In the age of Instagram, food is a visual obsession. “The Shared Meal,” an exhibition at Artworks in Trenton, dives deeper, exploring the meaning of food through the work of nine visual artists. Two paintings by renowned Trenton painter Mel Leipzig are included. The first pictures his family around the kitchen table in 1975, the second, his daughter’s family around her own kitchen table over 30 years later. ... READ ON

(PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ) --  Running from May 20 through July 12, 2019, the West Windsor Arts Council presents 30 artists in Cultural Heritage Exhibition. This show seeks to examine the expression of cultural heritage through art. “How does the past affect our view on the contemporary world?”  Whether it is the food, textiles, festivals, or family traditions, the art in this show demonstrates how these experiences can be shared through visual art.  An opening reception with the artists will be held Sunday, June 9, 2019 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Artists will be on hand at the opening to discuss their work. ... READ ON

(MIDDLETOWN & HOWELL, NJ) -- The May 30th deadline to submit spring images into the Monmouth County Park System’s 2020 Photography Exhibit is fast approaching.  Held from January 1-31, 2020, at Deep Cut Gardens, Middletown, and from February 1-29, 2020, at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, Howell, each site has its own theme. They are Seasons of Deep Cut and Colors of Nature at the Manasquan Reservoir.  Both exhibits are open to professional and amateur photographers of all age.... READ ON

(WARREN, NJ) -- National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019.  Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $98,000 to Arts Ed NJ for expansion of the ARTS ED NOW public action campaign. Art Works is the Arts Endowment’s principal grantmaking program. The agency received 1,592 Art Works applications for this round of grantmaking, and will award 977 grants in this category.... READ ON

(STONE HARBOR, NJ) -- Ocean Galleries welcomes the renowned Canadian-Lebanese Impressionist, Samir Sammoun, to Stone Harbor over Memorial Day weekend for his first ever exhibition in the seashore community.  The new exhibit, “Master Impressionist,” will feature more than 70 of his original oil paintings including many seascapes, landscapes, and cityscapes. ... READ ON

History is a powerful force, bringing the past forward and revealing clear connections between the world today and events and experiences that occurred before. So, when history beckoned, Rowan University Art Gallery responded with its current exhibition “Women Defining Themselves: The Original Artists of the SOHO 20,” on view at the Gallery at 301 High Street in Glassboro through July 27.... READ ON

(TRENTON, NJ) -- As part of its ongoing First Friday series of art openings, Roebling Gallery will exhibit the work of Edwin J. Torres on June 7th, 2019 from 6:00pm-9:00pm at Roebling Lofts in Trenton. Trent-towne is a documentary project that seeks to tell the present day story of Trenton and its people. This work celebrates the beauty of everyday life, but also calls to question issues of poverty, crime, and immigration. Edwin J. Torres spent over a year photographing a series of portraits, conducting interviews, and revisiting iconic and lesser known locations in Trenton in an effort to answer the question of what’s really going on?... READ ON

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- On Tuesday, May 21 at 4:00pm, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s BRAVO! Listen Up! Exhibition featuring middle school student artwork and writing created in response to composer Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) opens at the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP). Many of the students will be on hand at the opening to discuss their displayed works and celebrate their artistry with family and friends. The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, June 2.... READ ON

(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- National Geographic Live, National Geographic’s touring speaker series, and Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College are proud to announce “Ocean Soul” with Brian Skerry, a National Geographic Photography Fellow and renowned underwater photographer. The event will take place on Thursday, June 6, 2019 at 7:00pm in the Grunin Center.  ... READ ON

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Olivia Rainbow Gallery presents artwork by the Eden Autism School through May 31. “Wild Night” features a perky mural fairly leaping from the walls. Autism students of all ages crafted this evocative, three-dimensional evocation of nocturnal creatures, out and about under the moon.  Eyes of intent owls echo a rising moon; bats, fireflies and saucy skunks seek midnight nutrients.... READ ON