Bloomfield's Art Exhibition Attracts 60 Participants

Looming storms kept the weekend's art exhibit indoors, but it didn't deter the artists or art lovers.

Saturday's weather forced the organizers of the day's Art Exhibition from the town green to inside Bloomfield's Civic Center.   But the indoor setting didn’t deter over 60 participants from the Bloomfield Art League and over 30 entries from the Bloomfield School Students from displaying their work.  Members of the Bloomfield Art League said the event saw a large turnout from special needs students.   Awards were given out for art in different categories, with winners in different age categories listed below.  Grades K-2 Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 High School Celebrating its 82nd year, the Bloomfield Art League is one of the oldest art organizations in New Jersey. It is sponsored by the Bloomfield Recreation Commission and meetings and classes …

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Art for a Good Cause

The Oakeside Manor hosts an art fundraiser for Rett Syndrome research.

Making a living through art is not easy. There is a reason the term “starving artist” is a cliché. But when it comes to giving back to those in need, artists can sometimes have the biggest hearts of all. This Tuesday night the Oakeside Manor hosted Linda Albanese’s Rett Syndrome Art Fundraiser. Gathered in the expansive rooms and the softly lit atrium of the Manor, art aficionados and family members alike enjoyed the paintings of Marcia Miele Branca, Joanne de Florio, Joan Donnelly and Lynne Palmer, a few artists with especially big hearts who donated their work to raise funds for Rett Syndrome research. “One hundred percent of all these sales go to Rett Syndrome [research.]  The artists receive nothing at all, other than the gift of …

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Senior Citizens Art Show Cooks Up More Talent Than Ever Before

The 2011 Essex County Senior Citizens Juried Art Show brings out the most senior citizen artists in recent history.

Gray hairs and golden years can sometimes be the perfect recipe to create an artist. Retirees often have the time and fascination to commit to a passion that was lost to their youth. That passion and talent was never more evident than at the 2011 Essex County Senior Citizens Juried Art Show in Cedar Grove, where Essex County Executive, Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., awarded top prizes to 34 out of the 124 entrants. After a warm welcome and thanks, DiVencenzo (who noted, in his speech, that Angelo Casarola’s painting, “The Catch” chronicled last year’s winning Superbowl play,) went on to hand out first place, second place and Honorable Mentions to the contestants. Kate Hartwyk, Director of Programs and Grants for the Division of Cultural and …

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Local Artist Overcomes Adversity

Local artist, Natalie Alleyne, becomes a successful artist despite difficult times early on in her life.

Artists have always had trouble making a living doing what they love. Unlike most of the populace, they have to hold a day job to afford to do what they really want. This takes conviction and the spirit to never give up. Local artist, Natalie Alleyne, is lucky to have both or she never would have made it to where she is today. Alleyne graduated the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan in 1980 and soon moved to St. Martin after a post-graduation vacation there. The tropics influenced her with the sights, sounds and people that were all new and exciting. “The island life, the colors, the texture, it very much resounds in my work,” says Alleyne. This influence, coupled with her love of Spanish painter, Picasso, can be seen in many of her pieces…

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ArtSpeak

Bloomfield Middle School Encourages Young Artists

The Bloomfield Middle School’s Art Show unveils the budding talent of Bloomfield’s youth.

At a time when schools across the country are cutting arts programs, Bloomfield Middle School offers the unique opportunity to let the its youth's talent flourish. Last week, Bloomfield Middle School hosted an art show. Friends and family were welcome to view their children’s artwork in a public forum. It also afforded the faculty the opportunity to recognize the students, who truly excelled with certificates of recognition. Parents and children alike were uniformly enthusiastic about the school’s efforts to foster the arts. Eighth grader Aliya Valencia told Patch, “I love drawing, and I love music, so it was cool because I love the different textures I was able to come up with and the poems I got to pick from for the book.” She picked the…

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