BORDENTOWN: Artists’ works to be displayed at church

The First Presbyterian Church of Bordentown will hold its first art exhibit and sale celebrating local artists and raising funds to support church ministries.

BORDENTOWN — The First Presbyterian Church of Bordentown will hold its first art exhibit and sale celebrating local artists and raising funds to support church ministries.
   According to a release, artists from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area whose work in various media will be featured include Kathie Ackerman, Marlene Craig, Lara Darpino, Barbara Elliott, Diana Gawlinski, Jane Lawrence, Robert Lipartito, Tom Kimball, M. Naperski, Abigail Pelliteri, S. Pindar, Carol Risko, Claudia Teal, Pat Todd, Zina Umyn, J. VanDer Ree and R. Viola.
   Also featured are Al Barker, Marsha Dowshen and Rich Gerster pictured above.
   Al Barker, of Bordentown, is a painter of landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, and tidal marshes characteristic of his home state where he has had a fine art career for over thirty years. He paints with oil and watercolor and also does etchings.
   A specialty of his is miniature painting and he has entered numerous exhibitions of the National Miniature Society. Mr. Barker has won over fifty major awards in premier art competitions and principle exhibitions including Grand National American Artists professional League, New York; Greenwich Workshop Galleries, Connecticut and California; Settlers West, Arizona; Gallery 1, Ohio, and Salmagundi Club, New York. Mr. Barker’s work can been seen in almost every National Miniature Exhibition in the continental United states.
   Marsha Dowshen, also of Bordentown, attended the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating with a degree in painting, she entered the Royal College of Art in London where, as a graduate student, she continued her studies in painting.
   Later, since Ms. Dowshen had also learned to love clay as a medium while taking courses at RISD, she decided to experiment with her color and design sense – how it could be combined with the craft of wheel throwing to create objects that could be both useful as well as pieces of art in themselves. During that time Marsha developed many unique glazes and application techniques. She likes to think of her creations as “one-of-a-kind, three dimensional, functional canvases.” Her functional and decorative-ware, and mosaics are part of private collections world-wide.
   Rich Gerster, of Bordentown, received a degree from Temple’s Tyler School of Fine Art and has achieved prominent status in the local field of sculpture. After having apprenticed with Professor Joseph Brown, sculptor in residence at Princeton University, Rich taught sculpture at several local studios and at the Johnson Technical Institute of Sculpture (Johnson atelier). Now he works independently on commission at his private studio. Rich is also a well-known jazz musician in the local area.
   The event will be held at the Bordentown Presbyterian Church, 420 Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown and will begin with an opening reception from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, and continue on Feb. 8 and 9 from noon to 3 p.m. each day. For more information, please contact Cathy Elliott-Shaw at [email protected], [email protected] or the church office at 609-298-1243.