Community Corner

Open Orange Exhibition Features Work of 3 South Orange Artists

More than 100 pieces of art will be on display at the ValleyArts Firehouse Gallery.

The work of 36 artists from New Jersey and New York have been selected to display more than 100 pieces of art in the inaugural Open Orange exhibition at the ValleyArts Firehouse Gallery in Orange.

The exhibition will feature the work of South Orange residents Ann Vollum, Mike Reilly and Michael Maier.

The opening reception is Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. and the artwork will be on display through June 8 at the ValleyArts Firehouse Gallery at 580 Forest St. in Orange. All artwork on display is available for sale.

The gallery is open Thursdays 5 to 7:30 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment.

"With the wide range of exceptional artists drawn to participate in the selective OPEN ORANGE process, this exhibition is a testament to how quickly the Valley Arts District is becoming known as a home and a destination for creative people from the Oranges and throughout the region," said Richard T. Bryant, ValleyArts executive director. 

The nationally prominent jurors who chose the artists to participate in Open Orange are Antonio Sergio Bessa, director of Curatorial and Educational Programs for the Bronx Museum; Diedra Harris-Kelley, co-director of the Romare Bearden Foundation; and Naima J. Keith, assistant curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem. 

Open Orange artworks were submitted online and included any 2D medium paintings, photographs, prints, mixed-media works, and works on paper. One top prize, Best in Show, will offer an artist the opportunity for a one-person exhibition at the Firehouse Galley in the 2014-15 season. Best in Show will be announced at the opening reception.

Other public events featured as part of Open Orange include a Gallery Talk on Saturday, May 25 at 3 p.m.; a neighborhood ArtWalk on Thursday, May 15 at 5 p.m. that includes Open Orange, a walking tour to four nearby galleries, and the Victoria Society's awards event and reception to honor HANDS and ValleyArts; and, on Saturday, June 7 11 a.m. to 7pm, a day-long open house at the second annual Hat City Street Festival.
 
OPEN ORANGE ARTISTS
 
Peter Alessandria, Dover NJ
Daphne Arthur, Arverne NY
Aliza Augustine, West New York, NJ
Amy Becker, Madison NJ
Kerrie Bellisario, Morristown NJ
Michael Benevenia, Montclair NJ
Randolph Black, West Orange NJ
Sarah Canfield, West Orange NJ
Kathy Cantwell, Maplewood NJ
Amy Charmatz, Springfield NJ
Erin Kyle Danna, Brooklyn NY
Emilyann Gachko, Cranford NJ
Adam Gustavson, West Orange NJ
Richard Koch, West Orange NJ
George Kopp, West Orange NJ
John Kuczala, Maplewood NJ
James Long, New York NY
Paul Lurrie, Belle Harbor NY
Michael Maier, South Orange NJ
Amelia Panico, West Orange NJ
Gregory Pepe, New York NY
Laura Petrovich-Cheney, Asbury Park NJ
Isabella Pizzano, Denville NJ
Irene Pomianowski, East Orange NJ
Mike Reilly, South Orange NJ
Eric Richards, Orange NJ
Jennie Schaeffer, West Orange NJ
Monique Schubert, Brooklyn NY
Leona Strassberg Steiner, Jersey City NJ
Heidi Sussman, West Orange NJ
Amy Swartele, Potsdam NY
Stacy Swiderski, Fords NJ
Daniel Valentin, Brooklyn NY
Ann Vollum, South Orange NJ
Jaclyn Woudenberg, Hawthorne NJ
Andrea Zinn, Brooklyn NY




Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here