(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Mana Contemporary is sponsoring the creation of Endangered Rivers paintings by Montana-based artist Ben Miller from September 10 through September 13, 2022. This four-day residency will allow Miller to create and exhibit work in response to the ecological terrain that inspires him throughout Jersey City’s natural habitats.
Participating organizations will include Liberty Science Center, “Friends of Lincoln Park”, “Hackensack Riverkeepers” and “Friends of Liberty State Park.” A portion of the proceeds of sales of the artworks will benefit these organizations.
Ben Miller is a highly recognized Montana-based painter best known for his Endangered Rivers series. Six years ago, Miller began his Endangered Rivers series out of his deep passion for raising the awareness and importance of river preservation. The Endangered Rivers paintings, like the rivers themselves, are complex layers of color and transparency. Each work is created in reverse, with marks made on the back of a plexiglass panel. When turned around, the first strikes of paint represent surface reflections and whitewater rills. These highlights are then backed by successive color layers of deeper and darker forms. While his preparation is calculated, the execution must be spontaneous. He must first find the right spot, then read the river and the day. Miller’s stated goal for these works is to mark down the truth of a river, not his interpretation of it.
Miller received a BFA in art from WSU in Seattle and spent 12 years teaching art before moving to Bozeman, Montana in 2016. Miller is the subject of a recent documentary short film by Manabu Inada, titled The Rhythms of the River, which can be seen on his website, www.benmillerartist.com. Earlier this year, Miller was a featured artist in the “Profile” section of Expo Chicago. In Chicago, Miller painted the Chicago River to support the Friends of the Chicago River and was featured on network television.
Events at the Parks and at Mana Contemporary are free and open to the public.
Schedule of events for Ben Miller’s residency at Mana Contemporary Jersey City :
* Saturday, September 10th: Miller will kick off his residency painting at Liberty Science Center - 10:00am - 2:00pm. Entrance Fee to LSC will be required for participation.
* Sunday, September 11th: Miller will paint the Hackensack River in Lincoln Park in Jersey City from 9:00am to 2:00pm.
* Monday, September 12th: Miller will paint the Hudson River at Liberty State Park from 9:00am to 2:00pm.
This series will culminate with a reception for Ben Miller at Mana Contemporary on Tuesday, September 13th from 5:00pm - 8:00pm. Guests are welcome to observe Ben finish his painting until the Reception begins at 6:00pm with an unveiling of Miller’s works from his Jersey City residency. In 2021, Mana Contemporary mounted an exhibition "Implied Scale: Confronting the Enormity of Climate Change” focused on motivating mobilization toward reversing the climate crisis. The Ben Miller residency is another in the series of initiatives by Mana Contemporary that confronts environmental concerns.
Ben Miller is represented by Gary Snyder Fine Arts, an authority in modern Americanart. For further information on Ben Miller, and to see the film, go to: www.benmillerartist.com
Anchored by cultural centers in Jersey City, Chicago, and Miami, Mana Contemporary is a distributed institution, dedicated to celebrating the creative process, supporting artists, and serving as a bridge between creative hubs worldwide. Through a global community committed to mutual support and progressive thought, Mana Contemporary offers world class exhibitions, residencies, career development, and conversation in person and online. Practitioners specializing in a variety of disciplines work alongside each other in forward-thinking environments that foster experimentation, collaboration, and mutual inspiration, building a profound and personal approach to contemporary art.
Gary Snyder Fine Art MT, was established by 30-year art veteran Gary Snyder, whose art galleries in New York City and Montana received critical recognition for their focus on historically rooted modern American art.
Liberty Science Center is a 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher- development programs. Before COVID-19, more than 250,000 students visited the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participated in the Center's off-site and online programs. Welcoming more than 750,000visitors annually, LSC is the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.
Friends of Lincoln Park (FOLP) is a citizens group devoted to the conservation, preservation and renewal of Lincoln Park. FOLP supports a clean, safe, and welcoming park atmosphere that the entire community and their pets may enjoy through every season.
