“Ice Cream Cone with Jimmies” by Tracy Gelber METUCHEN — The Old Franklin Schoolhouse, 491 Middlesex Ave., Metuchen, has gone through many transformations since it was constructed in 1807 as Metuchen’s first school.
This historic building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been updated and is being maintained by the allvolunteer Borough Improvement League (BIL) of Metuchen.
The one-room, approximately 600- square-foot building boasts a full kitchen, bathroom facilities and a stage. It is rented out for many special events and meetings throughout the year. But up until last year, the walls were bare, according to BIL member Amy Brooks.
Then another transformation took place, when the Transformations Gallery space opened at the site.
Brooks and co-chair Judy Weinberg oversee the operation of the gallery, which hosts art shows throughout the year.
“Olive Bread” by Sam Reuter Currently on exhibit at Transformations Gallery is “Food-tography,” a collection of images of food submitted by a variety of photographers, ranging from professional to amateur.
Brooks said the exhibit features images of cupcakes, cookies and sweets, in addition to beans, tomatoes and even olive bread sold at the local farmer’s market, submitted by 7-yearold Sam Reuter.
“Sam has an amazing eye,” Weinberg said. “I’ve been lucky enough to see some of his other photos, and they are quite good. It’s surprising that someone so young has such a vision of what he wants to photograph and how he wants to do it. Like a seasoned photographer, he has a pretty good idea of how a photo will turn out as he’s photographing it.”
The BIL received 35 submissions of images for “Food-tography,” according to Brooks. Fourteen were chosen to be on exhibit.
“They’re all high-quality images. They’re all really good,” Brooks said. “Twelve-yearold [Molly Weidmaier] submitted a pink cupcake that is really pretty.”
All artwork in the gallery is for sale. Any purchase helps to support a local artist and the preservation of the historic site.
Many events are planned throughout the year at the Old Franklin Schoolhouse, during which people can also admire the exhibits on the gallery walls.
The schoolhouse was also a venue for music, theater, film and culinary arts during downtown Metuchen’s JuneBug ArtFest held on Friday nights throughout June.
“Open Invitation Sundays” invite visitors to see the artwork and interact with the exhibiting artists. Tours of the gallery can also be arranged by appointment.
For more information on Transformations Gallery and the Old Franklin Schoolhouse, visit www.boroughimprovementleague.org or contact [email protected].