Artist of the Month exhibition: Paintings by Melissa Silvestri

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Throughout December, Gallery on Main's "Artist of the Month" exhibition features paintings by Hackettstown, New Jersey-based artist Melissa Silvestri. Admission is free, and Silvestri’s works are available for purchase. 

Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Saturday, December 7, 2019, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

Silvestri works with a variety of mediums — such as oil and acrylic paint, chalk and oil pastel, charcoal, graphite and watercolor — and says her painting style is highly influenced by post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. 

She explains, “My subject matter primarily focuses on spiritual and psychic experiences endured in my waking life and dreams. I believe God (or a form of higher power) communicates with me consistently. I choose specific imagery seen in my dreams and replicate those visions through thick applications of paint and vibrant colors. By applying in this manner, it expresses the energy and emotions felt in each experience.”  

Silvestri continues, “As an art educator, I believe that self-expression and creativity are crucial in a child’s development. The arts allow us to look inside ourselves and through the eyes of another. It helps heal the mind and the soul. Not only do I teach my students the technical aspects of art, but I also show them how to connect with their inner selves and discover their passions through self-expression as they transition through life. Art exposes our truth and helps open our eyes to other perspectives and perceptions of our reality. This allows us to expand and connect on a global and spiritual level through compassion, empathy and love and help enlighten the world to the true purpose of life.”

 Located at 30 West Main Street in Somerville, New Jersey, Gallery on Main is open Sundays 11:00 AM–5:00 PM; Mondays through Fridays 10:00 AM–6:00 PM; Saturdays 10:00 AM–5:00 PM; and by appointment. (Closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, December 25 and December 31). To learn more, visit www.GalleryOnMainSt.com, call 908-722-4234 or follow facebook.com/GalleryOnMainSomerville.

 

PHOTO I.D.’s: 

Melissa Silvestri’s work will be on view, and available for purchase, at Gallery on Main in Somerville throughout December. Visit www.galleryonmainst.com for more info. Image © Melissa Silvestri, used with permission.

 

RECEPTION LINK: 

http://www.galleryonmainst.com/events/2019/melissa-silvestri-reception

 

LINK TO NEWS ITEM:

 

After-Thanksgiving Weekend Sale! Black Friday thru Cyber Monday

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2019_SBS_Logo.jpg

We've got big plans for Black Friday, the 10th annual Small Business Saturday, thru Cyber Monday, and we want you to be a part of them!

#ShopSmall with us on Friday, Nov. 29 thru Monday, Dec. 2, 2019 and support our local business and our community. On those dates only, we are offering:*

·     10% OFF of our entire inventory

·     Up to 50% OFF on selected furniture

·     15% OFF any NEW custom framing order

*Some exclusions and restrictions apply. Not including items on consignment and works by local artists. 
Not valid on items already purchased.

From art to antiques, from handmade jewelry to vintage toys, games and other out-of-the-ordinary items — we have some amazing items for your collection, or for that special gift.  Come check us out for yourself!

THANK YOU, and we look forward to seeing you!

—Shaun & Michelle 

Artist of the Month exhibition: Nick Finelle

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Nick Finelle has been a multi-media artist for many years. He has had a wide range of influences, from Dalí and Picasso to Ed Roth and Von Dutch. He enjoys today's lowbrow and pop art. While a large percentage of his work is in oils, Nick also does sign painting and pinstriping, and he enjoys creating hot-rod art from a variety of objects.

Born and raised in Westfield, New Jersey, Nick began creating imaginative works before the age of 10. He started by drawing on T-shirts with a laundry pen for his friends. In school, he enjoyed graphic arts class in linoleum block printing and silk screening. He studied commercial art at Union County Vocation School. He received most of his art education, including pictorial illustration and fine art, at the Newark school of Fine and Industrial Arts, from which he graduated in 1976.

He has shown his work for the last few years at the Somerville Art and Jazz Festival and several other local shows. A Somerset county resident for over 30 years, he enjoys attending meetings of the Printmaking Council of New Jersey.

Ghouls, goblins and ghosts at Gallery on Main

/ Gallery on Main/

Happy Halloween! Why go to a “big box” store for Halloween decor and accessories when you can treat yourself (or someone else) to unique items such as these right here at Gallery on Main! To purchase or to learn more, visit or call us today at 908-722-4234 (for your convenience, we can ship any of these right to you or a gift recipient).







Call for Artists! Deadline Nov. 15

/ Gallery on Main/

We’re putting out our annual Call for Artists for Gallery on Main’s “Artist of the Month” series for 2020.

This series gives one New Jersey-based artist each month an opportunity to have a solo exhibition of their work presented in the Gallery and the front window for a specified month. Each artist chosen is encouraged to have an opening reception, which will be open to the public on the first Saturday of the month. We will publicize the event on our website, through social media, through press releases and other media outlets.

Please, you MUST FOLLOW THESE RULES to be considered:

  • Email us at least 3 different images that are suitable to be used in the marketing of your work (if chosen) with each piece’s Title, Dimensions, Retail Price, Medium and Artist Bio / Statement. Please use the email subject line “Artist of the Month submission”.

  • Only work that is for sale is eligible. If you are selected and if your work is sold during the time it is displayed at Gallery on Main, we will receive 40% of the sale price, and you as the artist will receive 60% of sale price.

  • ALL WORK MUST BE READY TO HANG. NO EXCEPTIONS.

  • Deadline for submissions is November 15, 2019. You will be notified if you are selected shortly thereafter.

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

Thank you,
Shaun & Michelle

Find of the Week: Scary Monsters

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Just arrived! We have some classic, collectible scary monsters from the early 1960s at Gallery on Main — Phantom of the Opera, Count Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Creature From the Black Lagoon, the Wolf Man, and The Mummy. Only one of each available — come check them out and take one or more home!

Artist of the Month exhibition: Terry C. Wagner, "A Tour of NJ's Gardens of Memory"

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In keeping with our Halloween celebration, Gallery on Main's October "Artist of the Month" exhibition features photographs highlighting the beauty of cemeteries by Dunellen, New Jersey-based artist Terry C. Wagner. Admission is free, and Terry’s works are available for purchase. 

Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Saturday, October 5, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

With this series of photos, Terry’s goal is to capture some of the antique graves and funerary monuments in New Jersey and “preserve the art, the stories, the emotions.” Says Terry, “I am called to study and capture ancient burial grounds, (which are) the repository of the deepest emotions we humans can express.” 

She continues, “The ancient art of stone carving for graves is lost to us. Machines began producing sandblasted stones by 1890. A few artisans are out there honing this craft today.

“My work tends to focus on the earth. These Gardens of Memory© are truly works of art in and of themselves. Walking among them touches my spirt and I listen to the calls that take me to-and-fro while nestled in the warmth of their lingering love. Cemeteries, graveyards, burial grounds — not scary at all! The true value of my work is that it speaks to another, that someone can ‘hear’ the photo and create their own message.”

Located at 30 West Main Street in Somerville, New Jersey, Gallery on Main is open Sundays 11:00 AM–5:00 PM; Mondays through Fridays 10:00 AM–6:00 PM; Saturdays 10:00 AM–5:00 PM; and by appointment. To learn more, call us at 908-722-4234 or follow facebook.com/GalleryOnMainSomerville.

Watch the mural in memory of Jerome Gonzalez take shape

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Painting began on Saturday, September 7, of the mural in tribute to our dear friend Jerome Luis Gonzalez. Here’s a slideshow of the mural as it was being created!

Updated 9/22/19: Watch til the end to see the final version!


Painting to begin on Somerville's outdoor mural in memory of our dear friend Jerome Gonzalez

/ Gallery on Main/

Thank you to Rod Hirsch for this great article in TAPinto about the outdoor mural that’s being created in memory of our dear friend, Jerome Gonzalez — a beloved local artist, author and arts advocate who passed away unexpectedly on February 17, 2018 at the age of only 44, while competing in an endurance run. A graduate of Somerville High School, Jerome lived in Bridgewater before he passed away.

We are thrilled to announce that painting of the mural begins on Saturday, September 7!

The mural was organized by Arts On Division, a non-profit, 501(c) (3) corporation here in Somerville, and co-sponsored by Gallery on Main. The 90 x 18-foot mural — which will be on the side of the Phoenix Café building — is being created by two talented artists who are donating their time and skills: Alejandro Medina (a.k.a. Elan Wonder) and Leon Rainbow, both of whom worked with Jerome on art projects in the past. 

Space for the mural was generously donated by Dimitrios “Jimmy” Stathatos, owner of the Phoenix Café building. Funding for the project is provided by numerous individual donations totaling approximately $7,000 to date. All proceeds in excess of the mural’s costs will be contributed toward Jerome’s children’s education. 

Join us to watch this exciting project come to life in the alley right next to Gallery on Main (between #26 and #28 West Main St. in Somerville, NJ 08876).

Artist of the Month exhibition: Mike Beckwith, Abstract Acrylic & Resin Paintings

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Gallery on Main's "Artist of the Month" series features an exhibition of paintings by Branchburg, NJ-based artist Mike Beckwith, a Somerville native. Admission is free, and the paintings are available for purchase. 

Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Saturday, July 6, 2019 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.

Born and raised in Somerville to artist parents, Mike was introduced to the art world from a young age. He spent many years in the professional theater world as an actor, director, teacher, fight choreographer, and designer, which firmly rooted in him a love of all the arts. When he moved from a career in theater to a career in teaching, Mike set about learning everything he could about any art form he could get his hands on, including video, photography, drawing, painting and martial arts. He was recently introduced to the technique of acrylic and resin pouring, and since then he hasn’t stopped taking flat objects and pouring liquid pigments over them. 

Mike spent most of his summers in Maine by Acadia National Park. Having grown up both next to the sea and in close proximity to a National Park, his work is inspired by the beauty of the outside world. 

Located at 30 West Main Street in Somerville, New Jersey, Gallery on Main is open Sundays 11:00 AM–5:00 PM; Mondays through Fridays 10:00 AM–6:00 PM; Saturdays 10:00 AM–5:00 PM; and by appointment. To learn more, visit www.GalleryOnMainSt.com, call 908-722-4234 or follow facebook.com/GalleryOnMainSomerville.