D&R Greenway Land Trust continues the celebration of its 30th year with a new, traveling exhibit, “Portraits of Preservation,” based on watercolor paintings by the noted, award-winning artist James Fiorentino.
The exhibit highlights the iconic landscapes and treasured wildlife found on 20,865 acres and 308 properties permanently preserved by the D&R Greenway since its founding three decades ago.
The exhibit will launch on Dec. 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. when an opening reception featuring an artist talk and special guests will take place.
The exhibit will remain on display at the Johnson Education Center weekdays through Feb. 28, after which it will travel to other noteworthy locations throughout central New Jersey and surrounding states.
Consisting of nearly 30 works of art, the exhibit will allow visitors to tour preserved lands of the D&R Greenway through the eyes of an artist, and discover wildlife that can be found inhabiting these green spaces.
Among the lands featured in the exhibit are Greenway Meadows in Princeton, St. Michael’s Farm Preserve in Hopewell, the Abbott Marshlands in Bordentown, Capitol City Farm in Trenton, Steel Gap Preserve in Bridgewater, Goat Hill Overlook in Lambertville and the Sourland Mountain Preserve that spans several area towns.
Among the wildlife species portrayed will be bear, fox, wood frogs, eagles, hummingbirds, monarch butterflies and bees who depend on the habitats protected by D&R Greenway for their survival. With current numbers of bird species declining, “the preservation of these places is more important now than ever,” says artist Fiorentino.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have a renowned artist like James Fiorentino help us celebrate the beauty of the lands and wildlife that the D&R Greenway Land Trust has preserved,” said CEO Linda Mead. “The public will enjoy seeing the art and learning the stories of these special lands at the exhibit. In our 30th year, this is an opportunity to raise awareness about not only what we have accomplished, but also about what there still remains to do.”
Visitors can take some of the beauty home, since originals and reproductions of the art will be available for purchase, all proceeds to benefit the preservation of future lands.
“My family has made its home in Central Jersey in large part because of the beauty that surrounds us here. I’m proud to be associated with D&R Greenway as a member of the board and now as an artist helping to celebrate the fact that these beautiful places will be protected forever,” said artist James Fiorentino.
The exhibit will provide holiday shopping opportunities as many of the paintings will be reproduced as giclees, on pillows, and on rustic wood panels, at a wide range of price points.
The exhibit, including the opening reception, is free and open to the public. The second stop for this traveling exhibit will be at Studio 7 Fine Art Gallery in Bernardsville, NJ.
To learn more, please visitwww.drgreenway.org.
About D&R Greenway Land Trust
D&R Greenway Land Trust is in its 30th year of preserving and protecting natural lands, farmlands and open spaces throughout central and southern New Jersey. Through continuous preservation and stewardship — caring for land and easements to ensure they remain protected and ecologically healthy in perpetuity — D&R Greenway nurtures a healthier and more diverse environment for people and wild species in seven counties.
Accredited by the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission, D&R Greenway’s mission is to preserve and care for land and inspire a conservation ethic, now and for the future. Since its founding in 1989, D&R Greenway has permanently preserved 20,865 acres, an area 20 times the size of New York City’s Central Park, including 31 miles of trails open to the public.
The Johnson Education Center, a circa-1900 restored barn at One Preservation Place, Princeton, is D&R Greenway’s home. Through programs, art exhibits and related lectures, D&R Greenway inspires greater public commitment to safeguarding land.