Monmouth Museum presents Michael Short: Intentional Drift

Monmouth Museum’s NJ Emerging Artists Series presents

Michael Short: Intentional Drift

Michael Short will be a featured artist in Monmouth Museum’s New Jersey Emerging Artists Series, on exhibit at the Museum from August 17 – September 16, 2018. Short is a Monmouth Beach, New Jersey based artist who said Intentional Drift began with the forging of materials gathered from hikes and, exploring local beaches, many recovered in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. “The ocean is an undeniable force that never ceases to inspire and humble me. It comes down to finding, collecting, salvaging and re-imagining materials cast adrift. At first, I saw beach-combing as a means to an end, but the more time I spend collecting, the more I realize it is an integral part of what I am trying to achieve. The rhythm and patterns of nature pose a symbolic template that I find endlessly engaging. Much of my work focuses on the use of the battered edges and subtle natural colors found in the debris along the beach. The use of repetition and patterns echoes the cycle of the tides and the passing of time, while binding the materials serves to evoke the notion of repair and the mending of a primitive nature. My work is about preservation and rejuvenation of materials that were seemingly lost and forgotten, only to be rediscovered and celebrated again as art.”

Intentional Drift and will open on Friday, August 17, 2018 with a reception from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM in the Nilson Gallery at the Museum.

Short’s Gallery Talk will be held on Wednesday, September 12th from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

Both the opening reception and gallery talk are free and open to the public.

Short grew up in Monmouth Beach, NJ. He studied art at Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, The Atlanta College of Art, Georgia and philosophy at Hunter College in NYC. While in Atlanta he worked in the film industry as a set painter. After moving back to New Jersey in the early 90s, he began a decorative painting business, drawing on skills from art school, set painting and house painting. Short’s intention for this exhibition is to direct attention to our obsession with “new things” and the careless discarding of anything that may require restoration or preservation. His repurposing and recycling of materials is meant to inspire the viewer and challenge them to do the same. Short still lives in Monmouth beach with his wife Tara and two sons, Dylan and Brendan.

Since 2007 the Monmouth Museum has presented the work of NJ emerging artists through its popular series, The New Jersey Emerging Artists Series. The Series consists of six annual monthly solo exhibitions to showcase the new work of NJ artists who have not previously held one-person exhibitions in our State. The Nilson Gallery in the Monmouth Museum provides a unique and exciting opportunity for these artists to exhibit their work. Selected artists are guided through the exhibition process, provided promotional materials and give an Artist’s Talk during their exhibition, offering the public insight into their artistic process. All Opening Receptions & Gallery Talks are free and open to the public. The artists selected for this Series represent the diversity of talent in the State and demonstrate creativity in a wide variety of media.

The Monmouth Museum, founded in 1963 as a Museum of Ideas, presents changing art, history and science exhibitions to educate and entertain while providing a destination for creative expression and life-long learning to the diverse community it serves.

For more information about the Monmouth Museum exhibits and programs their website is www.monmouthmuseum.org or call 732-747-2266. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

###