Shore, with images of sunny days at Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Spring Lake, Cape May, and the Wildwoods.

We look forward to seeing lots of members at Gallery U on Friday as we celebrate Steve's artwork.

Recap: Sculpture In An Afternoon

Yesterday's program with professor Barbara Wallace was informative and well-attended. Professor Wallace began the afternoon with a slide presentation and interactive discussion of three-dimensional art, combined with a little art history and lots of anecdotes from her own fascinating career.

Following the lecture and a short break for refreshments, we moved to the workshop tables and began to mix the plaster for our sculptures.

With the plaster mixed and carefully poured into plastic bags, attendees followed Barbara's guidance in preparing the plaster by kneading the mix to work out the lumps and air bubbles.

With the plaster mix beginning to set, we each started to form the mix into the rough shape we wanted to work with before heading homeward to continue our sculptures.

Another fascinating, social, and engaging afternoon of art and education with the Westfield Art Association. Join us next month on June 12th, when Gene Wisniewski returns for his re-scheduled slide lecture on Art Appreciation.

This Sunday's WAA Event: Sculpture in an Afternoon

Join us this Sunday, when professor Barbara Wallace will be giving a talk on three-dimensional art and leading participants in creating their own plaster sculptures. Come learn and create with your friends in the WAA.

Barbara Wallace began her artistic training at the Art Students' League of New York. She received her BFA in Painting from Pratt Institute and her MFA in Sculpture from the University of Pennsylvania. Wallace is an Adjunct Professor at Kean University and Passaic County Community College.

CALL FOR ART

Call For Art ­ Our 4th Exhibit at Limani Seafood Grill!

The Westfield Art Association is pleased to be exhibiting member art at the Limani Seafood Grill at 235 North Ave W, Westfield. Owner George Vastardis is always sad to see the previous work come down but is looking forward to a new showing of art for his customers to enjoy. We are currently seeking artwork of all mediums and styles (unfortunately not sculpture) of works about 20 x 25 outside measurement. Also one large piece for his back dining room space about 40 x 40. Since warm spring weather is finally here, let's hang some pleasant outdoor scenes, people enjoying activities, or colorful still life, to view while dining. Artwork will hang for the months of May and June.

This exhibition is only open to active members.  Now is the perfect opportunity to join the WAA or renew your membership to take advantage of this and upcoming exhibition opportunities. You may become a member or renew your membership immediately by accessing our member option to the right of this page. 

Active Westfield Art Assoc members please send 3 or 4 jpgs for submission, not previously shown to v​irginiapuskar@comcast.net.​ Put in the subject: Limani Spring Exhibit. For each piece please list your name, title, outside framed dimensions, medium and price if for sale. Deadline is 5:00 pm Tuesday May 3rd, 2016. Selected artists will be promptly notified with further instructions. Works accepted must be properly wired for hanging on picture hooks.


Thanks for participating in this WAA exciting opportunity to show your work! Any questions, email Ginny Puskar at: virginiapuskar@comcast.net 

Recap: Our National Poetry Month celebration in Westfield

The Westfield Art Association, in partnership with Gallery U, hosted a wonderful public celebration or poetry & art this past Sunday with events both outside & in. The corner of South Ave & Westfield Ave was a bustle of activity, with the Creativity Caravan's Tiny Book Show parked at the corner and open for visitors to explore hundreds of handmade books or to join in the fun of making books and writing poetry down the sidewalk in chalk. Inside, the gallery hosted a poetry reading in support of their on-going Ekphrasis exhibit.

Robert Langdon reads poetry inside the gallery while the Tiny Book Show events go on outside

Participants explore the wonderfully tiny books outside in the bright sunlight 

Many poets combined their efforts to create poetry on the sidewalk

Union County Freeholder B.J. Kowalsky visits with Amy Tingle inside the Creativity Caravan

Good-bye Tiny Book Show & thanks for helping us celebrate National Poetry Month!

WAA Celebrates National Poetry Month this Sunday, April 17, 2016 from 1 - 4 PM

The Westfield Art Association (WAA) is pleased to celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month in April with a day of activities for adults and children of all ages. The event will take place outside on the corner of South Avenue West and Westfield Avenue (one block from the south entrance of the Westfield train station) on Sunday, April 17, 2016, from 1-4 PM. All are welcome and the event is free of charge.

 The WAA is hosting a visit from the Creativity Caravan — a vintage 1965 trailer  that fosters the appreciation for creativity — to help Westfield and the surrounding communities celebrate the written word. Cataloged inside the  Creative Caravan is The Tiny Book Show, a traveling exhibit of miniature books hand made by artists and writers from around the world. Participants will have the opportunity to view the books during the event and experience first hand the influence of art and words throughout the world.

 Hands-on activities for people all ages that encourage an appreciation for poetry and creativity will be held throughout the day. In addition, a poetry reading will be held inside Gallery U Boutique at 2 PM as part of their “Ekphrasis: Art & Words” exhibit which pairs artists and poets in inspiring one another’s art.

The activities planned by the WAA to celebrate National Poetry Month are sure to  introduce participants to the idea that poetry can be more accessible than one may think. Many participants will walk away from the event with a fresh idea of the power of personal expression through words and art, and the beginning of a life-long love for visual arts and the written word.

Gallery U celebrates National poetry Month with Ekphrasis: Art & Words consisting of an exhibition of art and poetry— side-by-side — that includes local artists and poets inspiring one another. Existing poetry was collected by invited poets and artwork was curated from artists throughout New Jersey. Artists and poets were given the opportunity to choose selected poems or pieces of art that spoke to them and to create a new piece of art—be it a visual art piece or poem—based on the original inspiration. Exhibition will be on view through May 2, 2016

This Sunday: Art Appreciation lecture

As part of its on-going art education series, the Westfield Art Association (WAA) will present an educational afternoon seminar with noted art historian Gene Wisniewski on this Sunday, March 20, 2016, from 1-4pm in the Westfield Town Hall Community Room, located at 425 East Broad Street in Westfield, NJ.

Mr. Wisniewski delivered part one of his lecture previous to WAA which focused on a review of 1,000 years of Western Art. This month Mr. Wisniewski offers Part Two which focuses on Art Appreciateion. In this popular 3-hour lecture, he will explain what to look for when you look at art. 

This lecture is taken from his larger seminar, the Six-Hour Art Major, which he calls “art school, condensed.”  “Being exposed to these mini-versions of basic art classes gives you a whole different take on art,” he says.

This presentation is free to WAA members, with a $10 suggested donation for non-members. New membership applications will be available at the door. All are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

About GENE WISNIEWSKI: Instructor Gene Wisniewski received his art education at the New York Academy of Art, The National Academy of Design, The New School, and L’Ecole Albert Defois in Vihiers, France.  He has exhibited in galleries nationwide, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. He has fourteen years’ experience teaching and lecturing on visual art, and is the author of “Art: Who, What, How, When, Where, and Especially, Why”.

Art & Poetry: Recap

Sunday's WAA presentation at Westfield Town Hall, on the relationship between art & poetry, was both thought-provoking and challenging. Artist, teacher, and poet Michelle Greco led us through a truly interactive session that exposed us to innovative, visual approaches to poetry. And challenged us to try our own.

Michelle Greco, presenter

Michelle's way of teaching is truly interactive, and she continually sought thoughts and ideas from the audience throughout her presentation. After an overview of the event's subject matter, she opened our eyes to 3 distinctly different approaches to using visual imagery to create verbal art.

a nice crowd in the Westfield Town Hall

And with each new approach, we all had a chance to try our hand at it. We took turns sharing what we had created by reading it aloud, and the output was truly remarkable.

If you attended the event and have any thoughts you would like to share, please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below.

Westfield Art Association Presents "Making Connections: Art & Poetry" Workshop this Sunday February 21

Visual and written art are typically seen as two distinct forms but Michelle Greco will discuss how they inform each other significantly.

The Westfield Art Association (WAA) will present a workshop with poet and artist Michelle Greco on Sunday, February 21, 2016, from 1-4pm in the Westfield Town Hall Community Room, located at 425 East Broad Street in Westfield, NJ.

Visual art and poetry have been inextricably linked for as long as they have both have been in existence. They inspire one another in ways that no other art form does and add greatly to the visual aesthetics of art. Poetry can help the artist look at art in a new way and closer at the details of a painting. They can dig deeper to discover a more detailed story behind the artwork.

Visual and written art are typically seen as two different forms of expression, but poet and artist Michelle Greco will discuss how they inform each other significantly. This afternoon event will focus on mind mapping and word association based on visual images. Attendees are encouraged to bring a pen and paper to catch the muse!

This presentation is free to WAA members, with a $10 suggested donation for non-members. New membership applications will be available at the door. Refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome.

About MICHELLE GRECO: Michelle Greco is a poet and artist who both lives and teaches in New Jersey. She holds an MFA from Drew University. Her poems have appeared in Painted Bride Quarterly, The Stillwater Review, Edison Literary Review, and the anthology Dear Sister, among others. Her book, Field Guide to Fire, is now available from Finishing Line Press.

About WESTFIELD ART ASSOCIATION (WAA): Since 1922, the Westfield Art Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, completely volunteer organization, has provided art education and public exhibitions, and continues today to actively encourage its many members in the pursuit of individual artistic goals and growth. All mediums. All experience levels. All welcome. For more information, to donate, or to become a member, please visit http://westfieldartassociation.blogspot.com.

A New Partnership With Kean University

We are pleased to announce that we have been invited by Kean University to partner with their School of Communication, Media & Journalism in the facilitation of a new course on public relations for non-profit organizations.

Our Education Coordinator, Laura Brown, and president, Michael Endy, met this week with the student team we will be working with this semester.

This is an exciting new opportunity for our organization, and fits perfectly with our mission's commitment to arts education in our community. We hope to see this blossom into a beautiful relationship.

ReCap: Art Show & Tell, 1/17

Last Sunday we hosted our first Art Show & Tell event at Westfield's Town Hall. We had a great member turnout to see 3 member artists show & tell why they have selected a specific medium with which to create their art. With a group of artists as diverse as the WAA has, this is a great opportunity to get an insider viewpoint on how and why our peers create art.

a great crowd for a snowy Sunday afternoon of art

Our first presentation was on fine art photography, and featured a slide show and discussion with Michael Endy, in which he shared the milestones in his art education and museum visits that lead him to become a photographer.

To see more of Michael's work: http://michaelendyphotography.com/

Michael Endy talks about fine art photography

Presenters also brought samples to share during their presentations. In the photo below, Michael shares samples of different photographic printing techniques and papers. His samples also included many different formats  - beyond the classic frame - in which photographs can be displayed.

presenters shared many samples to enhance their presentations

Our second presentation featured member Judith Sandala, who spoke to us about her cast paper sculptures made from her own handmade papers and the wonderful processes that this art form entails. She showed not only finished samples, but also the many steps necessary to create her exquisite art.

To see more of Judith's work: http://jsandalasculpture.com/

Judith Sandala presents on cast paper sculpture

And we ended the day with a presentation by Maryann Iannitto, who described the fascinating process of reverse glass painting. Some may know this as "tinsel painting," as tinsel and foils have traditionally been used to enhance the translucent areas of paint. Never heard of this technique? Well, you have certainly seen it many times: take a closer look at the face of that grandfather clock!

Maryann Iannitto presents on reverse glass painting

It's safe to say that if you did not join us on Sunday, you missed another fun and educational art event. Not to mention some great snacks! Keep your eyes right here on this site for the upcoming announcement of next month's fun & exciting art education presentation.

New Program: Art Show & Tell

We look forward to seeing all of our members at our upcoming monthly event. Each 3rd Sunday we plan a presentation, workshop or other art event to which all members are invited. This month's event will be ART SHOW & TELL, and will be presented from 1 to 4pm in the Community Room of Westfield Town Hall, located at 425 W. Broad Street.

click to enlarge

The concept behind this event is to show how different artists are drawn to different mediums, yet the drive to create is common to all. We will hear from 3 practicing member artists, each using a different medium:

       
               • Judith Sandala: handmade paper sculpture

               • Michael Endy: fine art photography & printing

               • Maryanne Iannitto: reverse glass painting


This event will be free to all WAA members. The event is open to the public, and we certainly encourage you to bring a friend; we do ask for a $10 contribution from non-members.

This promises to be an exciting, informative event. We hope to see you there!