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Re-Cap: Peter Jacobs

This afternoon's co-sponsored event with Peter Jacobs was well-attended by members of both the WAA and CAG groups - we even drew a few new faces to this exciting event.

Peter presented off of slides, and walked us through both his art-making process and the intended communications of his work. The focus of his presentation was The Collage Journal, his carefully preserved, numbered & dated Strathmore paper pads and how he exhibits them.

If you did not have a chance to see this enlightening presentation, you can see Peter's 2012 interview with NJTV about his collage journals here:

http://watch.njtvonline.org/video/2242343291/

We enjoyed seeing such a good crowd of artists, and listening to Peter tackle all your questions. A big thanks to our friends at CAG for introducing us to Peter and co-hosting this event with us - let's do it again soon!

For more information on Peter, follow this link: http://www.peterjacobsfinearts.com/

WAA & CAG Team Up To Present Peter Jacobs

This event marks the first time we have co-produced a monthly event with our friends in the Contemporary Art Group (CAG). Many of us are longtime members of both groups, but if you are not familiar with CAG, they are a membership art community based out of the Watchung Arts Center whose focus is on exhibitions. CAG averages 10 member exhibits each year in a variety of venues around Northern NJ.

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW LOCATION AND DATE OF THIS EVENT, which was previously scheduled for October 15th at the Westfield Public Library. See the poster below for updated info:

 

We welcome artist Peter Jacobs to the Community Room, where he will present slides and discuss his work and how he has built his career around making art. Refreshments will be served!

Remember to stay in touch with us throughout the year as weather & speaker schedules may alter some event dates. Lots to learn, see, and do:

website: westfieldartassociation.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WestfieldArtAssociation/
email: westfieldartassociation@gmail.com

Spot of tea, anyone? We had a wonderful CreativiTEA party in September. Creative exercises were led by Avi Kiriakatis and Alison Hooper. And SO much food that we even had leftovers...

Welcome! Our Fall 2017 - Spring 2018 Schedule

Mark your calendars for an exciting 96th year of art. We have been doing this longer than any other organization in New Jersey, and this year looks to top them all!

The 2017-18 season is going to be a year of collaborations: we are partnering on specific events with the Contemporary Art Group, Friends of Mindowaskin Park, the Downtown Westfield Corporation, Friends of the Westfield Library, Juxtapose Gallery, South Avenue Arts, and Limani Grill. It promises to be a great year!

Please note that we have listened to you and shortened our events: they will now be only 2 hours long, running from 1-3pm. Also note that we historically aim to schedule our events on the third Sunday of the month.

Click on the schedule to enlarge:

We look forward to seeing you all at these exciting & educational events!

Please stay in touch with us throughout the year as weather & speaker schedules may alter some event dates. Lots to learn, see, and do:

website: westfieldartassociation.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WestfieldArtAssociation/
email: westfieldartassociation@gmail.com

June Recap: Our 95th Anniversary Gala at Masker's Barn

Our Masker's Barn fundraiser - which marked the close of our 95th season - was a wonderful celebration, with a full house and many of art sales. So nice to see so many friends, supporters, & patrons of the arts on hand for our celebration!

Members, friends, and patrons enjoying the evening

As a locally-based nonprofit, we strive to enhance our community through public art education, art appreciation, and through occasional exhibitions by our members. The many cultural events that we put on FREE OF CHARGE to the Westfield community each year are wholly funded by member dues and fundraising. 

A harpist played softly throughout the event

We are a wholly volunteer organization. This means that 100% of your membership dues - and donations - go into our events, NOT into management expenses and overhead. Even with more than 100 dues-paying friends & members, our costs for insurance, guest speakers, and venue rentals far exceed our annual income from dues. We make up the difference by applying for event-specific grants and by holding an annual fundraising event.

Members hard at work preparing for our guests

Unlike our regular public events, we chose to charge admission for this fundraising event. The proceeds of the more than 130 tickets that were used in part to cover the venue rental, insurance, and food and drinks - and also provided a much-needed boost to our bank accounts as we prepare for another season of free events.

Historian Priscilla Hayes speaks about the county's famed de la Selva murals

It is well worth noting that we did NOT charge the exhibiting artists ANY fees or commissions on their sales - and we sold THOUSANDS of dollars of artwork during this one-night event! 100% of the sale prices went directly to the artist. That is a highly unusual arrangement, but is a demonstration of our commitment to our member artists and the work they are creating.

Exhibiting artist members of WAA

Many thank-yous are due to our Board of Directors, who planned and worried and worked and worked and worked on this event for over 14 months: Avi Kiriakatis, Brooke Gardiner, Paul Federico, Maxine King, Michael Endy, Francesca Azarra, Sharon Reed and event chair Laura Brown. And to Mariya Kovalyov. And to our speaker, Priscilla Hayes. And to Dan Bernier of Union County Parks & Recreation. And to the Union County Freeholders. And to so many others who helpd make this event a success for both the community and our organization.

May Recap: Mana Contemporary

We had a quick carpool to Jersey City and a GREAT tour of Mana Contemporary on Friday. There is always so much to see there. For this visit, our knowledgeable tour guide was Alex Santana. She took us for private viewings of Richard Meier's architectural models and John Chamberlain's swing-camera photographs. We also viewed the AYN Foundation's large collection of Andy Warhol silkscreens. Great exhibits.

We also had the opportunity to visit with several seasoned artists, surely interrupting them as they worked. Talking to artist in their own studio is a wonderful experience, and we had several. The first working artist that we spoke with wa Geraldine Neuwirth. Next we visited with Daniel Frankenthal in her studio.

Clockwise from top: Danielle Frankenthal, Warhol's Marilyns, and signing 
petitions in support of the NEA

A trip to Mana Contemporary is never complete without a visit to the Mana Café. After a nice lunch, it was a beautiful day for a short driving tour of bustling Jersey City and the stellar views of Manhattan from the waterfront.

If you have not yet experienced Mana Contemporary, follow this link to their website: http://manacontemporary.com/

Our May Event: Field Trip to Mana Contemporary on 5/19

Join us for a private, guided tour of Mana Contemporary in Jersey City on Friday, May 19. If you have yet to visit this incredible arts space, you should definitely join us for this field trip!

Founded in 2011, Mana Contemporary is visual and performing arts center with a 27-acre campus in Jersey City. This unique operation combines galleries, a ballet company, studios for working visual artists, an art school, a winery, several restaurants, and...well, you really need to experience it.

For more info on this fascinating venue: http://manacontemporary.com/

We will meet at South Avenue Arts in Garwood at 8:45am, where you can leave your car free of charge. We will carpool from there. Our tour begins at 10am, and we will return at about 3pm. No reservations necessary, but wear comfortable shoes as this will be a walking tour. Members only for this special event. Not a member? You can join day of the event!

March recap: Juxtapose Gallery

Juxtapose Gallery hosted our March event this year, with a presentation and an informative Q&A session with owner - and WAA board member - Danielle D'Amico.

a full house of WAA members at Juxtapose Gallery

It's not every day that an artist has the opportunity to meet casually with a gallery owner - especially a successful gallery that has been continuously open in Westfield for over 40 years. This special event offered a relaxed & friendly environment in which to hear first-hand how a gallery works both with artists and art buyers.

owner Danielle D'Amico answering member questions

 
Attending artists were encouraged to ask Danielle the questions that they had always wanted to ask a gallery owner. It was a fascinating discussion, and another one of the unique opportunities that the WAA offers its many artist members.

Along with original fine art pieces, Juxtapose also offers expert framing & matting services to artists - and WAA members always receive a discount. Not a member yet? What are you waiting for?!

Our March Event at Juxtapose Gallery: Sunday, March 19

This event, the second of the season in which we will take a look at the business side of art, will be hosted by our board member Danielle D’Amico, owner of Juxtapose Gallery.

This is your chance to learn first-hand about the art gallery business from a gallery owner. Listen to Danielle talk – in her own gallery - about the history of Juxtapose, the type of art they have historically sold, what the Westfield art-buying audience is looking for in a local gallery, and learn about the selection process that she uses in evaluating the art and artists that she caries. We will also hear how Juxtapose offers expert framing and other services to artists - and don’t forget that WAA members always receive a discount!

Because we will be meeting in the gallery and surrounded by original artwork, we will not be offering refreshments at this event. However, this is a wonderful opportunity to have a treat or a conversation over a cup of coffee at one of the many establishments in downtown Westfield. Come for the art event, then make an afternoon in downtown.

Juxtapose Gallery, 58 Elm Street, Westfield

PEASE NOTE: In the event of inclement weather on the 19th, we may need to re-schedule. Check back here for details on the day of the event.