Studio Montclair presents “Inspired by… Quilts,” on view from September 5 through October 19, 2019, at the Studio Montclair Gallery, 127 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ. An opening reception will be held on Friday, September 6 from 7 to 9pm.
Studio Montclair Gallery
127 Bloomfield Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042
HOURS: Wednesday-Friday 11am-3pm, Saturday 12-3pm
Get the press release here.
Inspired by… demonstrates the artists’ ability to interpret and gain inspiration from the antique quilts on display at the Montclair History Center. To create these works of art, participating artists were influenced by such elements as shape, color, the creative process through which the quilts were designed and assembled, the materials with which they were made, a written description of the quilt and its history, or even consideration of the woman who created it and her place in society.
According to Curator Virginia S. Block, “Asking one to garner inspiration from an antique quilt may seem like the result would be predetermined and obvious at first thought, especially due to the nature of quilting itself. However, each artist in this exhibit seems to have been ignited by a unique spark of originality. That being said, quilting was used as a springboard to a much more free interpretation within each artist’s process.”
MHC Antique Quilts
Studio Montclair’s Virginia S. Block Community Partnership Exhibition Program:
Each year Studio Montclair partners with another nonprofit or creative organization to produce an exciting collaborative exhibition. These partnerships are designed to inspire our membership, create new connections, and to reach new audiences. This year we have partnered with the Montclair History Center to produce an exhibit inspired by their collection of 19th and early 20th century quilts.
About the Montclair History Center:
The Montclair History Center, formerly the Montclair Historical Society, is dedicated to preserving the community’s history, educating others about it and its importance, and sharing the stories of the people who have made Montclair what it is today.
This exhibit is sponsored by a generous grant from the
Arts Council of the Essex Area Fund
Participating Artists:
Lisa Basile, Diane Cherr, Maryann Didriksen, Circe Dunnell, Sarah Fader, Susan Fidlon, Harriet Finck, Yolanda Fundora, Emily Gilman Beezley, Madeline Giotta, Rachael Grochowski, Michelle Harpster, Linda Hess Conklin, Rachel Kanter, Gina Kingsley, Claude Larson, Sharon Libes, Maria Lupo, Patricia Malarcher, Betsy Meyer Donadio, Tara Mhella, Pamela Moore, Leslie Nobler, Courtney Novak, Mary Alice Orito, Alfonse Pagano, Susan Paladino, Kate Perri, Jean-Paul Picard, Norman Rosenblum, Ela Shah, Peter Tilgner, Susan van Inwegen, Louise Wheeler, Audrey Yankielun.
Artists from JSDD’s WAE Center will participate in this exhibit, creating a wall size quilt consisting of mixed media panels.
Our selection team:
Virginia S. Block is a native of New Jersey and presently maintains her studio in Upper Montclair. She holds a B.A. degree in Art Education and a M.A. in Visual Arts from William Paterson University along with a NJ Teaching Certificate. Ms. Block is one of the five co-founders of Studio Montclair and served as its first president from 1997 – 2002. She is now the Director of the SMI Virginia S. Block Gallery at Academy Square. Ms. Block’s work is included in hundreds of corporate and private collections throughout the east coast and the mid-west. She has had a long and varied art career, including working as an art teacher, package and logo designer, and director of incentive marketing for an advertising company. Throughout this time, she has continued to develop her career as a fine artist.
Jane Mitchell Eliasof, Executive Director of the Montclair History Center, has expanded the stories the Montclair History Center tells to reflect the rich diversity of Montclair and to be relevant to the community. She is also responsible for bringing a microfarm to the History Center that has added a new vitality and increased visitation, and leading the rebranding of the organization in 2017. Prior to her work at the Montclair History Center, Jane spent more than 25 years designing and writing marketing, educational, and training programs for the healthcare industry. In 2010, she opted to use her expertise to further a cause she has always been passionate about — history and historic preservation. Jane is also an avid quilter.
Yvette Lucas is a photographer, printmaker, and curator who finds her primary inspiration in nature and explores our interaction with it. Her formal training culminated with a BFA from The Cooper Union, in NYC with additional studies at Mason Gross School of the Arts, NJ and The School of Visual Arts, NYC. Yvette has participated in solo, curated, and juried exhibitions nationally and has extensive relationships with community art centers and commercial galleries. She has served the local arts community as a board member of Studio Montclair, a professional visual arts organization, in the roles of Communications Coordinator & President. Yvette is represented by the Sohn Fine Art Gallery in Lennox, Massachusetts and The Old Print Shop In New York City, NYC.