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Reeves-Reed Arboretum presents "NATURE: In and Out of Focus"

originally published: 01/25/2022

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Reeves-Reed Arboretum presents their first art exhibit of 2022, "NATURE: In and Out of Focus," an exhibition celebrating nature in fine detail and in the abstract. Bright bold colors will provide a warm escape in the historic Wisner House gallery during the gray winter months. The exhibit runs from February 1st through May 8, 2022.

Leonard McDonald and Tracey Luckner’s works show two varied approaches and interpretations of our natural world. Leonard, with a scientific background, uses macro-photography of insects and pollinators to explore the details often missed by the naked eye. Tracey’s abstract expressionist paintings blur boundaries between forms, focusing instead on an emotional response to the color, movement, and rhythms in nature. Even with their opposing approaches, the works speak to one another with their similar vibrancy and subject matter. When viewed together the works demonstrate the notion that there are many lenses through which to view, experience, and appreciate nature.

A self-taught, New Jersey-based photographer, Leonard McDonald views the world through the curious, observant eyes of a scientist. After a fulfilling 20+ year career as a natural products scientist, he turned his attention to the more “right hemisphere” pursuit of photography with an emphasis on capturing and revealing the beauty of the natural world. Individually or as a member of the NJ Photography Forum, he has exhibited his work in venues such as MPAC, County College of Morris, The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, The Gallery Space, and The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie.

Tracey Luckner is a lifelong artist originally from Washington State and now living in Summit, New Jersey. She has a B.A. in Art History from Pomona College in Los Angeles, which included a semester at the Sorbonne in Paris. After college, Tracey lived in New York City for five years before moving to Summit. She has studied drawing and painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, the Woodstock School of Art in Woodstock, NY, and the Visual Arts Center in Summit, NJ as well as privately with contemporary artist Bascha Mon, and recently completed the Art2Life Creative Visionary Program. Tracey has exhibited her work locally in New Jersey at the Farmstead Arts Center, Watchung Arts Center, and Café Mondo in Summit, as well as a solo show in Port Washington, NY.  Her studio is located at Manufacturers Village in East Orange, NJ and her work is included in collections throughout the US.  

"NATURE: In and Out of Focus" will be exhibiting in the Wisner House Gallery at Reeves-Reed Arboretum February 1 through May 8, 2022. Gallery Hours are Tuesday - Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm except when closed for private events. Please visit the website to confirm gallery hours. All art is for sale, and the artists will generously donate 30% of all purchases to Reeves-Reed Arboretum. Reeves-Reed Arboretum is located at 165 Hobart Avenue in Summit, NJ.

 

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A meet-and-greet Artists’ Talk and Reception will be held at Reeves-Reed Arboretum on Sunday, March 20 from 2:00pm-4:00pm.  This event is open to the public.

Celebrating over 40 years as a historic public garden and education resource, Reeves-Reed Arboretum engages, educates, and enriches the public through horticulture and environmental education, and the care and utilization of the gardens and estate. Open 7 days a week, the Arboretum is listed on both the National and New Jersey State Historic Registers. Funding for RRA has been made possible in part by the NJ Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, through a grant administered by the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Dept. of Parks & Community Renewal.

Reeves-Reed Arboretum....a place to grow, for everyone!

TOP IMAGE: (LEFT) "Anticipation" by Leonard McDonald (RIGHT) "Out of Town" by Tracey Luckner