The Ellarslie Open is teeming with great artwork, making it hard to separate the wheat from the chaff.
By: Megan Sullivan
Trenton artist and activist Ben Whitmire was the first real director of the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park. He loved Trenton, its art and artifacts, and was an avid and knowledgeable collector. The museum opened in 1978 with an exhibition from its permanent collection of Trenton cultural history. Upon Mr. Whitmire’s arrival in 1980, he expanded the permanent collection by accessioning works and narrowed the focus of the acquisitions committee. He immediately started contemporary exhibitions and established the Ellarslie Open in 1982.
Continuing Mr. Whitmire’s legacy, the 24th Annual Ellarslie Open will be on view through June 11. The exhibition is being held with support from the Trenton Museum Society. An opening reception will be held April 29, when awards, including the Ben Whitmire Purchase Award for the permanent collection, will be presented. Mr. Whitmire, who retired in 1989, died in 2003.
During last year’s open, 162 artists submitted 266 works for jury. This year, 197 artists submitted 326 pieces and juror Rocío Aranda-Alvarado, curator of the Jersey City Museum, selected 109 works from 88 artists.
"Every year the (jurors) say the same thing," says Ellarslie Director Brian O. Hill. "They get down to about 140 pieces and I say, ‘OK, take out another 50,’ and they ask, ‘Why are you doing this to me and torturing me? It’s such great artwork.’ But it has to go because I don’t have enough room."
The show used to be strictly for Trenton artists, but as the museum gained a larger reputation, the reach of the exhibit expanded. This year’s exhibit features artists from multiple states, including New York, Connecticut, California and Maryland, in addition to featuring works by area artists.
Ms. Aranda-Alvarado says in her juror’s statement that the most rewarding aspect was getting to see more than 300 works of art in person. "Among my favorite works in the show are those that address the landscape, real or imaginary, local or global," she writes. "Because it is an integral part of daily life, a constant presence, artists are drawn to record the landscape. I found these images to be particularly inspiring in this grouping of works."
In addition, Ms. Aranda-Alvarado says the presence of the figure is prominent among this year’s entries. "Quiet and introspective or direct and haunting, they present us with different aspects of the self," she says.
With a wide range of media presented, from paintings and sculpture to printmaking, mixed media and photography, Mr. Hill finds it challenging to arrange the abundance of works in a limited space. "I personally prefer relationships," he says. "Like this painting, this look on this woman is almost like the front of a ship, the way she’s posed, the way she’s relating to her space, and that’s exactly what a hood ornament does," he says, pointing to the adjacent painting, Thom Montanari’s "Car Hood Ornament." "For me, these walls are my canvas," Mr. Hill continues. "That’s the best aspect about doing this job."
Mr. Hill’s careful placement of each artwork results in mini vignettes on each wall. "I love building relationships among the paintings," he says, "and it’s sometimes difficult, but you try and it’s great fun." People can draw their own connections between the pieces, he says. In a room filled mainly with portraits, Mr. Hill stands in front of one wall with three paintings and puts his theory to the test. He takes a look at Carmen Johnson’s "Please Baby Please," a bright colored acrylic on canvas of a crowded and lively bar. A woman’s portrait painted by New York artist Naomi Campbell is placed to the right of it, her gaze turned toward an outdoor scene in the neighboring piece. "You can sit here and make up a story," he says, "maybe this woman’s not interested, she wants nothing to do with (the bar crowd), but she loves the outdoors."
The open has evolved over the years, especially since its 20th anniversary in 2002, when Mr. Hill decided to switch to a live jury instead of selecting works from slides. The cost for an artist to submit a piece also has risen from $5 to $20, but that allows prize-winners to receive more money. Last year, the museum was able to give away $4,300 in prizes, and this year, along with donations, Mr. Hill believes about $5,000 will be awarded. "This exhibit, what I’ve seen it grow into, is almost like… I don’t want to be so bold as to say it’s the Academy Awards, but people know if they get into the show what it means," Mr. Hill says.
With the 25th anniversary of the Open approaching next year, Mr. Hill has another twist in store. "Every year the juror would turn to me and say, ‘You know, these 50 that I’m getting rid of would make a great exhibit," Mr. Hill says. "Next year, they are going to make a great exhibit." The upstairs of the mansion will feature a salon des refuses, with everyone paying $1 to view it. The guests will then choose a best in show to hang on an empty wall space, and the winner will receive all the money collected for admission.
"It’s to honor Ben, because he loved so much the history and the struggle that artists have to go through," Mr. Hill says. "I think this is a great way to honor him."
The 24th Annual Ellarslie Open will continue at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park, Trenton, through June 11. Opening reception: April 29, 5-8 p.m. Hours: Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Sun. 1-4 p.m. For information, call (609) 989-3632. Ellarslie on the Web: www.ellarslie.org