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  • Aging and the Lived Experiences of Transgender and Gender Non-conforming (T/GNC) Older Adults: Narratives through Art

    As told in their own voices through art and film this juried exhibit seeks to share some of the diverse lived experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming older adults (T/GNC). This  exhibit centers T/GNC individuals’ unique narratives and make their lives visible. The artwork chosen celebrates the strength and resiliency of these individuals while also sharing the painful challenges encountered. The process of living authentically may instill hope and bring joy, but often this process involves losses and pain as well. The purpose is to increase understanding and knowledge of the lives of T/GNC older adults while supporting Monmouth University’s commitment to create an inclusive, affirming, and equitable campus community.

    In conjunction with this gallery exhibition we invite you to the FREE film screening/panel discussion of the film From This Day Forward with director Sharon Shattuck and her parents Trisha and Marcia Shattuck on Friday, February 10th from 11 am – 1:30 pm. Find more information about this event here.

    Following the film screening there will be an artist reception in the Pollak Gallery from 2-3 pm.

    This exhibition is sponsored by: Monmouth University’s LGBT+ Older Adult Project, The Center for the Arts and The Intercultural Center

  • “Classical Realism” with master painter – Scott Nickerson

    This exhibit features work by painter Scott Nickerson and his core group of advanced students, and is a great example of the powerful influence one master painter can have on a school of artists.

    Scott Nickerson was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in the fall of 1970. His passion for the art world evolved as he matured and he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the School of Visual Arts, New York City in 1996. Scott studied under many extremely talented instructors at SVA, including renowned figure painter and draftsman, Steven Assael. He continued his studies after graduation at the Art Students League, New York City and Studio Incamminati, Philadelphia with distinguished artist and teacher, Nelson Shanks.

    In 1997, Scott began to share his knowledge and love of painting with his own students, teaching classes at several locations across Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Many of his courses work directly from live models, allowing the students an extensive study of each pose. When not teaching, Scott can be found working at his Ocean Township Studio on commissioned portraits. His work is displayed worldwide in private and public collections, including universities and government agencies.

    Classical Realism is an artistic movement in the late-20th and early 21st century in which drawing and painting place a high value upon skill and beauty, combining elements of 19th-century neoclassicism and realism.

    Opening Reception: October 28 from 5 pm to 7 pm. RSVP for the reception here

    **Please note the gallery will be closed November 24-November 27 for the holiday weekend.***

  • Jeanine Pennell: Stepping Off the Page: Stories in Clay

    An exhibition of work by artist Jeanine Pennell

    Artist Statement:
    I began this year journeying away from the studio. I left behind my bags of clay and my work tools. Bringing with me only a sketchbook and watercolors. It was the first time since the pandemic that I was away from clay.

    I was in search of a new creative process. All of my early sculptures were created in short spurts of time, capturing the fleeting magic of a creative idea, much like gesture drawing. But this process did not serve when I began to push the boundaries. As the sculptures grew and I was creating without a clear end in mind, I found myself stuck. Clay figures draped in plastic shrouds collected in the corners of my studio.

    During this time away I turned the process around. I began drawing small intuitive drawings. The sketches were quick, with no purpose or expectation. Capturing the essence of ideas that would float up. Later I would return to color them in and to excavate the meaning behind the art. What did the masks mean? The sharp teeth…faces and more faces? What did it all mean?

    I then developed the ideas from my sketchbook in 3-D or clay by creating small maquettes. Once the sculptures were completed early mornings found me sitting with the art to write what I saw. The stories came out. Slowly at first, but with practice more steadily.

    This collection is a record of that journey. In the main gallery is a collection of the largest, finished sculptures. As you descend to the lower gallery you will encounter the beginning of the journey. On display are the original drawings, maquettes and early sculptures as well as the stories behind the art.

    Opening Reception September 30, 2022   7 PM – 9 PM | Ice House Gallery

  • Miriam Beerman: 1923–2022 NOTHING HAS CHANGED

    This exhibition shines a spotlight on the late Miriam Beerman, a New Jersey artist whose works are included in the permanent collections of over 60 museums worldwide and a female pioneer in the 20th-century art world. Beerman (1923–2022) was one of the 20th-century’s most provocative artists, whose humanist expressionist works highlight her talent as a colorist. A pioneer as one of the first female artists to be given a solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Beerman is part of a canon of 20th-century women artists who were nearly lost to obscurity due to their gender in a male-dominated art world. Influenced by the social injustice seen around her, Beerman shines a spotlight on the horror and pathos of man’s inhumanity to man. The themes prove to be timeless, resonating today as much as when they were created in the 20th century. Her life and art were explored in the 2015 documentary Miriam Beerman: Expressing the Chaos.

    Nearly 20 large-scale canvases by Beerman will be represented. The show is guest curated by gallerist James Yarosh and draws upon the recent exhibition Miriam Beerman – REDISCOVER, shown at James Yarosh & Associates Gallery in Holmdel, N.J., which opened in spring 2022. “Living with Miriam Beerman’s paintings at the gallery with the current exhibit REDISCOVER, one cannot help but be both moved and stirred to be in the presence of the colossal works, heavy with paint, laden with subject. When you see these humanist expressionist works existing silently, holding the weight of the world, you begin to understand the gallery’s presentation,” says Yarosh, a gallerist fueled by curatorial activism in recent years. “As I described Miriam’s art with clients, it occurred to me that those words also described the role of female artists of the 20th century whose voices were more stifled in favor of male artists—and of women’s roles in a patriarchal society. “If our art history is male-dominant, and the artists before us our teachers, we are only getting half the lessons to be learned,” he continues. “We have an opportunity to do better. This presentation with Monmouth University allows the conversations to continue and include a younger generation.”

    Please join us for a closing reception on December 11 from 1 to 4 p.m.

  • WOMEN’S HISTORY: PASSION AND POWER – works by Julie Dzikiewicz

    Women’s History: Passion and Power features the work of Julie Dzikiewicz a Virginia-based artist. Dzikiewicz works in ancient encaustic technique using melted wax as paint. The wax is layered and re-fired to create luminous, stained-glass effects and three-dimensional texture. She also incorporates lights and other media to develop depth and richness. Dzikiewicz’s choice of subject is unflinching, using large powerful images to depict her subjects which include themes of violence, racism, and misogyny. “My studio is on the site of the Occoquan prison, which once held and imprisoned Suffragists who picketed the White House. Inspired by this history, this series of work tells the stories of the Suffragists and modern women who work to advance Women’s Rights.”

    Julie Dzikiewicz has been a professional artist since 2009. Her work has been shown in galleries, museums, and exhibitions in Virginia, DC, Maryland, New York, Canada, and elsewhere. Her work recently won the Robert J. Alphonzo award from the 7th Annual International Fl3tch3r Exhibit: Socially and Politically Engaged Art at the Reece Museum. She currently has a studio in the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia.

    Artist’s Talk/Reception: September 21 from 6-8 pm. Please register here for the artist’s talk.

  • Piano Parts Homage to Harold and Collages

    Piano Parts Homage to Harold and Collages is the newest collection of work from Professor Vincent DiMattio. DiMattio has been a professor in the Art & Design department for over 50 years and is retiring this spring. DiMattio received his Master’s in Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University and his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art. He joined Monmouth’s faculty in 1968, where he served as department chair and as gallery director for more than 20 years. He is credited with starting the gallery program at Monmouth University.

    DiMattio has had his work shown internationally in Spain, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, and in the United States. His work has also been show in the Newark and Trenton Museums. In 1999, selections from DiMattio’s 30-year retrospective exhibit at Monmouth University were used for his first retrospective in New York City at the Susan Berke Gallery.

    In 2004, he co-authored the book, The Drawings and Watercolors of Lewis Mumford with his colleague Professor Kenneth Stunkel, published by the prestigious Edwin Melon Press. In 2005, he received a grant from the Liquitex Paint Company for the completion of over 60 “tube paintings,” which led to a major exhibition at Brookdale Community College. Besides being named distinguished professor in 2013, he was also honored to have an art scholarship established in his name and having the art gallery in Rechnitz Hall named in his honor.

    Artist Reception: May 13 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Click here to register for the reception.

    This exhibition was made possible through a Creative Grant from Monmouth University. 

  • Jacob Landau: The Prophetic Quest

    Jacob Landau: The Prophetic Quest, An Exhibit of Selected Drawings and paintings by renowned American artist, humanist, and teacher Jacob Landau.  The selected works on display were completed by the artist in preparation for his stained glass masterpiece, The Prophetic Quest, a series of ten monumental stained glass windows housed in the Keneseth Israel synagogue, just north of Philadelphia. In addition to the artwork, copies of the recently published book; The Prophetic Quest: The Stained Glass Windows of Jacob Landau, will also be on hand for review. Copies of the book are also available for sale at the University Bookstore.

    Designed by the renowned American artist Jacob Landau, The Prophetic Quest encompasses ten masterful abstract pieces of stained glass that depict the lives and words of the biblical prophets, each towering nearly twenty-five feet high and spanning five feet across. Featuring essays recounting Landau’s vision, the history of his project, and detailed interpretative commentary on each window, this book presents an immersive experience of Landau’s religious masterwork. Personal reflections written by artists, art historians, poets, clergy, and congregants about their experience of The Prophetic Quest round out the volume with new ways to view and appreciate Landau’s creation.

    Born in Philadelphia in 1917, Landau launched his career as an illustrator, winning national prizes at age 16, and a scholarship to the Philadelphia College of Art. He went on to have over sixty one-person shows, featuring a wide range of drawings and paintings. The recipient of numerous awards, including Guggenheim and National Arts Council grants, many of his works are featured in permanent collections, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. A master teacher, he retired as professor emeritus at New York’s Pratt Institute. In 1996, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by Monmouth University.

    The exhibition features a selection of some ten works. All are from Monmouth University’s extensive collection of Jacob Landau’s work, comprising over 300 prints, drawings and paintings. The collection was gifted to Monmouth University in 2008 by the Jacob Landau Institute of Roosevelt, NJ. This exhibit is co-sponsored by the Jewish Culture Studies Program and the Honors School of Monmouth University.

  • Front Row Center: Icons of Rock, Blues, and Soul

    The iconic photographs of Larry Hulst capture the freewheeling energy of live music and the enduring visual spectacle of rock’s greatest performers. From Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix to David Bowie and Lauryn Hill, Front Row Center: Icons of Rock, Blues and Soul brings together over 70 images of legendary musicians and singers across three genres and generations. The exhibition charts Hulst’s extraordinary path through the pulsing heart of the most exciting live music of the last century, showcasing a unique visual anthology of rock, blues, and soul music from 1970–1999. These images, which have been featured on album art and Rolling Stone spreads, convey Hulst’s lifelong passion for the magnetism, immediacy, and unpredictability of live music. With photos that also document the unforgettable voices of funk, punk, and beyond, Front Row Center grants viewers an all-access pass to some of the most memorable performances in popular music history.

    GALLERY TALK:
    June 2, 2022 at 5:30 PM| REGISTER HERE
    Please join us for gallery talk by Dr. Ken Womack, who will give an in depth look at the iconic photographs of Larry Hulst in the exhibition Front Row Center: Icons of Rock, Blues, and Soul on display in Pollak Gallery. Professor of English and Popular Music at Monmouth University Dr. Ken Womack is an American writer, literary critic, public speaker, and music historian, particularly focusing on the cultural influence of the Beatles. He is the author of the bestselling Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles and John Lennon, 1980: The Last Days in the Life.

    About Larry Hulst
    Born in 1946 in San Diego, Larry Hulst is a longtime participant and chronicler of the concert scene. His collection of nearly three thousand black-and-white negatives has helped immortalize the live acts of influential musicians over five momentous decades of rock history. His photography career began in 1969, when the former Navy corpsman returned home to Sacramento after a tour of duty in Vietnam. Citing Jim Marshall, Ansel Adams, and Lynn Goldsmith among his influences,

    Hulst is fueled both by his respect for his musical heroes and by his dedication to perfecting his photographic eye. The hallmark of Hulst’s work is his authentic ability to evoke the raw energy and emotion of the concert experience. The only prop he has ever needed was the stage. “I never wanted to go backstage,” Hulst states. “I want to be where the action is. After all, the ‘show’ is projected out onto the audience. I want to be in the audience.”

    Front Row Center: Icons of Rock, Blues, and Soul is organized and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC.

  • Senior Show: Graphic and Interactive Design; Fine Art and Animation

    Featuring the work of Monmouth University graduating seniors who will receive their degrees in Graphic and Interactive Design as well as Fine Art and Animation.

  • Souls Shot Portrait Project

    The Souls Shot Portrait Project pairs fine artists with families and friends of victims of gun violence. The artists create portraits using diverse approaches and emphasize the individuality and uniqueness of the victims portrayed. The project began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2016, and the resulting exhibitions have featured many talented artists throughout the years.

    The mission of The Souls Shot Portrait Project is to bring attention to and memorialize the lives lost and their families’ lives tragically altered due to gun violence. Too many times, those killed by violent means are remembered by the catastrophe of their final days. This project seeks to bring back the positive memories of those same individuals.

    More info here: https://www.soulsshotportraitproject.org

    Gallery Reception: April 8, 5:30-7:30pm (click here to register)
    Speakers will include:

    Marie Maber, Artist
    Charlene Mokos Hoverter, Survivor Everytown Fellows
    Robert Mokos, Survivor Everytown Fellows
    Elizabeth Friedman, Mom’s Demand Action, NJ State Local Group Manager
    Carla Reyes-Miller, Survivor