By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
CRANBURY — Next month’s Gourgaud Gallery exhibit will feature eclectic art, encompassing a wide range of styles by artists celebrating unique moments on their artistic journeys.
During the “Celebration!” exhibit from Aug. 2 through Aug. 28 the gallery will showcase the creations of members of the Creative Collective, including oil paintings, acrylic paintings, photography, watercolor, digital art and mixed media. There will be a reception on Sunday, Aug. 2, from 1-3 p.m. at the gallery in Town Hall at 23-A North Main St.
The Creative Collective is dedicated to fostering a creative and nurturing community for artists, artisans and art lovers in central New Jersey. Membership is not juried and requires no dues or fees to join. The collective’s only requirement is a passion for creating art and its goals are to facilitate display opportunities as well as to provide a friendly and supportive atmosphere for inspiration for both beginners and professionals.
Rick Baker and Michelle Rosenthal launched Creative Collective on Feb. 7, 2013 and since then membership has grown to 330 with a core active group of over 75 artists. They meet as a group once a month to share art and to socialize.
Mr. Baker and Ms. Rosenthal were on the executive board of a local artist cooperative, which dissolved in late 2012. A few weeks afterward they decided they wanted to create another group to replace the one they were no longer a part of. They held a meeting in January and then another in February 2013 to gauge interest and it quickly became clear that there was a need and a desire for the Creative Collective.
They decided that unlike the cooperative there would be no fees and that they would open the collective to all interested artists regardless of their medium or where they were on their artistic journey. There would be monthly meetings but no business meetings and they also hoped to find locations where their members could display their art.
Mr. Baker said there are three main reasons why the collective is important.
“First, it gives artists a way to meet other artists to share ideas and feel like they belong to a supportive community…,” Mr. Baker said. “Second, the Creative Collective has given artists who have never had their art on display an opportunity to do that. It may be just a library but having your art on the wall in a public setting is a very satisfying feeling. And third, and maybe the most important, is that because we try to have a safe environment to share our art there have been several occasions where an artist has not shared their work with anyone but felt comfortable sharing with the group. For that reason alone I think the Creative Collective is worth investing my time and energy in.”
As a group they have displayed at the Plainsboro, West Windsor, Hamilton and Lawrence libraries, ArtWorks, Mala Polska, A Space on Main Art Gallery, Cherry Grove Farm, Terhune Orchards, Triumph Brewery, Chambers Walk, Café Ole! and Small World Café.
The collective is dreaming big and hopes to have a permanent gallery to call its own one day. Short of that, it has been planning to arrange a way for members to sell their art online. Member Lynn Cheng Varga organized the show at the Gourgaud Gallery where the artwork will be for sale, with 20 percent of each sale going to support the Cranbury Arts Council and its programs. Cash or a check made out to the Cranbury Arts Council is accepted as payment.
The gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about the upcoming exhibit, visit www.cranburyartscouncil.org or email lynnchengvarga@gmail.com.
More information about Creative Collective can be found at creativecollective4art.com.
