New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Exhibit from Student Recovering from Brain Injury Among New Displays at Arts Garage

originally published: 04/14/2024


“Reminder” by Joseph Podlesnik, an adjunct professor of Visual Arts at Stockton, is one of the photographs on display at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University until June 23.

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Three unique exhibits — including one by a Stockton University student recovering from a traumatic brain injury and another by a self-taught, Philadelphia-area artist known for creating large-scale sculptures — debuted recently at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University.

The exhibits by Maryn Olson and Kambel Smith are paired with a photography exhibit by Stockton Visual Arts Adjunct Professor Joseph Podlesnik titled “The Pain, Boredom and Euphoria of Looking.”  Olson’s exhibit will run until April 28, while the displays by Smith and Podlesnik will be at the Arts Garage until June 23.

Olson’s artwork has been part of her healing process from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) she suffered at 21 after falling from a skateboard in upstate New York. The fall caused a cranial hemorrhage, a brain contusion and several broken neck bones. The Visual Arts major from Mays Landing also suffered a stroke while she was treated at the hospital. After several surgeries, Olson struggled to stand up and move her left side. She has spent several months in physical, occupational recreational and speech therapy.

(LEFT) Stockton University Visual Arts major Maryn Olson sits in a studio with some of her artwork, photo by Susan Allen/Stockton University. (RIGHT) “I Remember” by Maryn Olson




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



“Since the beginning of this journey, it has been a wild roller coaster of highs and lows,” she said. “Art making has always been an interest of mine since I was little, but it never benefited me as much as it does as I heal from my TBI. I can paint my frustrations and sadness away.”

Smith has had no formal training in art or architecture, and his sculptures, created primarily out of found materials such as cardboard or foam, feature representations structures like the Liberty Bell and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia. He was diagnosed with autism as a teenager and began making art to express his worldview. But he instead likes to call himself an autisarian, or a person born with abilities due to autism.

“Although my journey has been a complicated one, it gives me peace of mind and heart to realize I have always been an artist,” he said. “By using works of art to express how I see the world, I hope to impact the way others see it as well.”

“Liberty Bell” by Philadelphia artist Kambel Smith is part of Smith’s exhibit at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University. It will be on display until June 23.

Podlesnik lives in Phoenix and exhibits his work nationally and internationally. In addition to teaching at Stockton, he is Facilitator Lead for the Digital Photography Cornell Certificate Program.

He said the Arts Garage’s exhibit of color and black and while photos involves “some personal physical discomfort, degrees of boredom and the euphoria I experience while capturing photographs and exploring their effects in post-processing.”

“For me, the camera lens depicts perspective too easily, which is why I capture and develop photographs that often frustrate readable perspectival space,” he said.




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



All of the exhibits are free and open to the public. The Noyes Garage, 2200 Fairmount Ave., in Atlantic City is open from 11:00am to 6:00pm, Wednesday to Sunday. For more information, go to artsgarageac.com or call 609-626-3805.

Stockton University is ranked among the top public universities in the nation. Our more than 9,000 students can choose to live and learn on the 1,600-acre wooded main campus in the Pinelands National Reserve in South Jersey and at our coastal residential campus just steps from the beach and Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The university offers more than 160 undergraduate and graduate programs.


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Montclair

Montclair Art Museum Celebrates 25 Years of Acquisitions with A to Sze: Collecting at MAM (2000-2025)

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- The Montclair Art Museum (MAM) is proud to announce A to Sze: Collecting at MAM (2000-2025), an exhibition showcasing some of the museum's significant acquisitions over the past quarter-century. The exhibit opened on February 8th and runs through July 6, 2025. The exhibition reflects MAM's mission to represent the rich diversity of American culture, both past and present.



Ocean

Ocean Galleries presents Exclusive Craig Alan Exhibition over July 4th Weekend

(STONE HARBOR, NJ) -- Ocean Galleries is thrilled to welcome internationally acclaimed artist Craig Alan for an exclusive exhibition over the July 4th weekend, showcasing his bold, visually arresting paintings that captivate audiences worldwide. The exhibition runs Friday, July 4 through Sunday, July 6, with art on display and available for purchase throughout the weekend. Complimentary wine receptions will be held from 6:00pm–9:00pm nightly.



Hand

Hand Paint a Shorefront Souvenir at the Ocean County Library Long Beach Island Branch

(SURF CITY, NJ) -- Express your love of shore life with a handcrafted memento to adorn your home or to give to someone special. Join a wood painting workshop, "Dreams are Made of Sand and Sun," at the Ocean County Library Long Beach Island Branch, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. The workshop begins at 7:00pm.



The

The Art House Gallery presents "Art Outside of Architecture" - a group exhibition featuring the Architects that designed The Hendrix

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Art House Productions presents "Art Outside of Architecture," a group exhibition showcasing the work of the architects that designed The Hendrix building where Art House Productions resides. The exhibition will be on display at the Art House Gallery from July 5-27, 2025 and features twelve architects stepping out of the structural realm and into a world of personal expression in this dynamic group exhibition.



Geoffrey

Geoffrey Doig-Marx's "Portraits in Color and Light" opens at the Gallery at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey - A Fusion of Comedy and Heart

(MADISON, NJ) -- New York-based artist, educator, choreographer, and self-described "Renaissance Man" Geoffrey Doig-Marx (GDM) brings his dynamic exhibition Portraits in Color and Light to The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey as the second art installation in the Theatre's 2025 Season. This striking collection of twenty-six original paintings debuts with the Theatre's production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again], running July 9–27. It's a pairing that promises a bold celebration of irreverence, reflection, and artistic energy.



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Art

Art on Screen: The Danish Collector

Monday, July 14, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Monmouth University - Pollak Theatre
400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
category: art


 

Tuesday

Tuesday Night Book Club - Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Tuesday, July 08, 2025 @ 7:30pm
VIRTUAL




 

Straight

Straight No Chaser - Summer: The 90’s Part 2

Tuesday, July 08, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631



Vivid

Vivid Summer Solos: Where is Everybody?

Wednesday, July 09, 2025 @ 6:30pm
Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ 07901



Free

Free Summer Event: Country Line Dancing with Paul Stoddard

Wednesday, July 09, 2025 @ 6:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) - Pioneer Park at Headquarter's Plaza
3 Speedwell Ave, Morristown, NJ 07960



Frisson

Frisson Winds

Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Morris Museum Back Deck
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960