Northern New Jersey Community Foundation Announces Winner of Art Battle

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF), a not-for-profit based in Englewood, New Jersey, announces artist Robert Gratson won the ArtsBergen first Connect the Dots networking event’s “Creative Conflicts: Live Art Battle”. Gratson’s painting received the audience’s Favorite Piece Award at the networking event held at the Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC).

The Bergen County Neighborhood Network presented the local, visual artists in a head-to-head, multi-round, live art-making competition. In each round, artists were given a new medium -- a marker and acrylic paint -- to add to their pieces in a time-controlled environment in two 45-minute rounds. The audience experienced the creative process live and voted for a favorite piece.

Gratson is studying graphic design at William Paterson University. The up-and-coming artist is known for drawing tentacles as a reoccurring theme in his paintings. A graduate of North Arlington High School, he also attended Bergen Community College.

Creative Energy

“Creative Conflicts created an atmosphere of artistic energy and excitement that the NNJCF wants to bring to each of the Connect the Dots event. The artists’ content in the paintings is fueled by the observers, who become a part of the works created. Creativity breeds more creativity and ArtsBergen, an initiative of the NNJCF, encourages those exchanges. We thank all the artists who contributed their artistry and congratulate Robert on winning the event,” said Danielle De Laurentis, Associate Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.

The event drew artists, arts administrators, municipal and community leaders, business owners, and arts supporters living or working in Bergen County to bergenPAC. The series’ goals are to stimulate conversations with others in the county’s arts community, develop new relationships, present opportunities to work together, highlight unique arts experiences and informative speakers on relevant topics, and encourage creative placemaking throughout the county. Creative placemaking is the practice of integrating arts and culture into a region, town or city block to add excitement, attract visitors, improve livability, and enhance the local economy.

The Connect the Dots networking series will hold quarterly events. The next networking event is scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck. More details will be released about the event in the coming month.

For further information about the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, ArtsBergen, and the Connect the Dots networking series, visit the organization’s web site, contact artsbergen@nnjcf.org or call 201-568-5608. Follow the NNJCF on Facebook and Twitter @NNJCF.

Photo: Artist Robert Gratson

Photo Credit: Sam Lee