(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- The Studio Montclair Incubator at Academy Square Gallery presents “And Then… There Was Paint,” a show of works by four local artists, Steven Mairella, Evan Stuart Marshall, Robert Nicosia, and Noel Nowicki, whose different aesthetics all connect through their pursuit of art as a second career. This show celebrates how interest, desire, and hard work can allow one to create art as a second career. All four of these artists began their professional lives in exceedingly diverse arenas, And then… There was Paint! The exhibition runs from June 12 through August 29, 2019.

Steven Mairella received his undergraduate from Brown University and obtained his law degree from Georgetown University. In 2016, after a career specializing in real estate, he became a full-time painter. Since then Mairella has devoted more time and energy to pursuing his interests in art, genealogy and cultural heritage. Those interests have merged in his body of work depicting Italian and Italian-American themes. 

Evan Stuart Marshall is the Guest Mentor for this exhibit. As a second career artist Marshall has become an award-winning contemporary artist based in Roseland, New Jersey. He is a literary agent, and has written numerous books including murder mysteries.

Robert Nicosia has had a varied career, first teaching History and Sociology at both the high school and college levels, and then in the insurance industry. He established his own insurance company, and also became a nationally known speaker for insurance groups and management. Nicosia publishes the “Music Man Blog” which reviews live music, new and old Jazz CDs and other music related topics with 6,000 - 8,000 viewers each month. Nicosia has carefully documented his career in painting and plans to write a book about the process of learning to paint.

Noel Nowicki was born in Westchester NY, and grew up on the remnants of the “Bubbling Springs” family farm in Bloomfield, New Jersey. For forty years, Nowicki was a doctor specializing in Internal Medicine and medical acupuncture. After retiring, Nowicki turned his interest to creating art, relearning French, and studying piano. 

Academy Square Gallery is located at 33 Plymouth Street in Montclair, New Jersey. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 7:00am to 7:00pm.

Studio Montclair’s Incubator Program seeks to mentor new and emerging artists and provide them with a space for what is often their first solo or small group show exhibit.

Studio Montclair Inc. is a non-profit organization of exhibiting professional and emerging artists and others interested in the visual arts. In the past year, it has exhibited more than 280 works of art and has encouraged and interacted with close to 1,000 artists.

About the Academy Square Gallery Directors

Lisa Diamond Rosenthal is a painter and sculptor. She is also the former owner of Montclair’s Nandi School of Art, a local art hub with year-round classes in painting, ceramics, fiber arts, animé, and sewing. Each year, Lisa assists various non-profits by facilitating acquisitions and curating large-gallery art shows for fundraisers. A graduate of Cornell University, Lisa now owns and operates a life-and-health coaching business in Little Falls, NJ.

Sara Holliday is a practicing artist and has taught art for several years in New York. Before focusing on her teaching and art practices, she worked for a New York City graphic design and communications firm. Sara served on the Board of Directors of the International Charter School of NY, she also co-founded and served on the Board of Directors for The Mentoring Tree Foundation, serving underprivileged and underserved youth. Sara holds a Masters in Art and Art Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College.

IMAGES: (TOP) Robert Nicosia, Carnegie Hall, Oil on canvas, 16” x 12”  

(BOTTOM) Noel Nowicki, “Barn Owl,” Oil on canvas, 16” x 12”