Universalist Festival: Artful Connections

One of the special qualities of the Earth room at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Meeting House is the stained glass globe tucked high up under its distinctive, peaked roof.

The beautiful representation of the earth at the Lincroft congregation building was a creative collaboration between the Unitarian Universalist board and a stained glass artist named Gary Bihler.

In 1993, when the globe was commissioned and installed, Bihler had a business in Lincroft. Considering the history, the room that houses the globe was deemed a fitting place to hold the congregation’s second Autumn Art Festival.

For one day, the meetinghouse will be transformed into a celebration of fine art. Filling two large rooms, the Earth Room and the Community Room, will be the artwork of over 20 local artists and artisans. Their art represents a broad spectrum of disciplines including painters, photographers, potters, jewelers, and mixed media.

This year, the Autumn Art Festival, which will be held on Nov. 12, was juried by John Salvi, a printmaker, photographer and painter who lives in Monmouth Beach. Salvi studies and works at the The Art Students League in NYC where he explores his fascination with the theme of emergence and descent in nature's cycles, mysteries and beauty.

UUCMC member Angie Morfogen said that Salvi did a wonderful job jurying the show. “There will be so many beautiful and original pieces on display,” she said.

Morgogen has been the guiding force and coordinator of the event. A Colts Neck resident, she said her vision for the show is to provide a place to celebrate art made in this state and this area.  

“All of the art is original and any functional items are original designs, handmade, and of a very high quality. The show's format will allow people to meet the artists and ask questions about the work.”

An artist herself, Morfogen has been making jewelry since the 1980s, fabricating and casting silver. In 1995, she began studying pottery at Thompson Park Creative Arts Center in Middletown.

“I  took a handbuilding class and then a workshop with Louis Mendez, who taught Spanish handbuilding techniques. Part of the workshop was an introduction to making masks, making original stamps in clay of symbols, both cultural as well as individual symbols.

Morfogen began creating masks. “The masks I make are more of a portrait. I use symbols to convey the interior mind or emotions of the person, rather than a mask, something hiding the truth,” she said. 

Among the artist that will be on hand to discuss their work will be Morfogen, who will show her original and compelling masks, and Christopher Evan Taylor, a Lincroft oil painter and photographer who creates limited edition prints and note cards. He owns vonschmidt enterprises, where he sells limited edition prints.

Taylor uses the camera as a resource for his paintings. He takes many photographs of the Northeast landscape, including scenes from Holmdel, Cheesequake, and Thompson parks as well as Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. His paintings evoke a sense of place and tranquility because of his focus on strong compositional elements.

In 1997, Taylor began to incorporate the figure of a child in his landscapes. “A young girl intermingled with nature's foliage adds a new metaphorical dimension to my work with implications of youth, renewal and blossoming innocence.”

More recently, he began pursuing the challenge of portrait paintings initially concentrating on children but now including adults.

Taylor was born in San Antonio, Texas, and was raised as an Air Force "brat" who’s family frequently moved around the country. He attended eight different schools in five states, eventually settling in New Jersey, most recently in Lincroft. He has been studying with Grace Graupe-Pillard since 1993 at Thompson Park in Lincroft.

He has exhibited widely in the Monmouth County area, including The Monmouth Museum, The Middletown Library, Guild of Creative Art, The Art Alliance, Thompson Park Visitors Center, NJ Center for the Healing Arts, Freehold County Records Office and the Mitchell Sandborn Gallery. He has also had solos shows at C & S Wholesale Grocers and Johnson & Johnson Corporate Center and Middletown Library.

Sharing the exhibition space with Morfogen and Taylor, will be other painters like Jack Ives, Terry Grewen, Nicolo Sturiano (aka H. Hargrove,) Norma Wokus, Florrie Hill as well as Eryka Andrex, a Red Bank painter who also makes dance accessories. Pat Halsey, will show her oil paintings and framed photographs that are cello wrapped and on light boxes, and Bettie Rogers, a Red Bank photographer,

In addition there will be other artists who create wearable and usable art. Rumson resident Doreen Catena creates home decor from recycled billboards, Vicky Culver, Howell, creates photo collage based wearable rings, pendants and pins, plus magnets and mini art pieces; Pamela Duffus creates wonderful wire sculptures and painted silk scarves; Colts Neck resident Eileen Kornbluh will display her pottery; Atlantic Highlands residents Anne and Bob Milling will show beaded and fabricated jewelry and lampworked beads; Monmouth Beach resident Joan Parent will have beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings on display,

“It’s a wonderful thing to support local creative artists,” Morfogen said.

As with any festival, people will have an opportunity to purchase light refreshments at the Arts Cafe, she added.

The colorful and original art works will be on display at the UUCMC Meeting House, 1475 West Front St., Lincroft, on Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Please check the UUCMC (uucmc.org) web site for directions or call 732-747-0707.