(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Paintings of powerful animals and birds, as well as scenes of iconic New Jersey habitat are the focus of the “Avian Art” celebration at D&R Greenway. The public is invited to the land trust’s Johnson Education Center, in Princeton, February 28, from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. This event is in cooperation with The Raptor Trust, renowned for bird rehabilitation, celebrating, with D&R Greenway, its three decades of New Jersey land preservation and stewardship.
February 28 marks the final day of Fiorentino’s stirring “Portraits of Preservation” at the Johnson Education Center, One Preservation Place in Princeton. The public is welcomed Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 5:00pm. The reception will take place held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on February 28th, after which these evocative watercolors will move to Bernardsville’s Studio 7. Free, but [email protected] to attend. 609-924-4646; www.drgreenway.org. Visitors arriving from east of Route 1 are advised to avoid Alexander Road in Princeton which is closed for construction.
Raptor Trust educator Shari Stern will bring a live screech owl, emphasizing the importance of preserving wildlife habitats for both migrating and nesting birds. This event was catalyzed by the major study by the Cornell Ornithology Lab revealing that nearly a quarter of all birds have disappeared from North America within 50 years. Particularly impacted are ‘everyday’ birds, conspicuously missing from regional feeders. Habitat loss was named as the leading culprit in this tragic loss of some 2.9 billion birds.
James is a member of the legendary Salmagundi Club in Manhattan, the New Jersey Watercolor Society, American Watercolor Society, Society of Animal Artists and Artists for Conservation. James' works are part of the permanent collection in the United States Sports Academy Museum (Daphne, Alabama). James also has his work displayed at the National Basketball Hall of Fame, The National Museum of Art & Sport (NAMOS), Drew University Hall of Fame, Missouri University Football Hall of Fame, National Italian- American Foundation (NIAF), President George Bush Presidential Library, Cycling Hall of Fame (New Jersey), Roberto Clemente Museum (Puerto Rico), and The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center (New Jersey), just to name a few. His artwork has been displayed in numerous Museums including the San Diego Museum of Natural History, The Bennington Museum, The Hiram Blauvelt Museum, The Arizona Sonora-Desert Museum, Muhammed Ali Learning Center, The Negro League Museum and Ted Williams Museum.
D&R Greenway CEO & President, Linda Mead, announces, “In our 31 years, we have preserved and provided stewardship for nearly 21,000 acres of New Jersey land. We seek out natural sites, because they play such a crucial role in protecting birds and other wildlife. James Fiorentino’s exquisite paintings are accompanied by information panels, connecting visitors to importance of these lands and our work. Mead is pleased that, “Just last year, The Raptor Trust chose our Cedar Ridge Preserve in which to release two rehabilitated screech owls. It is a privilege to offer the presence of these small, significant creatures at our ‘Avian Art’ event.”
Artist Fiorentino will speak on his ever-intensifying work with these two nonprofits. Each strives to ensure healthy habitats in which birds to feed, court, nest, raise young, and migrate twice each year. Birds he has chosen to paint, remind viewers and purchasers of their scarcity, include an American bald eagle, a kestrel, a purple martin, a great blue heron, a long-eared owl, a screech owl, a red-tailed hawk, and a hummingbird. The show also includes “Forever Landscapes” on D&R Greenway’s popular preserves. Among them are Cedar Ridge Preserve, St. Michaels Farm Preserve, the Sourland Mountain Preserve, Goat Hill Overlook, and the Abbott Marshlands. All art is for sale, a percentage supporting the land trust’s preservation and stewardship.
Fiorentino reveals, “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, being vice chair of the board. It delights me that my art celebrates the good news -- that these beautiful and essential places will be protected forever.”
This exhibit offers gift opportunities, through iconic scenes reproduced as giclée’s, as well as on pillows and on rustic wood panels, at a wide range of price points.
To learn more, please visit www.drgreenway.org.
PHOTOS: (TOP) Goat Hill Overlook artist James Fiorentino
(BOTTOM) Fiorentino Paints Capitol City Farm Photo by Brad Fay
