Tag Archives: NJ artists

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It’s spooky how many art events are happening in NJ!

Happy Fall and happy Halloween season…one of my favorite times of year! The pandemic halted a lot of live art events & exhibits but they are making a come back and virtual exhibits continue as well as a safe, free way for people to enjoy a wide variety of art events. I thought I’d share some art exhibits I have work in, both live and online…hope you’ll enjoy them and get inspired to create &/or support local artists!

The WINDOWS ART WALK in downtown Highland Park, NJ continues!  Localstore owners are opening their windows for displaying art for the Window Art Walk! Take a stroll down Raritan Ave., where you can see the work of local artists in many shops.  My painting  “SHE” is in Main Street HP’s window.

FAVORITES is an online art event hosted by Personaland Gallery!  My painting, “Omen”, is the one I chose for this show so it’s included in this exciting virtual exhibit along with the favorite works of many artists from across the globe (including some of my art students!)  Which will be your favorite?  Check out the show here: https://personaland.com/hut/exhibition/favorites

HERITAGE is a new, virtual exhibit focusing on what our culture, background, family & history mean to us as artists and community members.  I have the above digital collage, “Necropolis”, along with other works in this online show.  View it here in this virtual gallery:  https://www.westerhoffschoolofmusicandart.com/galerie.html

Windows of Understanding  I am proud to announce that I have an original piece of art in the Metuchen NJ Library for Windows of Understanding, a public art project addressing social issues & climate change…it is still on display.  And I was selected to create a new piece for this year’s Windows of Understanding project as well so stay tuned!

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Podcasts, Tattoos & Favorite Things

What do these 3 things have in common?  They are all new art exhibits and art interviews happening now…and I’m happy to be involved with all three of them!  Spring brings out the motivation & creativity in many of us so it’s a great time to create new work or get out & experience what’s going on in the art world.  Social media makes this easier than ever, especially with podcasts !  My friend at the XFactory hooked me up with the awesome guys at Know-Shit Podcasts to do an hour long interview about everything from what it’s like to be a full time artist, to the Gothic & Steampunk scenes, mythology, spirituality & more!   I hope you’ll take some time to check it out, & listen in on future podcasts as well, as they have many interesting guests.  Here’s the link to my interview:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjFT7TLpCF4&feature=share

As for Tattoos, they are an ancient art form that has gone thru many changes and stereotypes but is now more respected than ever as a true art form and is being honored in a new art exhibit at Atelier Rosal in Rahway, NJ!  Amazing works depicting tattooed people and art by artists who’s work has ended up on a walking canvas as well as images addressing this much maligned but now popular art form. Show runs thru June 7, 2018.  74 East Cherry St., Rahway, NJ.  
https://www.facebook.com/AtelierRosal/

Micro/Macrocom Tree (c)2010 Lauren Curtis

Digital photo collage using actual x-ray images.

I’m happy to have 2 of my “X-RAYted” digital photo collages in this show and the exhibit will also coincide with a huge biker fest in town Sat. May 12.  Here’s the Facebook invite page for details:   https://www.facebook.com/events/1803649219938141/

This town wide, free event will be the perfect place to see tattoo art at it’s best, both in the gallery and on human canvases!

Finally we come to “a few of our Favorite Things”.  This is the latest theme for the new art exhibit at the South Brunswick Municipal Gallery, which opens Fri. May 18, 6:30pm-8pm. It’s a free event, with refreshments served, that features art from many local NJ artists focused on things we feel a connection to, that bring back memories and tell stories!  I’ll have the photo below, “NOLA VooDoo Window” in this exhibit.  Show runs thru Aug. 5, 2018.
540 Rt. 522/Ridge Rd., Monmouth Jct., NJ www.sbarts.org

So, there are many ways you can get involved with the arts this spring, whether it’s attending a gallery show, a biker tattoo outdoor fest or listening to a podcast from the comfort of home…or all three!  Either way, I hope you enjoy these free and creative events…& stay tuned for more to come this summer!

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Journey with me…

Hope all you Jersey-ites can join me for the opening reception of my solo photography show, “JOURNEYS”, featuring my travel images.  Mainly B&W 35mm images from Europe and the US along with some color nature and travel photos.

4/3/11, 1-3pm, Gourgaud Gallery, Cranbury, NJ.  Light refreshments served.  Feel free to bring guests!  See image below for more details!

See you there,

Lauren

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Get Twisted with my new Guest Blogger!

Hello! How’s your 2011 going so far? Well, I hope…and full of creativity and new ideas! Speaking of which, a friend of mine who has curated a couple of art shows I did at Artisanal Tattoo Studio in Somerville, NJ, started a cool, new art group called Twisted Peppermint & I invited her to guest blog about it…read on & get involved!

Twisted Peppermint

Each person is a work of art. Our lives are a work of art and we are the artists. I am art. You are art. Imagine if we were raised believing this. How would we live our lives? How would we act towards others? If we understood that our every action and how we choose to express ourselves is what makes up the entire tapestry of this world, do you think it would be different? I do and that is why I started Twisted Peppermint.

Twisted Peppermint was born out of a group I started called The Famous Living Dead Brigade. That group was started because I felt the need to add beauty to the world via art and mostly via costuming and performance art. Eventually I decided I wanted to help people see the art in themselves and to express themselves using art and Twisted Peppermint was born. I guess you could say that it is an umbrella company for all of my projects. The FLDB being one and Project: I Am Art being another. While it houses these projects it is also intended to help to manage and promote artists from all backgrounds and especially to encourage art as a form of expression for any emotion. Sometimes it is hard to explain because of its many facets. I get kind of tongue tied and find myself overwhelmed because I believe that with this company I can do so many things, it is hard to pinpoint its sole purpose. So I prefer to say it does not have a sole purpose, but a soul purpose.

My experiences in life have made me want to help others in a way to show them that they don’t have to allow those negative experiences to control their lives. Whether it is abuse, depression, etc., I believe art can help. I like to encourage people to make art to express those feelings in place of possibly hurting themselves, or hurting others. Twisted Peppermint also provides a way for people who feel outside of the “norm” to find each other and to know they have a place where they can be who they are, fearlessly and that they are not alone. With this idea, I like to incorporate art. This falls under mostly the FLDB and I Am Art aspects of Twisted Peppermint. So far we have seen people who costume, people sing, do photography, drawing, painting, writing, etc. It has been a great way to show the world our inner and outer beauty and help to make the world a better place.

As far as managing and promoting artists, that is something I like to do myself. Helping artists find outlets for their art, get it out there, get it seen, heard, whatever their art is, I think everyone deserves a chance. I have put art shows on at Artisanal Tattoo in Somerville, NJ and I am currently looking for other venues as well. Promotion wise I have promoted artists, bands and writers through grassroots promoting techniques and sometimes even through the use of the FLDB and I Am Art projects. Twisted Peppermint does not adhere to the standard ideas of what art is, whatever they might be. I do not think anyone can solidly define art, and therefore it shouldn’t be attempted. Art comes in many forms and genres and from many places. It is an ever-changing event rather than a solid artifact.

Art can also save lives. Therapeutically art has been used for a long time to help people to heal. While Twisted Peppermint does not house therapists, it does encourage using art as a form of therapy for oneself and also using your art to help bring awareness to community issues. In the past we have helped to raise money for AIDS Walk NY and currently are working to raise money for RAINN.

Even though the company itself started in 2008, we are only getting started with our possibilities and seeing where we can go with our ideas. Hopefully it will grow and become more than I had ever imagined, but for now I am very happy with what I have done and what I have planned for us to do as a company.

Artists who are interested in working with Twisted Peppermint can contact us at our website: www.twistedpeppermint.com
info@twistedpeppermint.com

Keep in mind that we are still finding out what we are capable of so even if you have a new idea, we are very open to hearing it and possibly working with you to see it happen!

Rose
(aka Lady Anarchy)

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June 5; FREE Outdoor Art Fest, E. Brunswick, NJ

If you’re in the Central, NJ area come on out to the FREE East Brunswick Art Fest this Sat., June 5th! I’ll have a tent there with my artwork! 🙂 (rain date Sun., June 6). See flyer below for details! Hope to see you there!

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Spring has Sprung!!

Finally..Spring has arrived in NJ and it brought gorgeous weather…right in time for my Spring Equinox photo exhibit, on the equinox itself, 3/20, at Artisanal Tattoo Studio’s gallery (http://www.artisanaltattoo.com). The event was a big success and I sold 6 photos at the opening reception…great way to start the new season and inspire new work! (I’ve posted a few images exhibited at the show below).

So, for all you creative people out there…how does Spring inspire you? Do you start Spring Cleaning both in your home and studios? (I REALLY need to get that going!) Do you get a sudden burst of new ideas to work on? And this goes for all types of art; visual, writing, music, theater, etc.

I do find that with the nicer weather and increased light that I do feel more active and energized to create and work on new ideas…I just need a boost for the cleaning part, LOL. Another thing that starts increasing is the exhibit opportunities and art/craft fests, so that also forces me into work mode so I have new art & items to sell/show at these events…especially at events I do annually so I don’t keep showing up with the same ol’ stuff!

So, if you have comments, idea, tips for starting fresh in the new season and new ways to get the creative juices flowing, feel free to post your comments here & share them with the blogosphere!
🙂 ~Lauren

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Pics from the Winter Group Art Show @ Straube Center

The Winter cold does not stop the art events from happening, they’re just all indoors, at least in NJ…but that’s fine with me! There’s always good food, nice wine, new people, old friends and the best part, great artwork! This was exactly the case for the huge group exhibit at the Straube Center in Pennington, NJ last week. I’m one of 8 local artists in this show and have 21 pieces on exhibit! I was excited to sell one on opening night!!

I have to say that all of the artwork was really well done and the variety of work was great to see….paintings, photographs, mixed media, sculpture. The art adorned the large hallway spaces (set up like professional gallery walls) & conference rooms in 2 buildings in the center. Despite the opening reception being held during rush hour on a Friday night (such is often the case with corporate shows), we had a nice turnout of artists, collectors, friends and family. We actually stayed past the closing time! It was great meeting new art enthusiasts and local artists. Group shows are such an important part of socializing and networking for any creative person!

My thanks to everyone at the center who helped organize the show and to everyone who came to view it! I’ve posted a few photos of my “art walls” at the show. It’ll be up until 2/26/10 so if you’re in the Pennington, NJ area, go take a look!