“Mujer Llevando un Plato de Fruta” by Sylvia Perkel; textiles and mixed media; circa 1952
(BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- Raritan Valley Community College's Arts & Design department will present Sylvia Perkel at 100 - An Artistic Journey from Brooklyn to Branchburg, a solo exhibition showcasing the work of Sylvia Perkel, a local artist who celebrated her 100th birthday this year, September 2 to October 1, 2026. The exhibition will be on view in the RVCC Art Gallery at the College's Branchburg campus.
Sylvia Perkel at 100 – An Artistic Journey from Brooklyn to Branchburg will showcase work spanning both two-dimensional and sculptural work created across numerous disciplines using a wide range of materials and techniques. As such, this exhibition represents a journey 100 years in the making, a century of life in art.
The show is being curated by Arts & Design Associate Professor and Art Gallery Director Darren McManus. The reception and artist’s talk will be held Thursday, September 10, from 5:00pm-7:00pm. The event is free of charge and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
“Chrysanthemums” by Sylvia Perkel; watercolor; circa 2000
Sylvia Perkel is regarded as a New York/New Jersey treasure. Born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1926, she lived for almost 40 years in New York and slightly over 60 years in New Jersey—about a mile away from RVCC. A self-taught artist, Perkel has been creating since she was a teenager, having worked in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, wood, metal, stained glass, ceramic tile, and fiber. She was making sustainable work (converting household, commonplace and junk items into art) before “sustainability” was a widely understood term.
When she was 13 years old, Perkel began making fashion drawings, followed by oil paintings of the ballet—a favorite subject matter—and renditions of works by old masters. A significant thread of her practice has been marked by sustainable art, exemplified by using materials such as macaroni, Melba toast, hardware, and other household items in her assemblages and transformations. She has instinctively worked in numerous artistic styles, sometimes independently or coincidentally parallel to more well-known artists. Some examples include her monochromatic wood, metal, and found object sculptures—work that artist Louise Nevelson was also doing but on a larger scale. Although she remains modest in acknowledging the impact and depth of her artistry, Perkel has created a body of work that speaks for itself. Astonishingly, her most recent piece was an acrylic painting created last year at age 99.
In her 20s Perkel exhibited and sold her work in New York City’s Greenwich Village, where she was a fixture of the community. Closer to home, her work has appeared at Union College Art Gallery, the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, and at the Hunterdon Art Museum.
Gallery hours for the exhibition are Mondays, 3:00pm-8:00pm; Tuesdays, 10:00am-3:00pm; Wednesdays, 3:00pm-8:00pm; Thursdays, 10:00am-6:00pm; and Fridays, 1:00pm-4:00pm. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, New Jersey.
“Daisies” by Sylvia Perkel; watercolor; circa 2000
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