Newton's Tour of Art Tomorrow

I know it's late notice, but if you are looking for something to do in the NJ area, Newton is hosting it's 4th Biannual Tour of Art. Throughout the week, starting tomorrow on 2nd Saturday, artists will be setting up their works throughout the Town of Newton in the fabulous boutiques, galleries, and eateries on Spring Street. Weather permitting, live music will be performed by Carl Ferriere outside in front of the Newton Fire Museum.

TraillWorks is participating with guest artist, photographer, Lori Calderone, of Sparta, NJ. Several of Lori's photos of European travel destinations will be on exhibit through Saturday, May 15th. An evening reception from 5 - 8pm is planned where you can follow a map, tour the art and meet the artists.

For more information, visit MainStreetNewton.org.

Thursdays Late 'til 8

TraillWorks is now open Thursdays late until 8pm. The merchants of Spring Street finally came to a consensus . . . to be open late on Thursdays. Most merchants will be open until 8pm. Since we're all independent business owners, it's been tough getting everyone to agree. Hopefully with more pedestrian traffic on the street more merchants will be encouraged to stay open. So, shop locally and come on out to Newton on a Thursday to find many stores open for your convenience. Visit Main Street Newton, Inc.'s web site to check out individual store hours, as well as where to dine.

Look for a promotion coming in the fall that will reward you for visiting us late and shopping on Spring Street. In the meantime if you're interested in buying from local, independent businesses wherever you live, check out the 3/50 Project which is gaining media attention all over the country.

20 Under 40

The past week has been so busy that I never got a chance to open my mail from a week ago. Yesterday, I tore open a letter from the NJ Herald, our county paper, thinking it would be an invoice for advertising. To my pleasant surprise it was a congratulatory letter for my selection as one of the NJ Herald's "20 Under 40."

A panel from the Herald selected the 20 honorees from nominations to honor business and civic leaders under the age of 40 who are making our community a better place to live. Wow! I am truly humbled and touched by this recognition.

According to the letter I will be getting a phone call for an interview for publication of the project at the end of September. I'll keep you posted! Thank you to whoever nominated me.

2nd Saturday Summer Blues

Whether music, food, or color, there's so much to do with Blue on 2nd Saturday in Newton. Enjoy Summer Blues with . . .

Music - FREE from 5 - 8pm
Glenn Zervas, The Rum Boogie Blues Band AND Queens Blvd.
8pm on Peter Biedermann playing electronic inspired music at Now Now Gallery

Detail of Topography I ©2009 Jennie Traill Schaeffer

Art -
The Topography of Blue at TraillWorks
new works featuring a vintage blue apron by me

Food -
Blue Cheese Tasting Tent on Spring Street by Cheddar Alley - FREE
Blue Plate Specials at JC's Grillhouse
$35 Three Course Meal at Andre's Restaurant

Blue Sales -
Now Now Gallery
Feels Like Home
Prima Donna's Consignments
Craft Creators

Education -
Readings from the Paulinskill Poetry Project at SCA&HC Gallery, 4 - 6pm
Lecture on the "Influence of Blue" at Inner Designs, 11am & 4pm

For more information and links to each merchant, visit www.mainstreetnewton.org.

Topography of Blue

Topography I, Ceramic Paint on Tile, 6" x 6", © 2009 Jennie Traill Schaeffer

To tie into our annual Summer Blues 2nd Saturday in August, I'm focusing on some paintings dealing with blue. I've been reading Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay, which is a fascinating study of how colors came to be as well as a little of the symbolism around color. Blue being one of my favorite colors, I've read about the origin of ultramarine from lapis lazuli, mostly mined in Afghanistan. The name ultramarine, comes from the Italian, oltramarino, meaning "from beyond the seas." It's a misnomer that the color name is synonymous with the ocean, but rather with the idea that it was traded from the East, over the ocean, to the West.

Lapis lazuli originates with the Sumerians in Ur, and was used by the Egyptians in both art and makeup. Michelangelo is known to have used the pigment and according to Finlay, one of his paintings, The Entombment, is blank in the right bottom corner. Supposedly a space for the Virgin, Finlay says Michelangelo would have painted her blue as was customary at the time, but because of the expense of ultramarine, probably never received the pigment.

The paintings I'm working on use my husband's grandmother's blue taffeta striped apron as the impetus for a study of the "topography of blue" which in retrospect might be the "topography of a blue apron." Above is an example of one recently completed. The finished paintings will be on display for Saturday, August 8th.

Michelangelo | The Entombment | NG790 Shared via AddThis

Newton is in the News Again!

Day Trip: Newton-www.njmonthly.com

Posted using ShareThis

Skylands Tour of Art

For more information, visit TraillWorks

Spring Press

Having a business in a Main Street New Jersey community definitely has its perks. Check out this month's NJ Life Magazine for a lovely article over viewing Newton's Spring Street. Writer Millicent Brody did a fabulous job revealing all of Spring Street's treasures. TraillWorks is mentioned under the "Art" section with a link to on their web site.

Love Art this Weekend

love rocks, mixed media, ©2009 Kathy Morawski

Join me in New Jersey for an artful weekend of love: two exhibitions, a 2nd Saturday, and Sweetheart Specials. 

Friday : 6 - 8pm

23rd International Juried Show Opening Reception

Visual Art Center of New Jersey

Summit

Saturday: 5 - 8pm

Love ROCKS! Opening Reception

TraillWorks

Newton

2nd Saturday / Sweetheart Walk 

Shop, dine and stroll with your lover on Spring Street in Newton

Highlight: JUMBLE CONTEST

Visit area stores to find the letters of a jumbled Valentine phrase. Unscrambled phrases can be entered to win a gift basket featuring coupons, gift certificates and other items from participating businesses. TraillWorks included a $25 gift certificate towards any purchase.

Sweetheart Specials

All artwork by Kathy Morawski at TraillWorks 20% off

Purchase any artwork at TraillWorks and get a free calendar 

(Valentine's Day only)

Commission a Wedding Cake Portrait and receive a set of 10 linen notecards featuring your completed portrait.

(during the month of February)

Project Windows at TraillWorks

You've got to see the holiday windows at five merchants on Spring Street. Granted, all of the merchants on Spring Street have done stunning windows for the holidays, but five stand out. These five were the participants in the 1st Annual Project Windows, a Main Street Newton, Inc. sponsored event.

High school art students around Sussex county were matched up with merchants to design and install holiday windows interpreting the theme "snow figures". My windows I thought were just stunning. Newton high school student, Kim Grier, pulled together many elements of my work creating "applianceflakes" and an interpretive wedding cake.


Though Kim's windows did not win an award, I was impressed with her ingenuity and creativity in designing and installing the windows in less than two weeks. I absolutely love the stylized snowflakes depicting my kitchen appliances and how the wedding cake attracts attention with all of its glittery baubles and beads.


Thank you Kim for all of your hard work! Please stop by to see her windows in person.

Project Windows & Winter Stroll

Announcing Newton's
1st Annual Project Windows
& Main Street Newton's Winter Stroll

Saturday, December 13th
5 - 8pm

Can't get to 5th Avenue to see the windows? Come to Newton.

Project Windows is an annual competition that pairs up artistic teens with area merchants to create holiday windows. Students learned about the design process and goals of window dressing from a local dresser, Kathy Milici. They were required to work within a budget determined by the merchants to create interpretations of the theme, "snow figures". Their creations had to be creative, well- constructed, engage passerbys quickly, show off the stores' goods and lead to sales through the use of strong elements and principles of design.

Stop by TraillWorks on 2nd Saturday to meet its student designer, Newton High School senior, Kim Grier. I am quite impressed with the way she interpreted the theme and followed through on the design in a short amount of time.

Then stay in town to catch a little holiday spirit with a Winter Stroll. Participating merchants will be offering specials, giveaways, and seasonal treats. Santa will be on hand to see who's been naughty or nice.

For details about the events, go to the current events page of www.traillworks.com.

2nd Saturday Recap

Featured Artist, Joanna West, in front of Firefly

Jennie chatting with a client

Visitors to the Autumn Open House and Meet the Artist reception at TraillWorks

Interior Wall of TraillWorks

Spring Street during the Old Mine Road Folklife Festival

Interior Walls of TraillWorks

Last Saturday's 2nd Saturday proved to be another success. The day was full of events on Spring Street. During the day, people came out to take part in the Old Mine Road Folklife Festival. Later in the evening, the Spring Street merchants held an Autumn Open House with scarecrow and pumpkin decorating contests, a gift basket raffle, food, live band, and more. During the evening I held a meet the artist reception for my featured artist, Joanna West. Her illuminated sculptures just dazzle in the gallery. Her work will be up through October 31st if you haven't had a chance to see it.

Photos from Kitchen Kitsch

Photos courtesy Tony Lordi

Last month I exhibited the work of Tony Lordi, friend and mentor to me. His work was so well-received and probably the first-ever installation displayed on Spring Street in Newton. His piece, Steam Heat, attracted to much attention, from art lovers and antique lovers alike. Many people came in because of the gleaming chrome, interested in buying the individual irons in the installation. Of course, they were for sale only as a finished artwork, not as antique irons.

Take a look at his work. I had so much fun showing it and talking about it. Plus it complemented my work quite well.

Steam Heat, © Tony Lordi

Chrome Baby, © Tony Lordi

Interior Shot of the Vintage Chrome Series at TraillWorks

Another 2nd Saturday

Firefly, 18" x 18" x 9", Found Objects, photo courtesy Joanna West

I know it's been a long time since I've written, but between teaching twelve hours a week, finishing commissions, following up with customers, daily operations, and being pregnant I just haven't gotten to blog. I haven't forgotten about you.

This coming Saturday, October 11th, is historic Newton's 4th Second Saturday event. A full day is planned including the first annual Old Mine Road Folklife Festival starting at 10am and Spring Street's Autumn Open House running from 5 - 8pm. Main Street Newton will transform into a pedestrian marketplace with live music, vendors and a farmers market, as well as Spring Street business participation and local artists work on display.

As part of the day, TraillWorks will host the work of another local artist, Joanna West. Joanna's interest in antiques have brought her to rebirth old objects or junk in new and delightful ways. Illuminations will feature four of Joanna's assembled found object lamps, interspersed around my artwork.

Meet the artist: Joanna West
Where: TraillWorks
When: October 11th
Time: 5 - 8pm

Meet the Artists this Saturday

TraillWorks Window featuring Tony Lordi's Steam Heat installation, photo courtesy of Tony Lordi.

Join me in welcoming my friend and artist, Tony Lordi, to TraillWorks:

Saturday, September 13th
5 - 8pm

Part of 2nd Saturday's Tour of Art on Spring Street,
a Main Street Newton, Inc. event.

Take the Tour of Art
meet and see the work of 19 artists at participating merchants on Spring Street
click below on the map, copy and paste it into a Word document, print and follow
or pick one up at a participating merchant


Listen to Plum Run
A NJ band that blends bluegrass, folk, country music with a contemporary sound
Playing live and free in front of the Newton Fire Museum
5- 8pm

Tony Lordi's Kitchen Kitsch

I am pleased to announce that my friend and mentor, Tony Lordi, will be exhibiting at TraillWorks with me in a show titled, Kitchen Kitsch. I met Tony three years ago when a mutual friend, Linda Hirsch, gallery director of the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council introduced us. Tony was starting a gallery, now called Art at the Mill in Lafayette, NJ, and hired me to gallery sit. Soon after I started working for him, he offered to show my work. This has led to a great relationship; Tony has constantly encouraged me and offered suggestions in marketing and artistic pursuits. I'm so lucky to have a friend in Tony and am thrilled that he is going to show his work opposite mine in my gallery. For more info about the show, click the image above for a larger view.

Exhibit Runs - September 6th - 29th
Meet the Artist - Saturday, September 13th | 5 - 8pm



Coincides with the Tour of Art, a Main Street Newton, Inc. event - 19 artists will be exhibiting at participating merchants / galleries on Spring Street September 6th - 13th. To follow the Tour of Art, maps can be picked up at TraillWorks throughout the week and information tables on Second Saturday. The Taste of Newton is being held on Monday, September 8th. Tickets can by purchased by calling the Greater Newton Chamber of Commerce at 973-300-0433. TraillWorks will be open until 10pm that evening for a preview of Tony's work.