(OCEANVILLE, NJ) –The Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton University presents Rae Smith and Rhoda Yanow, two New Jersey artists who have made their mark in the world of pastel painting, from May 22 through September 20, 2015. An opening reception is planned for May 29, 5-8 p.m., with the artists in attendance. For more information call (609) 652-8848 or visit www.noyesmuseum.org.

Rae Smith and Rhoda Yanow are passionate artists and seasoned teachers each working for over three decades to create brilliant and masterful pastel paintings. Both are internationally recognized artists who have exhibited all over the world. Working in series, the artists are able to investigate and study all possibilities. Alterations in light, composition and content contribute to the variation within a series. For Rae Smith of Egg Harbor, New Jersey the natural world is her muse while Rhoda Yanow of Whitehouse Station, New jersey has found her passion in people.

Rae Smith

On view in this exhibition are several of Rae Smith’s fish pond series, some of which have been exhibited internationally. The idea to create the fish pond paintings took root when Smith was on vacation in Puerto Rico where she first happened upon a fish pond. The ever changing movement of the colorful fish, swirling water and reflected light created a myriad of possibilities for composition. Immediately Smith wanted to paint the scene. Smith so enjoys the variations of the subject matter that she continues to paint fish ponds today. Featured in the exhibition is Before the Storm (East Hampton). In it strong strokes of color in an ominous sky move briskly above the bending and swaying grasses below. The viewer is immersed in the path of the impending storm. Smith graduated from the Franklin School of Art in New York and has exhibited throughout the United States, as well as Japan, China, France, Italy, Russia, Taiwan, and Canada. She was honored with the title “Master Pastellist” by the Pastel Society of America in 1997, and is their 2014 Hall of Fame Honoree. She is listed in Who’s Who in American Art and in The Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers. Smith teaches classes at The Katonah Art Center in Katonah, New York and in Brigantine, New Jersey. She is also represented by Accent Gallery in Ocean City, New Jersey.

Rhoda Yanow

Yanow delights in the ordinary, recording everyday life as it happens around her. In each of her series of pastel paintings, Yanow captures the mood of the scene and defines the character of the people she portrays. Dancers in practice and behind stage are striking examples of Yanow’s sensitivity. Indeed she captures their beauty, but also something more. The pain and intensity of her characters reveal the not all glamorous life of a performer. The Monmouth Race Track is another source of Yanow’s inspiration.  She has painted jockeys, horses, trainers, and fans of horse races. From all angles Yanow tells the story of life at the track. One painting reveals a nervous onlooker at the track clenching the daily sweepstakes, on his face the expression of concern and of hope. It is the emotion, the gestures, the expression of the characters she paints that capture human honesty. Rhoda Yanow was born in Newark, New Jersey. She studied at Parsons School of Design and at The National Academy of Design. She taught at DuCret School of Art; Newark Museum and The Pastel Society of America School. She is a member of American Women Artists, Allied Artists of America, Pastel Society of America, Degas Pastel Society, New Jersey Watercolor Society, Artists Fellowship, Audubon Artists, American Artists Professional League, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, National Association of Women Artists, and Associate Member of the American Watercolor Society.

About The Noyes Museum of Art:

The Noyes Museum of Art was founded in Oceanville, NJ, in 1983 to collect, preserve, and exhibit American fine and folk art, with an emphasis on New Jersey artists and folk art forms. Today, the Noyes Museum’s exhibitions continue to reflect the area’s cultural heritage, while also presenting significant artwork by regional and national artists working in a variety of media. The Noyes has also expanded to include satellite galleries in Hammonton, Atlantic City, and at Seaview Resort in Galloway. The Noyes Shop: Hammonton, which opened in 2008, specializes in custom framing and can be reached at (609) 561-8006. In February 2010, The Noyes Museum of Art formed a partnership with Stockton College (now Stockton University) to form The Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton College. Through a 2013 partnership with the CRDA, The Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton University opened The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University, a unique multi-use arts and retail space at 2200 Fairmount Avenue in Atlantic City.

The Museum remains a 501 (c)(3) organization, with general funding provided by: the New Jersey State Council on the Art/Department of State, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Arts; the Mr. and Mrs. Fred Winslow Noyes Foundation; Stockton University; and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.