Visual Arts Center of New Jersey

Vivid Stage Summer Solos 2022 – Bible Adventure Park
2022-07-27 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
Bible Adventure Park by Erin Mallon
Tickets: $20
In this unorthodox adventure, a 17-year-old tour guide, Muriel, leads the audience on an immersive journey at a religious theme park. Audience members become the guests on the tour as they experience all the park’s adventures inspired by stories from the Bible in what will be an alternately fun and disturbing ride.
Featuring: Emaline Williams

Summer Art Camp: Week 6
2022-07-25 - 2022-07-30 | NJ
Appetite for Art (ages 5-9) WAITLIST ONLY
July 25–29, 10 AM–3 PM
Dig in! This week of camp will feature art projects inspired by delicious foods and snacks. Campers will learn several art techniques while creating projects like a clay sculpture of a stack of pancakes with syrup and an illustration of spaghetti and meatballs.
Saturday Art Camp for Kids (ages 6–9) WAITLIST ONLY
July 30, 10 AM–1 PM
Explore a variety of art media and creative themes over the course of six Saturdays. On each date, campers will create two projects. Featured project themes will include Comics, Cartoons & Characters; Art on the Move; Animals & Wildlife Art; Appetite for Art; Art Around the World; and Color Explosion.
NEW! Graphic Novel & Webcomics and Art Journaling (ages 10-12) WAITLIST ONLY
July 25–29, 10 AM–3 PM
NEW! Graphic Novel & Webcomics: Explore the world of graphic novel illustration and webcomics! Tweens will learn various hand-illustration techniques for comics, as well as discuss strategies for starting, maintaining, and sharing a successful project. Campers will focus on improving their artistic skills and will touch on ways in which they can safely and effectively use the web to their advantage while managing a consistent update schedule, as well as the potential and opportunities of sharing printed work.
Art Journaling: Art journaling is a wonderful habit for everyone, not just artists! Keeping a journal that contains one’s inspirations, frustrations, dreams, and fears is a way to creatively process everyday life. Tweens will make their own journal with simple bookbinding techniques and will fill its pages both inside and outside of camp. We’ll also encourage tweens to share their journaling journey during camp.
Digital Arts (ages 10-12)
July 25–29, 10 AM–12:15 PM
Dive into digital! In our fully-equipped digital lab, tweens will use software to explore the concept of fine art in the digital realm. Tweens will analyze elements of art and learn how to apply them to create digital art. This camp will also cover artistic concepts of composition and idea development. Students must have a portable storage device, such as a thumb drive, for saving their progress in class.
Screen Printing and Painting with Pastels (ages 13+)
July 25–29, 10 AM–3 PM
Screen Printing: Create amazing screen prints! Teens will learn basic screen-printing techniques, from image-making, screen, and material preparation, to the use of screen-printing as a creative outlet, including mono-printing and edition printing. Campers will develop prints on paper while experimenting with the possibilities of screen printing.
Painting with Pastels: Pastel straddles the line between painting and drawing. During this camp, teens will be introduced to the essentials needed to draw and paint using pastels. This will include fundamentals such as drawing, light and shadow, composition, color theory, and basic perspective. Both still life and landscapes will be incorporated to create finished works of art.
Digital Arts (ages 13+)
July 25–29, 12:45–3 PM
Dive into digital! In our fully-equipped digital lab, teens will use software to explore the concept of fine art in the digital realm. Teens will analyze elements of art and learn how to apply them to create digital art. This camp will also cover artistic concepts of composition and idea development. Students must have a portable storage device, such as a thumb drive, for saving their progress in class.

Vivid Stage Summer Solos 2022 – Polar Bears (NEW LOCATION 7/20 ONLY)
2022-07-20 18:30 - 20:00 | Oakes Center, 120 Morris Ave, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
Polar Bears by David Templeton
Tickets: $20
UPDATE 7/19: This week’s Vivid Stage Summer Solo will be held at 6:30 PM at the Oakes Center due to the anticipated high temperatures.
A father, sorting through boxes in his attic at Christmas time, spontaneously recalls one whopper of a true story (based on the playwright’s life), involving his lifetime obsession with Santa Claus, his desperate attempts to keep his kids believing after a tragedy strikes his family, and his realization that sometimes lies, even those told in love, can backfire in unpredictable ways.
Featuring: Scott McGowan

Summer Art Camp: Week 5
2022-07-18 - 2022-07-23 | NJ
Animals & Wildlife Art (ages 5-9) WAITLIST ONLY
July 18–22, 10 AM–3 PM
This week of camp is like taking a trip to the zoo, but way more creative! Explore the exciting world of animals and their amazing habitats. Kids will create projects such as papier-mâché squirrels and wild crocodiles in watercolor.
Saturday Art Camp for Kids (ages 6–9) WAITLIST ONLY
July 23, 10 AM–1 PM
Explore a variety of art media and creative themes over the course of six Saturdays. On each date, campers will create two projects. Featured project themes will include Comics, Cartoons & Characters; Art on the Move; Animals & Wildlife Art; Appetite for Art; Art Around the World; and Color Explosion.
Printmaking Techniques and Jewelry Design (ages 10-12) WAITLIST ONLY
July 18–22, 10 AM–3 PM
Printmaking Techniques: In this unique camp, tweens will create their own limited-edition prints on our professional presses. Tweens will learn various techniques, styles, and tools of the printmaking trade through demonstrations and hands-on practice. This camp will cover techniques including plexiglass drypoint and mono-printing as tweens create original prints that are either one-of-a-kind or editionable!
Jewelry Design: Make wearable art! Tweens will experiment with jewelry-making techniques to create pendants and bracelets of their own original designs. After starting with a sketch, the instructor will guide tweens on using the best materials to create their vision. Projects may include, but are not limited to, wrapped wire pendants, polymer clay canes, and recycled paper beads.
Digital Arts (ages 10–12) WAITLIST ONLY
July 18–22, 10 AM–12:15 PM
This camp offering is perfect for campers looking to expand their skills in the ever-evolving field of digital arts. This small-group camp will take place in our socially-distanced and sanitized digital arts studio. Due to the limited nature of this camp, each week will be repeated to accommodate more students.
NEW! Everything Clay and Painting with Acrylics (ages 13+)
July 18–22, 10 AM–3 PM
NEW! Everything Clay: This camp is perfect for the teen looking to explore various types of clay. During the week teens will get to use the pottery wheel to throw and embellish a functional ceramic piece that will be glazed and fired in the kiln. Teens will also learn the techniques for working with paper clay, from building an armature to give the clay structure to ways to decorate their creations using paint, decoupage, or other materials. Finally, teens will explore polymer clay by making everyday objects in miniature.
NEW! Painting with Acrylics: Learn the basics of painting with acrylics! Teens will learn how to block in a composition and see it come to life as they add paint to their canvas. They will learn the fundamentals of painting, including brush techniques, how to create light and shadow, and color mixing. Teens will also learn how to handle the materials properly. Students should wear clothes that can get messy – acrylics don’t wash out of clothes!
Digital Arts (ages 13+)
July 18–22, 12:45–3 PM
Dive into digital! In our fully-equipped digital lab, teens will use software to explore the concept of fine art in the digital realm. Teens will analyze elements of art and learn how to apply them to create digital art. This camp will also cover artistic concepts of composition and idea development. Students must have a portable storage device, such as a thumb drive, for saving their progress in class.

Vivid Stage Summer Solos 2022 – Hopper
2022-07-13 18:30 - 20:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
Hopper by John Maclay
Tickets: $20
A storyteller arrives to tell a story about a one-legged girl, true love, and a virus. It’s an unusual ride filled with humor, heart, and tragedy. The right play for right now.
Featuring: Daria M. Sullivan

Summer Art Camp: Week 4
2022-07-11 - 2022-07-16 | NJ
NEW! Art on the Move (ages 5-9)
July 11–15, 10 AM–3 PM
Let’s go! Join us for an ALL-NEW week of art camp, where the projects are inspired by things that move. Art projects will include papier-mâché tugboat sculptures, airplane paintings, and school bus collages.
Saturday Art Camp for Kids (ages 6–9) WAITLIST ONLY
July 16, 10 AM–1 PM
Explore a variety of art media and creative themes over the course of six Saturdays. On each date, campers will create two projects. Featured project themes will include Comics, Cartoons & Characters; Art on the Move; Animals & Wildlife Art; Appetite for Art; Art Around the World; and Color Explosion.
Experimental Fashion and Watercolor Exploration (ages 10-12) WAITLIST ONLY
July 11–15, 10 AM–3 PM
Experimental Fashion: Create fashion! Tweens will explore traditional and non-traditional fashion design including sketching concepts and bringing them to fruition, making anything from everyday clothing items to cosplay. Multiple sewing and fabricating techniques will be covered while tweens create wearable art. Students will also have the opportunity to design their own t-shirt during this week of camp.
Watercolor Exploration: Watercolor is a classic painting medium that builds upon drawing skills while also incorporating color theory. The foundations of watercolor painting and color mixing will be explored as tweens are introduced to a variety of techniques, including basic washes, layering of paints, and how to create strong compositions with the interplay of dark and light values.
Digital Arts (ages 10-12) WAITLIST ONLY
July 11–15, 10 AM–12:15 PM
Dive into digital! In our fully-equipped digital lab, tweens will use software to explore the concept of fine art in the digital realm. Tweens will analyze elements of art and learn how to apply them to create digital art. This camp will also cover artistic concepts of composition and idea development. Students must have a portable storage device, such as a thumb drive, for saving their progress in class.
NEW! Everything Clay and Soft Sculpture (ages 13+)
July 11–15, 10 AM–3 PM
NEW! Everything Clay: This camp is perfect for the teen looking to explore various types of clay. During the week, teens will get to use the pottery wheel to throw and embellish a functional ceramic piece that will be glazed and fired in the kiln. Teens will also learn the techniques for working with paper clay, from building an armature to give the clay structure to ways to decorate their creations using paint, decoupage, or other materials. Finally, teens will explore polymer clay by making everyday objects in miniature.
Soft Sculpture: This camp takes the best of fiber arts and sculpture and merges them into a whole new art form: soft sculpture! Using textural materials such as felt, fibers, and notions, along with imagination and creativity, campers will design, prototype, and create both relief sculpture and sculpture in the round. Being able to sew is a bonus, but not necessary since multiple methods of soft sculpture construction will be covered. Teens will create several projects ranging in scale over the course of the week.
Digital Arts (ages 13+) WAITLIST ONLY
July 11–15, 12:45–3 PM
Dive into digital! In our fully-equipped digital lab, teens will use software to explore the concept of fine art in the digital realm. Teens will analyze elements of art and learn how to apply them to create digital art. This camp will also cover artistic concepts of composition and idea development. Students must have a portable storage device, such as a thumb drive, for saving their progress in class.

Vivid Stage Summer Solos 2022 - Accidentally Brave
2022-07-06 18:30 - 20:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
Accidentally Brave by Maddie Corman
Tickets: $20
Courageous, daring, and unflinchingly honest, Accidentally Brave is an inspiring true story about discovering a new normal when the familiar world falls apart, a must-see examination of what it means to navigate a world with no certainty. Maddie Corman’s profoundly personal play challenges perceptions, captivates audiences, and sparks an emotionally charged discussion that will leave you wondering: “What would I do?”
Featuring: Harriett Trangucci

Summer Art Camp: Week 3
2022-07-05 - 2022-07-09 | NJ
Comics, Cartoons & Characters (4-days) (ages 5-9) WAITLIST ONLY
July 5–8, 10 AM–3 PM
In this 4-day week of camp, explore the world of cartoons, comics, and popular characters in everyone’s favorite camp! Create super fun art projects of familiar friends, like a mixed media Snoopy house and an illustration of BB-8, the robot from Star Wars.
Art Journaling and Fiber Arts (4 days) (ages 10-12)
July 5–8, 10 AM–3 PM
Art Journaling: Art journaling is a wonderful habit for everyone, not just artists! Keeping a journal that contains one’s inspirations, frustrations, dreams, and fears is a way to creatively process everyday life. Tweens will make their own journal with simple bookbinding techniques and will fill its pages both inside and outside of camp. We’ll also encourage tweens to share their journaling journey during camp.
Fiber Arts: Explore the wonderful world of fiber arts through color, texture, and pattern! Tweens will learn the basics of how to warp and weave on a loom to create different textiles that are functional or purely decorative. Campers will be creating several skill-building projects during this exciting week of camp. Set up the loom and let the creativity unfold!
Watercolor Exploration and Jewelry Design (4 days) (ages 13+)
July 5–8, 10 AM–3 PM
Watercolor Exploration: Watercolor is a classic painting medium that builds upon drawing skills while also incorporating color theory. The foundations of watercolor painting and color mixing will be explored as teens are introduced to a variety of techniques, including basic washes, layering of paints, and how to create strong compositions with the interplay of dark and light values.
Jewelry Design: Make wearable art! Teens will experiment with jewelry-making techniques to create pendants and bracelets of their own original designs. After starting with a sketch, the instructor will help teens use a variety of materials to create their vision. Projects may include, but are not limited to, wrapped wire pendants, polymer clay canes, and recycled paper beads.
Saturday Art Camp for Kids (ages 6–9) WAITLIST ONLY
July 9, 10 AM–1 PM
Explore a variety of art media and creative themes over the course of six Saturdays. On each date, campers will create two projects. Featured project themes will include Comics, Cartoons & Characters; Art on the Move; Animals & Wildlife Art; Appetite for Art; Art Around the World; and Color Explosion.

Summer Art Camp: Week 2
2022-06-27 - 2022-07-01 | NJ
Art Around America (ages 5-9) WAITLIST ONLY
June 27–July 1, 10 AM–3 PM
Celebrate Independence Day through artwork inspired by American artists and famous landmarks. During this patriotic week, we’ll make art projects such as Rothko-inspired pastels, paintings in the style of Native Alaskan art, and ceramic slices of all-American apple pie.
NEW! Everything Clay and Essential Drawing & Painting Techniques (ages 10-12) WAITLIST ONLY
June 27–July 1, 10 AM–3 PM
NEW! Everything Clay: This camp is perfect for the tween looking to explore various types of clay. During the week tweens will get to use the pottery wheel to throw and embellish a functional ceramic piece that will be glazed and fired in the kiln. Tweens will also learn the techniques for working with paper clay, from building an armature to give the clay structure to ways to decorate their creations using paint, decoupage, or other materials. Finally, tweens will explore polymer clay by making everyday objects in miniature.
Essential Drawing & Painting Techniques: This camp is perfect for the tween looking to develop the foundational skills of drawing and painting. Tweens will use their observational skills and gain familiarity with diverse media (such as graphite, charcoal, and acrylics) through drawing exercises that may include gesture drawings, blind contours, and contour drawings. Linear perspective, color theory, and building form with light and shadow will also be covered as tweens render their artistic creations.
NEW! Sculpture Techniques and Character Design (ages 13+)
June 27–July 1, 10 AM–3 PM
Sculpture Techniques: Create art in the round! Teens will learn to use sculpting tools and techniques to create 3D sculptures. Teens will go beyond hand-building—they will learn more advanced techniques to refine and build their sculptures. Students will work with a variety of sculpture materials and complete a 3D sculpture during this camp.
NEW! Character Design: During this week of camp, teens will learn to design their own character(s) for comic books, graphic novels, or cartoons. They will focus on personality and expression plus learn anatomy and posing using the human body as reference. Teens will also have a chance to explore costume design for their character. All this will come together in a project that features the character(s) they created.

Summer Art Camp: Week 1
2022-06-20 - 2022-06-24 | NJ
Summer Sampler (ages 5–9) WAITLIST ONLY
June 20–24, 10 AM–3 PM
Try it all! Summer Sampler includes at least one art project from each upcoming camp theme, plus a few inspired by classic summer pastimes. Projects will not be repeated later in the summer should your camper be lucky enough to join us for multiple weeks.
Sculpture Techniques and Comics, Cartoons, & Anime (ages 10–12) WAITLIST ONLY
June 20–24, 10 AM–3 PM
Sculpture Techniques: Create art in the round! Tweens will learn to use sculpting tools and techniques to create 3D sculptures. Tweens will go beyond hand-building—they will learn more advanced techniques to refine and build their sculptures. Students will work with a variety of sculpture materials and complete a 3D sculpture during this camp.
Comics, Cartoons, & Anime: Calling all comic, cartoon, and anime lovers! Tweens will explore drawing popular characters and work on simple and effective techniques for creating their own character concepts. Master a unique style of creating cartoon, anime, and comic art.
Printmaking Techniques and Essential Drawing & Painting (ages 13+)
June 20–24, 10 AM–3 PM
Printmaking Techniques: In this unique camp, teens will create their own limited-edition prints on our professional presses. Teens will learn various techniques, styles, and tools of the printmaking trade through demonstrations and hands-on practice. This camp will cover techniques including plexiglass dry point and mono-printing as teens create original prints that are either one-of-a-kind or editionable!
Essential Drawing & Painting Techniques: This camp is perfect for the teen looking to develop the foundational skills of drawing and painting. Teens will use their observational skills and gain familiarity with diverse media (such as graphite, charcoal, acrylics, and watercolors) through drawing exercises that may include gesture drawings, blind contours, and contour drawings. Linear perspective, color theory, and building form with light and shadow will also be covered as teens render their artistic creations.

Raku-Fest
2022-06-11 10:00 - 2022-06-12 16:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
Raku-Fest at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
Saturday, June 11 & Sunday, June 12, 10 AM–4 PM
Raku-Fest showcases a unique ceramic firing process in which red-hot ceramic pieces are transferred directly from the kiln into a container of combustible materials. The heat of the ceramic causes the materials to ignite, and the resulting smoke creates one-of-a-kind effects in the ceramic glaze. Led by raku veterans and Art Center Instructors Peter Syak and Lisette Bedoya, this is sure to be an unforgettable event!

Attend the Event—advance registration required
A limited capacity audience can watch the action live as multiple raku firings take place throughout the day. To help control crowding, admission is available for either morning (10 AM–12:30 PM) or afternoon (1:30–4 PM) on both days. Attendees may arrive any time during their time window. Walk-ins the day of the event will be available only if capacity allows.
$5 per person admission fee. Children 17 & under are free but must be accompanied by a paying adult. Maximum of two free children per paying adult, please.
Saturday Morning
Saturday Afternoon
Sunday Morning
Sunday Afternoon

Glaze Items for Purchase
An assortment of pre-made ceramic pieces will be available for purchase for participants to glaze and have fired during the event. If you choose to glaze an item, your $5 admission fee will be deducted from the cost of one item. Items available for purchase and glazing include: jewelry pieces, plates, and pots of varying sizes. Walk-ins on the day of the event will be available only if capacity allows.

Members Appreciation Day
2022-06-05 11:00 - 13:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
Join us for a day celebrating our members! We will be offering refreshments and a craft project for adults and kids to complete with instructor Kat Block. Registration information to come!

Members Art Show & Collectors Week
2022-06-03 - 2022-06-12 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
The Members’ Committee is excited to announce the Members Art Show & Collectors Week! This exhibition is a celebration of art made by our members.
Register early to guarantee a spot! Space is limited.
Artwork Accepted: Tuesday, May 31, 10 AM–8 PM
Exhibition Opening: Friday, June 3, 6–8:30 PM, awards presented at 7:30 PM
Closing Toast & Art Pick-up: Sunday, June 12, 3:30 PM (All work must remain on view until 3:30 PM, June 12. No exceptions.)
All Art Center Members are welcome to hang one original work of art. Space is limited, so register in advance to guarantee your spot. Then bring your artwork to the Art Center’s main floor gallery on Tuesday, May 31 from 10 AM–8 PM. $30 entry fee. One artwork per member. Maximum size is 40 x 40” for 2D work (including frame) and 24 x 24 x 36” for 3D work. Artist must be a current, adult member of the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey. Exhibiting members must be 18 or older. A guest juror will be selecting five works to receive awards.

Spring Exhibitions Closing Event
2022-05-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
SAVE THE DATE for this informal gathering to celebrate the closing of our spring exhibitions.

Teacher's Symposium: Time is a Circle
2022-05-13 09:00 - 15:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
Time is a Circle led by artist Loren Abbate.
The project for this symposium is called Time is a Circle and it is a mixed media project where materials include drawing tools, Bristol or thicker boards, collage, textures, and other embellishments. The project will interpret personal narrative and self-discovery while challenging the perception of time. Emphasis will be placed on creating from a place of presence and understanding the healing nature of art-making and self-expression. Another objective of this project and approach is to understand a broader scope of creative energy, self-awareness, wisdom in the process of art-making, and how this knowledge applies to teaching school-aged students. The goal of this symposium is to take educators through a personal journey into a holistic approach to creative expression. There will also be elements of self-care to help educators through the challenges they have faced over the last few years.
All of our Teacher’s symposium events offer unique professional development opportunities for art educators to come together and learn new creative skills to bring back to their classroom. The programs include:

Presentation by the leading contemporary artist
Hands-on artmaking workshop with the artist
Gallery exercises exploring ways to view and interpret contemporary art
Six professional development hours upon completion of the symposium
Lesson plans as a take-home

Registration fees are $75 and include a light breakfast and all materials. You can register here.
Bio:
Loren Abbate holds a master’s degree in art education with a concentration in art therapy from the School of Visual Arts (NYC). She is an exhibiting artist, educator, workshop and retreat facilitator, reiki energy practitioner, student of non-dualism philosophy, and sacred healing arts modalities.
As an artist, Loren has shown her work in galleries and institutions globally. She has been the recipient of numerous grants and residencies including two years as a printmaker at Art Center South Florida and a three-time recipient of the ESKFF arts grant at Mana Contemporary. She has been teaching and leading groups in the art of creative self-expression for over 2 decades.
Loren is the founder of Wild Indigo Arts, a modality that uniquely blends studies in art therapy, art education, non-dual philosophy, shamanic practices, nature-based wisdom, and community building to bring creativity, personal development, and the arts to the forefront of consciousness. Loren has served diverse populations from school-aged children, to at-risk teens, senior citizens, and special needs students. Due to the wide scope of background and experience working in educational and institutional settings, Loren has been able to identify a need for progressive and safe spaces to express the subconscious mind as an act of radical self-acceptance and personal freedom.
PLEASE NOTE: If your school needs to be invoiced in order to pay for this program, please contact us to register. Call 908-273-9121 ext. 213 or email swalko@artcenternj.org, and speak with Sarah Walko.

Scholarly Talk and Reception with Dr. Betty Adams
2022-05-07 15:00 - 17:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey will host a scholarly talk followed by a reception with Dr. Betty Adams, “When and Where I Enter: The Vital Agency and Activism of Black Womanhood-A Historical Perspective.” Register for the free, public event here.
Dr. Betty Livingston Adams is an independent scholar, author, former university professor and holds a Doctor of Philosophy (with distinction) and the Master of Philosophy degrees from Yale University and the Master of Divinity (Summa Cum Laude) degree from Drew University, Madison, NJ.
The recipient of numerous fellowships and academic honors, Dr. Adams was a Global Scholar at the Institute for Research on Women (Rutgers University); Fellow at the Yale Initiative on Material and Visual Culture of Religion; Associate Fellow at the Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis, and a Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellow. She has held faculty appointments at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Drew University and Southern University
Her scholarship and teaching explore nineteenth- and twentieth-century American and African American religious and social history through the lens of gender, race, and class. Her most recent publication, Black Women’s Christian Activism: Seeking Social Justice in a Northern Suburb (New York University Press) received the 2017 Wilbur Award for excellence in communicating “religious issues, values, and themes with professionalism, fairness and honesty”; the 2018 New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance Author Award for scholarly excellence; and the 2019-2020 Drew University Bela Kornitzer Prize for Outstanding Nonfiction Book. In the words of one reviewer, “With [Black Women’s Christian Activism], Adams has given the world a gift, and like the best of gifts it continues giving, in the form of pressing questions to investigate and challenges to accepted history, such that history must be re-written to acknowledge the many contributions these women made to the struggle for freedom and justice.” From 2016 through 2020, Black Women’s Christian Activism was featured on the list of the 100 Best Social Activism Books of All Time. A retired corporate manager, Dr. Adams is an associate minister at Fountain Baptist Church, Summit, New Jersey.
This talk is in conjunction with the current exhibition in our Marité and Joe Robinson Strolling Gallery, “Parvathi Kumar: Everyday Blackness” made up of portraits of twenty-five women and features quotations from, and brief biographies of, each sitter. Beginning in June 2020, Kumar interviewed and photographed twenty-five Black women in the New Jersey area to showcase their collective courage and resilience. Responding to the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, as well as the global COVID-19 pandemic, the New Jersey-based photographer, wanted to document and share the vast goodness she observed in this group of women—goodness that prevailed over the pain people were feeling.

Summit Arts Festival
2022-05-01 - 2022-05-14 | NJ
A two-week festival to celebrate music, art, theater, and dance, featuring events from 15 local organizations, including VACNJ. Click here for the schedule and to see all the participating organizations.

2022 Annual Spring Gala: Art & Soul
2022-04-30 | NJ

Artist Talk: Claiming the Narrative
2022-04-14 19:00 - 20:00 | NJ
Join us for this virtual artist talk with Curator Mary Birmingham and artists featured in the Art Center’s Main Gallery group exhibition Claiming the Narrative, on view through May 22. This event is free and open to the public. Click here to register.

About the exhibition:
When we consider the history of portraiture and figurative painting, who do we find most often represented on the walls of museums? Whose stories are told and to whom are they directed? Who steers the narratives of art and history? Far too often, the answer to these questions has been “white men.” But when we answer the same questions with “people of color,” “queer people,” “women,” or “people from immigrant, diasporic, or colonized communities,” we expand the possibility of hearing a different story, repopulated with figures more reflective of who we are collectively.
Claiming the Narrative asserts the importance of asking these questions and highlights artists who suggest alternative answers. Centering subjects who have been marginalized, ignored, exoticized, or even erased from the narrative of Western art history, the eleven artists in this exhibition challenge assumptions about traditional portraiture, identity, history, and the power of the gaze. While some draw from Renaissance and other art historical traditions and others respond to popular culture, they all create new ways for us to see ourselves. Together, they provide a more authentic representation of contemporary life by broadening and diversifying the possibilities of figurative art.

Photo by Etienne Frossard.

Spring Break Art Camp (ages 6–12)
2022-04-11 - 2022-04-15 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
Monday, April 11–Friday, April 15
Join us for a special small group Spring Break Art Camp for kids ages 6–9 and tweens ages 10–12! At the Art Center, young artists will learn from our talented teaching artists, create unique art projects, and socialize with friends in our indoor studios. This half-day camp (morning sessions for kids and afternoon sessions for tweens) will feature art-making in a small group, socially distanced environment. Please send campers with a water bottle only (there will not be a lunch period) and in clothes that can get messy. Tuition: $340
Kids (ages 6–9)
8:45–9 AM: Drop-off
9 AM–12 PM: Artmaking Sessions
12–12:15 PM: Pick-up
Tweens (ages 10–12)
12:45-1 PM: Drop-off
1–4 PM: Artmaking Sessions
4-4:15 PM: Pick-up

Spring Semester Begins
2022-04-04 | NJ

Reception for the Women Featured in Parvathi Kumar: Everyday Blackness
2022-03-26 16:00 - 18:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey will host an informal artist introduction and celebratory reception for the women featured in Parvathi Kumar: Everyday Blackness on Saturday, March 26, from 4–6 PM. You can register for the free event by clicking here. This event is open to the public and light refreshments will be served.
Currently on view in VACNJ’s Marité and Joe Robinson Strolling Gallery I the exhibition is made up of portraits of twenty-five women and features quotations from, and brief biographies of, each sitter. Beginning in June 2020, Kumar interviewed and photographed twenty-five Black women in the New Jersey area to showcase their collective courage and resilience. Responding to the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, as well as the global COVID-19 pandemic, the New Jersey-based photographer, wanted to document and share the vast goodness she observed in this group of women—goodness that prevailed over the pain people were feeling.
Through networking and research, Kumar identified women leading ordinary, everyday lives, who were also exceptional in their own ways. Ranging in age from 19 to 86, they represent a broad array of professions and experiences, including author, educator, entrepreneur, activist, CEO, doctor, disability advocate, attorney, environmentalist, and student. Acknowledging the individual challenges they face, Kumar also observed a common thread binding the group together—selflessness and commitment to service that makes them the backbones of their families, communities, and country. She sums it up in the preface to her book Everyday Blackness: Celebrating Exceptional Women “In a world that continues to marginalize and judge people based on physical appearances, these unwitting heroines persevere for the greater good.”
Please direct all questions to Sarah Walko, Director of Education & Community Engagement at swalko@artcenternj.org or 908.273.9121.

Artist Table Talk with Philemona Williamson
2022-03-04 18:30 - 21:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States

Winter/Spring Exhibitions Opening
2022-02-04 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
WINTER/SPRING EXHIBITIONS
February 4—May 22
Claiming the Narrative
Claiming the Narrative is a group exhibition of figurative work that seeks a more authentic representation of our diverse society. Depicting people who have been marginalized, ignored, or even erased from the narrative of Western Art History, this show raises the question, “Whose story gets told on museum walls?”
Parvathi Kumar: Everyday Blackness
Parvathi Kumar: Everyday Blackness showcases black and white portraits from the book, Everyday Blackness: Celebrating Exceptional Women, by NJ photographer, Parvathi Kumar. The 25 “ordinary” Black women who posed for her come from diverse backgrounds, but all exemplify courage, tenacity, and resilience.
Jess T. Dugan: Seen
Jess T. Dugan is an artist whose work centers around an exploration of identity—particularly gender and sexuality. Drawing from their own experience as a queer, non-binary person, Dugan employs traditional photographic techniques to create color portraits that reflect the complex beauty and humanity of their subjects. This focused exhibition highlights color portraits from their recent and ongoing projects, To Survive on This Shore, and Every Breath We Drew, and includes a reading area where Dugan’s three fine art photography books will provide a more comprehensive view of their work. Conveying a sense of both directness and intimacy, Dugan’s portraits and self-portraits encourage empathy and understanding and underscore the importance not only of seeing but of being seen.

Lunchtime Scholarly Virtual Talk with Karelle Hall: People of the Tidewater
2022-01-25 | NJ
In conjunction with the closing of our fall exhibition, The First Water is the Body, VACNJ presents a lunchtime scholarly virtual talk with Karelle Hall titled People of the Tidewater: Nanticoke and Lenape Resilience and Revitalization.
“Water is essential to the lives of the Nanticoke and Lenape communities of Delaware and New Jersey. Our ancestors lived along the many waterways in the mid-Atlantic region and drew much of their subsistence from the rivers, bays, and ocean. Today, many of our communities continue to live beside these waters, anchoring us as tidewater peoples. These waters not only give life but are alive, their animacy reflected in our languages and world views. We will continue to fight to protect the waters for the next seven generations.”
Karelle Hall is a Ph.D. candidate in anthropology at Rutgers University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in Anthropology with a minor in Native American Studies. Her dissertation research explores embodied and distributed Lenape diasporic sovereignty in public and performative spaces. She has taught classes in both cultural and linguistic anthropology at Rutgers University and has presented her preliminary research at conferences and colloquiums. As a member of the Nanticoke Indian Tribe, she has represented her nation at numerous events as both a speaker and dancer. She is actively working on Nanticoke language revitalization, including a writing children’s book and developing lessons for community classes. Using her experience and connections in the legal field, she assisted the Nanticoke Tribe with ratifying their recognition in the state of Delaware. She continues to work as an activist and representative for her community, promoting visibility, decolonization, and education.
This free, virtual event will take place on January 25, from 12–1 PM. Click here to register.

Now (Writing, Drawing, Storytelling)—Hybrid Workshop with Art Educator in Residence Dennis Redmoon Darkeem
2022-01-22 13:00 - 15:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
In this hybrid In-Person/Virtual drawing-based workshop, Art Educator in residence Dennis Redmoon Darkeem will ask participants to focus on the present moment to inspire new ideas of personal history and storytelling. Participants will be creating connections to personal belongings, gratitude, and new outlooks for the new year. This will be a mixed media project that builds and blends multiple layers to create an original artwork for the new year.
All supplies will be provided by the art center for the in-person workshop. If you choose to participate online supplies to prepare are: writing paper, color pencils, Sharpies, pencils, watercolors (optional), magazines, scissors, and glue.
Click here for more information and to register.

The First Water is the Body: Artist and Curator Virtual Talk
2022-01-20 19:00 - 20:00 | NJ
Join guest curator Maria Hupfield and several of the participating artists in our current exhibition, The First Water Is the Body, for this virtual discussion of the show and their work. The exhibition, which opened in October and is closing on January 23, was recently highlighted in Artforum as a top pick of 2021.

The exhibition takes its title from a poem by Natalie Diaz, published in her book, Postcolonial Love Poem. A visual complement to Diaz’s text, the work in this exhibition accepts the body as the human form of water and that the fate of water is the fate of all people. Featuring the work of 16 electric and unapologetic makers that belong to and operate in relation with Indigenous communities from across the USA and Canada, these artists work to produce seismic shifts in cultural perspectives that point to reciprocity and critical accountability and awaken solidarity with place, lands, and waters.

Maria Hupfield is an artist, educator, and member of the Anishinaabek Nation from Wasauksing First Nation, Ontario, Canada. A fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by Hupfield accompanies the exhibition. The exhibition and publication are funded in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the NJ Council for the Humanities.

Register here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
2022-01-17 13:00 - 15:00 | Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ, 07901, United States
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make our communities more equitable and take action to build the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey has been in a partnership with the New Jersey Veterans Affairs since 2019, running a year-round program offering creative arts therapy to formerly unhoused veterans now living in transitional housing. On January 17 we invite you to join us in making thank you for your service cards for the veterans. After the event, we will mail the cards to the Veterans Haven homes in north and south New Jersey.

Click here to register for this hybrid in-person and virtual event.

Winter Semester Begins
2022-01-10 | NJ
Winter Semester begins on Monday, January 10. Click here to register.

Adult Winter Break Workshop
2022-01-03 - 2022-01-09 | NJ
Winter Break isn’t just for the kids. Spend your break sharpening your art-making skills or trying something new! Click here to see what’s being offered and secure your spot!
