Reeves-Reed Welcomes Local Artists to Garden Gallery

Reeves-Reed Arboretum has been known as an educational conservancy for decades, but it's recently taken on an additional function: art gallery.

Since October of 2009, local artists have been featured in a space on the arboretum grounds that formerly housed a garden gift shop.

"The arboretum gift shop had closed last spring and there was this intimate lovely space, already well-lit and painted, but empty," recalled Summit resident and amateur painter, Lyle Brehm. "It seemed to me that artwork and nature would be perfect together, and that there were numerous artists in our area who are always eager to exhibit."

Brehm took the idea to Gayle Petty-Johnson, the arboretum's new director as of July, and together they worked to make it a reality.

The first exhibit, which opened last fall, featured painters Jane DiMaggio of New Providence and Lyle Brehm, as well as a basket sculptor, Elisa Caprorale, of Summit.  

On January 14, the gallery welcomed a second group of exhibitors whose artwork will remain on display until March 13. The current exhibit includes artists Jeny MacCullough, Susan Philips, and Jill Vondervor-Frank, painters, and Hoda Saleh, jewelry artist.

Although the majority of the paintings presently housed in the gallery feature many subjects related to nature and the outdoors, Brehm said, "We couldn't be limited to just botanical paintings because that would get too boring."

She went on to explain that since the current group is made up mostly of landscape painters, the artists tended to choose scenes and subjects that included botanicals.

For example, Philips' watercolors and monoprints, based on personal photographs, portray outdoor scenes and still life arrangements from near and far. Among them are landscapes of Novia Scotia, Mexico, Oregon, and Yosemite.

The Chatham artist's body of work also includes subjects that can be recognized by local residents as well: a Whole Foods bakery case, a spread of cookies purchased at Costco, and an arrangement of flower pots from J&M Garden Center in Madison.

"You never know what's going to inspire (you)," said the artist.

Philips' artwork has been displayed in various local spaces, including the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, area libraries, Overlook Hospital, and the Papermill Playhouse, among others.

McCullough, a watercolor and oil painter, also has works in the Garden Gallery that include florals, landscapes, and even animals. She has been painting for over 30 years, has worked as a faux and theater set painter, and is a member of several art clubs.

The current exhibit's three-dimensional component is the unique and custom handmade jewelry of Saleh, whose creations include necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Her work has been featured in art and juried shows in Sussex County, Lambertville, Livingston, and at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey.

"They're all one of a kind," said the designer of her wearable art. "There're not two that are the same. One woman can have 10 pieces that are not even close to each other."

Saleh uses real stones in her jewelry, among which are smoky quartz, mother of pearl, turquoise, citrine, and labradorita. She specializes in resizing the pieces as well, and is able to shorten or lengthen them to specially fit the customer.

The final contributor, Vondervor-Frank, is a Mapelwood and Sussex artist who is active with many local art clubs. She is the president of the Essex Watercolor Club, a board member of the Millburn/Short Hills Art Center and an associate member at many local watercolor societies.

Vondervor-Frank's work has been featured at Seton Hall University and at The Pen & Bruch in New York.

All artists' work at the Reeves-Reed Garden Gallery is available for sale, and 20 percent of all commissions is retained by the arboretum and used for funding its educational programs.

As part of their participation as artists, exhibitors must agree to help staff the art gallery, which is open Wednesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

As a result, gallery visitors may have an opportunity to see an artist at work, as some of them enjoy painting and creating during their staffing hours. In fact, during the gallery's previous exhibit, Brehm made a sale on one of her pieces as it was being painted!

According to Ellen Donovan, the arboretum's Development Director, the arboretum hopes to host a new group of exhibitors every four to six weeks.

Artists are chosen by a review committee selected by the Arboretum Board of Directors and are asked to submit examples of their work in order to be considered for the gallery.

"Criteria are still evolving," Brehm said, "and we have to consider space limitations, availability of artists to staff the gallery, and a mix of two-dimensional and three-dimensional work to take best advantage of the space."

In the future, Director Petty-Johnson also hopes to offer art classes and demonstrations for the public in the gallery setting. Such workshops might include flower-arranging or basket-making, and would be taught by those who have expertise in the fields.

"We plan more events for the spring, such as a paint-in where artists will paint pictures on the grounds of the arboretum, and they will be auctioned in the evening," Brehm said.

The next scheduled exhibit in the Garden Gallery is planned to open at the beginning of April and will feature the Contemporary Art Group from Watchung.