MHS Art Grads Make an Impact with “Next In Line” Exhibit

“Next In Line” opened this past May at the SMI Virginia S. Block Gallery on the second floor at Academy Square. Be sure to put it first in line on your must-see list; this rewarding show honoring the work of 14 of Montclair High School’s just-graduated Advanced Placement Art students closes on August 12. Bring any budding artists in the family, too.

All 14 of the exhibiting students plan to pursue work in the visual arts. Expect to hear more from them in the years to come.

The exhibit is the joint concept of past and founding Studio Montclair, Inc. (SMI) president, artist Virginia S. Block and SMI’s Karen Nielsen-Fried. (Be certain to leave time to see Block’s multi textured collages in the excellent “” SMI exhibit on the first floor and don’t miss her “Diagonals” in the East entry.)

If you are new to Montclair Art Talk, some explanations are in order. Studio Montclair, Inc. is a highly regarded, not-for-profit artist collective with member artists residing and exhibiting nationwide.

“The only thing we lack is a brick and mortar building,” explains Block.

When the former Katherine Gibbs School was environmentally retrofitted as office space by Robert H. Silver’s town-based Bravitas Group, a happy partnership between forward thinking architecture and art was forged. SMI exhibits about six shows a year, simultaneously running one in the upstairs gallery and one downstairs during regular business hours, Monday through Fridays and by appointment.

“When I stepped down from the presidency, I was honored with the naming of the gallery,” Block said. The gallery was then elsewhere. When the two gallery spaces opened up at Academy Square, Block volunteered to be director of her namesake space.  Now Block, along with assistant director Karen Nielsen Fried, co-curates the Block Gallery shows.

“I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring to fruition part of the original vision of the organization,” Block says.

Part of that original vision was showing student art. “The idea for a show of advanced student art grew out of my judging Congressman Bill Pascrell ‘Artistic Discoveries: Congressional High School Art Competition’ at the George Segal Gallery in 2009, 2010 and this past May,” Block said.

Block and Nielsen-Fried began meeting in September, 2010 with SMI Community Board Member Joanne Petrigliano and Petrigliano’s fellow MHS AP Art Teacher and artist Stefanie Nagorka. (The quality of this show is a tribute to two instructors, who have clearly guided and challenged their students with experience, imagination and care.)

It was a long curatorial road.  Block and Nielsen-Fried worked from the student’s Flick’r accounts and determined what was most appropriate from their application portfolios. They even picked up the art themselves and hung the show. “Hanging a show is actually an exciting process,” Block said. “Karen and I work well together; we both know how best to present the works.”

The resulting works, many of which are portraits and self- portraits, show technical achievement, keen observation and sophistication.  I especially liked Gabi Dennis’ oil and pencil on canvas triumvirate, “Hear No Evil” (with iPods), “See No Evil” and “Speak No Evil” and Sean Mullins’ merciless graphite works, “Monetary” and “Stretched.”  Mullins’ works are among those on sale, and at $100-$200, you may want to think about buying him now.

Julia Rachel Zeff’s handles paint deftly in her two oils, “Blond with Headband” and “USA” and captures the attitude of her subjects with a prescient eye and insight.

There are a number of fine inks on paper: Anna Berlin’s “Circles are Forever” plays with ideas of infinity and negative and positive space.  Another piece, “Flower Power,” is sold.  Rebecca Klein’s sly “Bobble” is among the latter’s quartet of delights. 

Faythe Hansen plans to work in art therapy; her pink, confectionary “Gluttony” in colored pencil bakes together subject portrait and cake.

“We looked for quality of line, composition and their feel for the medium,” Block said, pointing to an untitled work by Ian Langehough’s and commenting on the artist’s stroke and intent. Langehough’s acrylic, “Old Rice,” the illustration for the exhibit’s postcard, has been receiving a lot of attention.

It’s a great show. Grab some lunch or a cool drink on Church Street and stroll over. There is much to discover. The good news is that Block and Nielsen-Fried plan to do it again. Watch this space next year.

“Next in Line: MHS Seniors Pursuing the Visual Arts” features the work of  Jordi Artigas, Anna Berlin, Gabi Dennis, Izzy Devine-Carter, Kayla Ephros, Rebecca Firkser, Faythe Hansen, Chelsea Jenkins, Rebecca Klein, Ian Langehough, Emma Mierop, Sean Mullins, Rebecca Yellin, and Julia Rachel Zeff.

Regular hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment at the Virginia S. Block SMI Gallery at Academy Square at 33 Plymouth Street, Montclair, through August 12. Email studiomontclair@aol.com or call (973) 809-8261. “Considering Collage” continues through August 12. Handicapped accessible. Learn more about Studio Montclair’s history, missions and projects at www.studiomontclair.org.