Local Artist's Works To Be Displayed At Lacey Library

FORKED RIVER, NJ — The Lacey Branch of the Ocean County Library will feature local artist Suzanne Pasqualicchio’s exhibit, Little by Little, in the branch’s meeting room throughout May. A reception is scheduled from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at the branch in Forked River.

The exhibit will be free and open to the public, and no registration is required. According to the announcement, the artwork will be available for viewing during the branch’s regular operating hours at the Lacey Branch, 10 East Lacey Road.

Pasqualicchio described the personal meaning behind the work in a statement included with the exhibit information.

“All my paintings are, in concept, essentially self-portraits,” said Pasqualicchio. “The work is a record of my existence and relationships in life. It involves personal discovery as well as the quieting of a nostalgic desire to hold on. These themes span multiple phases – periods of growth, loss, recovery through which the introspective becomes shared.”

The artist’s work includes oil and acrylic pieces on canvas or panel. The exhibit information states that washes of color are built in layers and that stamping techniques are used during the sketching phase. It also states that Pasqualicchio uses photographs along with other references as starting points, including cards, fabric remnants, relics, images from nature and books.

The exhibit description says the work explores both melancholy and blissful moments, and that painting helps Pasqualicchio develop resilience in the face of adversity.

Pasqualicchio said art making “uniquely aligns the emotional and the visual with the intention of processing. Ultimately, the fragments of past events are meshed with current perspective and are re-experienced. Nostalgia morphs into better understanding and balance.”

The exhibit information also states that Pasqualicchio believes artistic expression can help connect people through shared human experience. For residents interested in attending, the library said more information is available by calling 609-693-8566 or by visiting the branch in person. The reception and exhibit are open to the public during regular library hours.