Acclaimed painter and sculptor Carol Brown Goldberg’s cosmic vision and down to earth charm captivated a strong art crowd of admirers at a symposium and reception this past Saturday, Sept. 24 at Montclair State University’s (MSU) George Segal Gallery (GSG). Goldberg has returned to her suburban Washington, D.C. home, but 25 of her large-scale paintings and 23 of her small scale, bronze sculptures remain on view through December 10 at the gallery. The exhibit’s distinguished curator and symposium keynote speaker Dr. Donald Kuspit and fellow panelist Glenn Harper of “Sculpture” magazine have …

Alexandra Schwartz, the Montclair Art Museum’s (MAM) first curator of contemporary art, has been hinting at something astounding for her inaugural exhibit. And something astounding is here. MAM’s “New Directions” series has launched with the just-opened “Marina Zurkow, Friends, Enemies and Others.” The exhibit runs through Jan. 8, 2012. The New Directions series will present solo exhibitions by contemporary artists throughout the whole year.  Brooklyn-based digital artist Marina Zurkow attended Barnard College and earned a B.F.A from The School of Visual Arts in 1985. Much published and …

I felt the positive energy while still in the courtyard in front of 73See Gallery on Pine Street in town. It was Labor Day weekend, an interesting assortment of used books were for sale there, and community members were browsing, chatting, feeling at home. Let me go right to it: In the few months since its April, 2011 opening, 73See Gallery has become many things to many people—an outstanding exhibit space for leading area artists, a design studio, a performance space for music and poetry. It is soon to include poetry workshops as well. By design, 73See keeps evolving. Or—simply put—73Gallery…

About 12 years ago, the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) hosted a live broadcast of the very popular WNYC “Brian Lehrer show.” The discussion was about the arts and the suburbs. The message?—The arts are happening outside New York City and they are happening in a big way. True then; truer now. There is a thriving arts community here and a thriving audience for the arts. That audience best start juggling their calendars to accommodate the proliferation of musical performances, art openings, exhibits, lectures, discussions, dance and more coming up in the next few weeks. Here is what’s high on my …

Ever since the storied 1975 Broadway premiere of “A Chorus Line” and continuing through 2ist century reality TV, the public has been fascinated with actors, dancers, singers, or musicians auditioning for a show. But what about visual artists? Their art has to audition, too. Basically, there are three ways most art shows come to be: 1. a curator chooses from a known group of artists; 2. an organization issues a call for artists to submit examples of their work and the curator who will choose what she wants, or 3. the subject at hand here: juried invitational shows. Here, artists complete an …

“This is a big city, free jazz festival being held in Montclair,” said performing vocalist Melissa Walker, Founder and Executive Director of Montclair-based Jazz House Kids.  “It’s music you would hear at a New York City or Detroit festival–it’s just going to be an incredible day for families and for jazz lovers.” Walker is talking about the upcoming 2nd Annual Montclair Jazz Festival, a six hour, free event being held—weather permitting—in Nishuane Park from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 20. And, in case it dares to rain, the event moves indoors to the Salvation Army Building, 3 Trinity…

Since its 1969 publication, Eric Carle’s beloved children's book, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” has sold 30 million copies. That’s one every 30 seconds. Through the decades, readers have found the 83-year-old artist/author’s animals, as well as his insects and people, irresistible. Some time ago, Carle and wife Barbara began traveling extensively, especially in Japan where picture book art is deeply embedded in the culture.  (My most treasured book is “Hokusai: One Hundred Poets” by the extraordinary 19th century painter and printmaker known for “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.") Japan is home …

Start lining up now for this Friday’s edition of the standing-room-only “Writing Matters” at Watchung Booksellers. The popular panel discussions starts at 7 p.m., but the crowds arrive early—and stay late. This time out, series co-founder Marina Cramer, one of Watchung Booksellers’ knowledgeable staff members, will present her panel (minus her partner in crime and literature, Jenny Milchman, who is traveling.) Never fear, Cramer has assembled a quartet of renowned and beloved authors and artists to ask some great questions about one of Montclair’s favorite topics: children’s picture books. …

“I see work that needs to be done, and I just do it,” said Montclair's native son, Christopher Drukker. If you go to jazz-based community events, Drukker is most probably there, volunteering as stage manager, sound engineer and -- whatever needs to be done. He’s behind the scenes at First Night, the ever- popular WBGOJazz Radio FM 88.3 jazz radio’s Jazz for Kids concerts at the Montclair Art Museum and each Tuesday night at the free Whole Foods jazz series in West Orange. In addition, for the past nine Septembers, he has put in back-to-back 18 hour days for the Oscar Schindler Performing Arts…

If you’ve ever landed on a hospital gurney thinking black comedy-theater of the absurd thoughts, then Eric Levin’s photograph “Trauma Center, Newark, 2008” is for you. If, while supine, you took the time to notice the shapes of letters seen upside down or the play of light and shadows in the room, you will become one of the Montclair based Levin’s followers. Expect to see a crowd of Levin followers—fellow photographers, artists, arts writers and many friends-- at the Fine Grind Coffee Shop nearby in Little Falls where photographer, writer and Senior Editor since 2006 of “New Jersey Monthly …

"About half way through making this piece, I realized each one of the faces represented a facet of my life or personality,” commented ceramic master Peg Kenselaar. Peg was talking about “Facets,” her exuberant wheel-thrown, glazed plate combined with distinctive hand drawing.  More about Peg and her eye popping clay plate, pictured here, in a moment. “Facets” is one of 45 diverse paintings, drawings, collages, photographs and ceramic pieces on view now in “Eclectic Visions,” now through July 5 now in the Yard School of Art corridor at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM), adjacent to Leir Hall. It’…

Studio Montclair, Inc. (SMI) has scored again with “Depth of Field,” a 12-person, 38-piece show of alternate photography that opened last week with a jam-packed reception at the Montclair Public Library.  It runs all month during regular library hours and is not to be missed. Curated by photographer Laurie McCoy Foster, the show fascinates and beguiles.  This is a great  month for the not-for-profit SMI artist collective: SMI artists are also causing a sensation with both "Considering Collage" at the SMI Galleries at Academy Square in town  and their 14thAnnual Juried Show, "Viewpoints: A …

“I’m bringing in very recent, smaller works from my ‘Dresses and Jackets’ series,” said acclaimed artist Janet Taylor Pickett. “There’s an immediacy and intimacy to working on this smaller scale, it’s like doing visual riffs with color and collage.” Pickett was talking about the works she will be showing and selling on Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12  at the second annual “Collecting Art: An Affordable Art Fair” at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM). The fair will be open both days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pickett has had a long and deep affiliation with MAM, where she has exhibited her major…

“This is not something that these young musicians – or anyone for that matter – will get to experience every day,”—Electric and acoustic bass virtuoso Christian McBride. In the jazz world, there are a handful of artists with one name or nickname stature—Miles, Trane, Bird, Prez, Hawk and in our jazz guitar centric world, Wes, of course. Among living artists there are Herbie, Sonny, Keith and Chick. Famed, and rightfully so, pianist-composer Chick Corea is joining forces with Montclair-based, world-class bass player Christian McBride on Thursday June 2, with a program in the afternoon for …

“Everyone has made a collage—kids at school with paper and paste. The artist takes collage and runs with it,” said Pam Cooper the assistant director of Studio Montclair (SMI) and curator of “Considering Collage.” The exhibit opened last night at the first floor SMI @ Academy Square Gallery, 33 Plymouth St., Montclair and is on view through August 12. And, run with it, is exactly what 10 collage artists have done. “Considering Collage” is a smashing group exhibit, just in time for warm weather visits—with or without the kids. Note, collage is the hot topic right now, what with the huge success…

The April showers have brought the flowers that bloom in May. Also, art is blooming in Montclair this week and next, too. All this blooming started recently indoors in the Salon at the Iris Presby Memorial Gardens, 474 Upper Mountain Avenue, where Studio Montclair ushered in their “Art in the Garden” fundraiser; a five-day, small works show and sale that runs daily through Tuesday, May 10. Come Wednesday, May 11, the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) opens their eagerly awaited “Art in Bloom,” a five-day extravaganza of art, floral design and special events. “Art in Bloom” happens every other spring…

"We have two years to accomplish a transition from undergraduate student—from nascent artist—to someone equipped to enter the professional art world,” said Dr. Andrew Atkinson, photographer and director since 2009 of the Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program (MFA) at Montclair State University (MSU). I spent a heady afternoon talking with Atkinson and graduating student Whitney Newson in her studio at the MSU/MFA’s Finley Hall South. Newson, along with nine other of her fellow soon to be graduates, is making ready for the sixth MSU thesis show—“we are, we make”—to be held at the hip, …

Virtuoso dancer, choreographer and dance instructor Morgiana Celeste Varricchio loves to talk about the Glen Ridge-based not-for-profit Mosaic Dance Theater Company (MDTC). She founded MDTC in 2003 to celebrate the culture of North Africa and the Near East: “We show the joy of Middle Eastern and North African culture through its dance and music,” Varricchio said. “Understanding that joy brings you closer to the people.” The dance company, where Varricchio is the artistic producing director, grew out of Ms. Varricchio’s earlier New York Performing Art Center which had graced the stages at …

In celebration of the Montclair Art Museum’s (MAM) hit show, “Warhol and Cars: American Icons,” MAM and partner Montclair State University brought second generation Post Pop artist Jeff Koons to the museum’s Leir Hall stage this past Thursday night. As MAM Director Lora Urbanelli put it, it was an amazing opportunity to hear Jeff Koons.It was the kind of amazing opportunity that packed Leir Hall with a sold out crowd of about 400 fine arts students, artists, art collectors, art lovers and the merely curious.It was also quite a show—one part dizzying tour through Koons' stellar career and …

“If you can’t display a work the way it should be seen, you don’t put it in a show. Each work must be displayed safely and in a way truthful to the integrity of the work and the intention of the artist,” … M. Teresa Lapid Rodriguez, gallery director and curator of the George Segal Gallery at Montclair State University (MSU). Teresa Rodriguez has just identified two elements in your marching orders. Here are some more: You have 3,300 square feet of space, moveable walls, fixed electric outlets, track lights. Also, 35 diverse paintings, sculptures and mixed media works by 21 artists have …