(METUCHEN, NJ) -- "Bowery Art Collective," the first of its kind student art show had its opening reception in the heart of Metuchen on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at the home of IES Test Prep. Bowery Art Collective will hold gallery hours every Saturday from 2:00pm to 6:00pm beginning April 16th, 2022.
The day’s proceedings included a ribbon cutting ceremony organized by Downtown Metuchen Alliance Executive Director Isaac Kremer and officiated by Metuchen Mayor Jonathan M. Busch. Among the attending guests were Robert Diken from Friends of Metuchen Arts Council, and other members of the local art community. Bowery Art Collective would like to thank the Arts Council for their invaluable curating advice.
That evening, the Collective hosted a reception for the exhibition, which was open to the public. Bowery Art Collective would like to thank Metuchen High School art instructor Kelly Murphy for promoting the venue among her students, several of whom submitted artworks to the exhibition. The following MHS students have artworks currently on exhibit at the Collective: Alex Lipshutz, Samira Bahridinova, Jordan Cully, Val Zamora, Natalie Clark and Kayla Gawronski.
The Bowery Art Collective is the brainchild of IES Test Prep's CEO, Khalid Khashoggi and the company's President, Arianna Astuni. The arts initiative was developed to support and inspire emerging student artists by providing a much-needed showcase for young people’s talents. The Collective has notable objectives that include helping students to sell their art and raise money for college, establish young artists in the art world, and provide opportunities for them to interact with buyers, press, academics, and art enthusiasts. Bowery Art Collective is also a positive step towards promoting youth to pursue a career in the visual arts. In addition to artists from MHS and several other school systems, two of the resident artists that are on display are Michelle Shum of Stony Brook University, and Jasmine Chen of Tufts University.
IES Test Prep has long been a tutoring company that has prepared countless students for successful college careers. They have been an active business in Metuchen since 2007. Their interest in supporting the arts is a natural part of their overall business model to help students achieve their goals.
