The Studio Montclair Incubator at Academy Square Gallery presents “And Then… There Was Paint,” a show of works by four local artists, Steven Mairella, Evan Stuart Marshall, Robert Nicosia, and Noel Nowicki, whose different aesthetics all connect through their pursuit of art as a second career. An opening reception will take place Wednesday, June 19, 6-8pm.
Studio Montclair Incubator at Academy Square Galleries
33 Plymouth Street,
Montclair, NJ 07042
HOURS:
Monday to Friday 7am – 7pm
Studio Montclair’s Incubator Program, directed by Sara Holliday and Lisa Diamond Rosenthal, seeks to mentor new and emerging artists and provide them with a space for what is often their first solo or small group show exhibit.
This show celebrates how interest, desire, and hard work can allow one to create art as a second career.
Steven Mairella’s work reflects his interest in genealogy and cultural heritage, from lush still lifes to intriguingly familiar portraits. Mairella’s work evokes the emotions, memories, and spiritual connectedness associated with his perspective as an Italian American. His brilliant use of color and strong lines communicate the deeper threads of meaning running through his life. After years of working as a real estate lawyer, Mairella rediscovered his love of painting and is now a full time artist.
Evan Stuart Marshall’s work celebrates his explorative method as he studies relationships among color, line and texture. His paintings and mixed media works use vivid highly saturated colors and contrasts that resonate with each other. Marshall’s use of dark outlines provides a crisp geometric effect that is both graphically and joyfully striking. There is a sense of the mysterious and unexpected throughout his work.
Robert Nicosia’s work takes us through his process of learning to paint, from his earliest works to his latest creations. Painterly in style, his work has developed over the years in remarkable ways. His dramatic pieces highlight the interplay of light and color with expressive brushstrokes. Nicosia has been a longtime resident of the area and is now a fulltime artist documenting his process of learning to paint, with plans to publish his experiences as a book.
Noel Nowicki’s work exhibits his precision and technical ability as an artist. Nowicki was always been inspired by art, but he only began to create art during the last few years. His natural ability to capture his subjects’ likenesses is remarkable, a skill likely aided by his experience as an internal medical doctor and acupuncturist. Much like the meticulous attention to detail required in his previous professions, Nowicki’s careful use of brushwork and color results in a hyper-realistic effect.
All four of these artists began their professional lives in exceedingly diverse arenas, And then… There was Paint! From autodidactic study to in-depth work with instructors, each artist desired to pursue their art as a second career and took it upon themselves to develop their practice and study into a new profession.
Steven Mairella was raised in Nutley, New Jersey and currently resides in Clifton, New Jersey. He received his undergraduate from Brown University and obtained his law degree from Georgetown University. Though he drew and painted throughout his childhood and teen years, at Brown University Mairella was particularly affected and influenced by a drawing course; however, he turned his professional interest toward law. He specialized in real estate development and redevelopment matters in both New York and New Jersey. In the late 1990s, he rediscovered painting, and also became very interested in genealogy. In 2016 he became a full-time painter, and since then has devoted more time and energy to pursuing his interests in art, genealogy and cultural heritage. Those interests have merged in his body of work depicting Italian and Italian-American themes.
Robert Nicosia graduated from Montclair State University. After graduating he taught History and Sociology at both the high school and college levels. After leaving academia, Nicosia entered the insurance industry. In addition to establishing his own insurance company, he also became a nationally known speaker for insurance groups and management. In addition to pursuing painting, Nicosia publishes the “Music Man Blog” which reviews live music, new and old Jazz CDs and other music related topics with 6,000 – 8,000 viewers each month. Nicosia has carefully documented his career in painting and plans to write a book about the process of learning to paint.
Noel Nowicki was born in Westchester NY, and grew up on the remnants of the “Bubbling Springs” family farm in Bloomfield, New Jersey. It was there that he developed a love of nature, animals and flowers. Nowicki was a doctor specializing in Internal Medicine and medical acupuncture. He taught and researched acupuncture throughout the U.S. After retiring from his first 40-year career, Nowicki turned his interest to create art, as well as relearning French and studying piano.
Evan Stuart Marshall is the Guest Mentor for this show. As a second career artist Marshall has become an award-winning contemporary artist based in Roseland, New Jersey. Recently Evan was honored to receive first- and second-place awards in an art show sponsored by his county. He is also a recipient of the Mary Koether Merit Award from the West Essex (New Jersey) Art Association. His work has been featured in numerous juried exhibitions both group and solo, and is held in many private collections. Born and raised in Massachusetts, he has lived in New Jersey for more than 30 years. He is a literary agent, has written numerous books including murder mysteries, and is an award-winning self-taught artist.
About the Academy Square Gallery Directors
Directors Lisa Diamond Rosenthal and Sara Holliday
Lisa Diamond Rosenthal is a painter and sculptor. She is also the former owner of Montclair’s Nandi School of Art, a local art hub where she employed more than 20 area artists and art teachers to support year-round classes in painting, ceramics, fiber arts, animé, and sewing. Each year, Lisa assists various non-profits by facilitating acquisitions and curating large-gallery art shows for fundraisers. She was recognized by U.S. Congressman Bill Pascrell and the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA) for raising significant funds for NJCASA’s crisis hotline for women through Montclair’s Rock ‘n’ Art Ball, an event she spearheaded, developed, and oversaw. A graduate of Cornell University, Lisa now owns and operates a life-and-health coaching business in Little Falls, N.J.
Sara Holliday is a practicing artist and has taught art for several years in New York. Before focusing on her teaching and art practices, she worked for a New York City graphic design and communications firm. Sara served on the Board of Directors of the International Charter School of NY, a school that serves the diverse population of Brooklyn. She also co-founded and served on the Board of Directors for The Mentoring Tree Foundation, a foundation with the mission of providing expanded educational opportunities to underprivileged and underserved youth. Sara holds a Masters in Art and Art Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College and an undergraduate degree in Arts Administration.