(UNION COUNTY, NJ) -- The Union County Board of County Commissioners has announced that 10 Union County artists have been selected as award winners in the 56th annual New Jersey Senior Art Show. The exhibit includes works of art created by both professional and non-professional artists, ages 60 and up, from all 21 counties across the state.
To qualify for the statewide exhibit, artists first have to participate in juried exhibits within their own counties, and receive a first-place award in their media category.
“On behalf of the Commissioner Board, I thank everyone who participated in the Union County Senior Art Show last spring, and congratulate the awardees who are exhibiting in the statewide show. We are all enriched by the creativity and insights of the senior members of our community,” said Union County Commissioner Chair Rebecca L. Williams.
The 2022 New Jersey Senior Art Show can be viewed online at www.njseniorarts.com/gallery/.
To see the exhibit in person, visit the main building of Meadow Lakes Senior Living, 300 Meadow Lakes, in East Windsor. The public can view the artworks, free of charge, Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm. Groups of 6 or more should contact Meadow Lakes in advance by calling 609-448-4100. Directions can be found on the Meadow Lakes website.
The show is on display at Meadow Lakes through Thursday, October 27.
The Union County awardees are:
* Joe Manzella (Cranford) — 1st Place, Digital Art by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “Listen to Your Heart”
* Elizabeth Gillin (Westfield) — 1st Place, Oil Painting by a Non-Professional artist, for the painting, “Amanda Gorman, My Favorite Poet”
* Sam Awad (Summit) 2nd Place, Photography by a Professional artist, for the artwork, “Pit Stop”
* Michelle Thompson (Union) — 3rd Place, Mixed Media by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “Finding Beauty in a World of Chaos”
* Marianne O'Neill (Rahway) — Honorable Mention, Craft by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “Birdhouses & Buttons”
* Lynda Dubois-Jackson (Plainfield) — Honorable Mention, Craft by a Professional artist, for the artwork, “Grandma & Friends”
* Joseph J. Schott (Fanwood) — Honorable Mention, Oil by a Professional artist, for the painting, “Snyder Hunt Club”
* Barbara Uhr (Westfield) — Honorable Mention, Pastel by a Professional artist, for the artwork, “Along the Banks”
* Carol Sussman Skalka (Springfield) — Honorable Mention, Sculpture by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “Caress”
* Kim Eckstrom (Fanwood) — Honorable Mention, Watercolor by a Professional artist, for the painting, “House with Turret”
The New Jersey Senior Art Show is a co-sponsored project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Mercer County’s Division of Culture & Heritage, funded by the Council on the Arts with additional support from Mercer County and the New Jersey Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including free vaccination, free testing and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.
IMAGES: (TOP) “Listen to Your Heart,” by Cranford resident Joe Manzella, was awarded First Place for Digital Art by a Non-professional artist in the 2022 New Jersey Senior Art Show. (BOTTOM) “Amanda Gorman, My Favorite Poet,” by Westfield resident Elizabeth Gillin, was awarded First Place for Oil Painting by a Non-professional artist in the 2022 New Jersey Senior Art Show.
