Skylands Museum of Art Mythology Room showcases characters from Greek and Roman myths in large paintings, sculptures -of stone, metal and terracotta – and mosaics.
(LAFAYETTE, NJ) -- Skylands Museum of Art is pleased to announce their participation in the second annual Garden State Art Weekend taking place from Thursday, April 24 through Sunday, April 27, 2025. The museum will feature its full 300+ piece permanent collection along with its noted The Phantom of the Opera temporary exhibition and will be open for the event from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. The museum is honored to be the only fine arts organization in Sussex County to take part in this state-wide tour of museums and galleries.
The Garden State Art Weekend is a four-day celebration of New Jersey’s dynamic arts landscape. Following a successful inaugural year in 2024, which showcased 115 venues across 15 counties, the 2025 weekend event aims to expand its reach to all 21 counties, further highlighting New Jersey as a destination for contemporary art.
"Garden State Art Weekend is all about putting New Jersey on the map as a hub for contemporary art,” said Alison Pirie, Co-Director, Garden State Art Weekend, who added, GSAW was created “to connect local artists, institutions, and the public—making art in New Jersey more visible, accessible, and celebrated."
Skylands Museum of Art’s Sanctuary Room features Ailene Field’s Sacred Spaces sculptures, among other noted artists, including the Massimo Rao portrait.
Garden State Art Weekend will feature the Skylands Museum of Art on its statewide art trail, when visitors can go from one art location to the next across county lines during expanded hours.
“We are proud to represent the northwest region of New Jersey as the area’s only fine art museum taking part in this event, which links opportunities to view the creations of a wide range of artists and styles” said Ailene Fields, Founder of the Skylands Museum. “Our visitors will see an international collection of 20th and 21st century art centered around characters, both real and imagined from fairy tales, literature and myth, including the iconic Gothic tale, The Phantom of the Opera depicted in richly detailed oil paintings” Fields said.
The museum has been garnering regional and state-wide notice for their temporary exhibition, The Phantom of the Opera showcasing 26 oil paintings by acclaimed French Surrealist, Anne Bachelier, (The Phantom of the Opera,' 100 this year, is feted with art exhibit/Bergen Record; Painter Anne Bachelier Captures 'The Phantom of the Opera' at Skylands Museum of Art Discover Jersey Arts). The museum’s quality presentation and engaging events have received praise for their artistic merit and popular cultural resonance.
The Museum will participate in the Garden State Art Weekend from 12:00pm to 4:00pm on Thursday, April 24 through Sunday, April 27, 2025 and is located at 15 Route 15 in Lafayette, New Jersey. A $10 per person donation to support the museum is suggested. Admission includes access to the Museum’s permanent collection, sculpture gardens, as well as the temporary exhibition, The Phantom of the Opera.
Skylands Museum of Art’s nine rooms display engaging art including the introspective surrealism room of paintings and sculpture.
Garden State Art Weekend is a statewide celebration of art in New Jersey sponsored by Manufacturers Village Artists in East Orange, NJ. Co-directed by artists Christine Romanell and Alison Pirie, the 2025 festival will offer a diverse program of gallery exhibitions, open studios, live demonstrations, and community arts events. The festival hub will be at Manufacturers Village Artists in East Orange, which will host the official Garden State Art Weekend Kickoff Party and Spring Open House, featuring over 50 open artist studios.
Confirmed among the participating venues for 2025 are the Newark Museum of Art (Newark), Visual Arts Center of New Jersey (Summit), Grounds for Sculpture (Hamilton Township), Visual Arts Center of New Jersey (Summit), Montclair Art Museum (Montclair) and the Skylands Museum of Art (Lafayette). To learn more, visit the Garden State Art Weekend website.
As Northern New Jersey’s newest fine art museum, Skylands Museum of Art has been gaining recognition as an important venue for American and international 20th and 21st century sculpture, painting and illustration. The permanent collection focuses on realism and modern surrealism featuring over 300 works by leading artists including Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Leonor Fini, Brian Froud, Anne Bachelier, Brian Branch, Massimo Rao, Michael Parkes and Ailene Fields.
Complete with a sculpture garden, the museum is a delightful sanctuary where art, nature, mythology and humanity harmonize. The nine gallery rooms are filled with thoughtfully curated works of approachable surreal and realistic works exploring Fairy Tales, Dragons, Sacred Spaces, the Human Psyche, Faces and Flowers, Baba Yaga (a Ukrainian fairy tale), Eastern vs. Western Animals and Mythology. Special events and educational programs bring fine art experiences to the community, inspiring viewers of all ages to be open to different perspectives and to create visual and written work themselves.
The museum is open every Friday and Saturday from 12:00pm to 4:00pm, with additional times by appointment for groups and events.
The Skylands Museum of Art is a 501(c)(3) organization, a proud member of ArtPride New Jersey, New Jersey Association of Museums, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council and the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce.
Funding has been made available in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through the State/County Partnership Block Grant Program, as administered by Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council and by the generosity of members and visitors whose donations have supported their expanded hours and programming.
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