Studio Montclair To Hold ‘CraftMasters’ Exhibit, Sales Event

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of Studio Montclair. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Studio Montclair Inc. is delighted to host “CraftMasters,” our first hybrid exhibition and sales event. Focused on the intersection of fine art and craft, the show features works of art displaying a high level of skill, craftsmanship, and mastery created in a contemporary artworld context. Craftmasters will be held in conjunction with Studio Montclair’s Postcard Fundraiser the weekend of Dec. 10 and 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Leach Gallery, 641 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair.

Selected by Juror Michelle Kurlan Schneider—herself a Studio Montclair artist member-- the artwork spans a broad range of art disciplines. According to Schneider, “The works selected for CraftMasters are a diverse expression of the vast array of artists represented at Studio Montclair. I chose them to be part of this event to showcase how they can blur the line between art and craft. Some artists use unconventional materials to create more functional pieces, while others choose traditional ones for primarily aesthetic work. Therefore, this show combines a gallery exhibit and a high-end craft marketplace. Included are ceramic spoon sculptures arranged as wall hangings; watercolors transferred onto bags; light fixtures created out of found objects; paintings encapsulated in earrings -- a small sample of the wide range of work on display. I look forward to seeing them complement each other in the gallery space.”

• Exhibition Dates: December 10 & 11, 2022
• Hours: 10am to 6pm
• Gallery: Leach Gallery, 641 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, NJ
• Studio Montclair Contact Info: smi@studiomontclair.org, 862-500-1447

About the Juror: Michelle Kurlan Schneider is a multidisciplinary artist who rotates her mediums between watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, and clay. She is a lifelong learner who continually develops, refines, and expands her craft. Her recent focus is on ceramics, and she has found novel ways to channel her fascination with organic forms through sculptural and, ofttimes functional pieces. Looking deeply into patterns in nature, such as the intricacies of microscopic life forms through aerial perspectives, helps her capture them in alternative ways.

As an arts educator, Michelle has collaborated with many renowned organizations, including the National Art Education Association and DIA Center for the Arts. She was a cooperating educator for Chelsea Prep (PS33) and the Whitney Museum of Art partnership, where she planned, developed, and implemented workshops for educators, students, and families. Michelle has organized and curated exhibits for Creative Pier Gallery, LES Gallery, and Wherehouse Art Collective and has received numerous studio residencies through the nonprofit Chashama. She taught art to children for seventeen years and now mentors student art teachers at Montclair State University. After years of working primarily in art education, she now focuses mainly on her creative practice at her studio in Manufacturers Village, East Orange, NJ. Michelle received her bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and a Master of Arts in painting from New York University. Her study abroad included New York University's Venice Studio Program and the School of Visual Art's Summer Painting Program and accompanying Art Retrospective.

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