Westwood Library Exhibits Local Artist’s Work

Bergen County native and Westwood resident Janet Kroenke has been involved in the art industry for nearly 40 years. She does both fine and commercial art and earns her living through digital imaging.

This month, Director Martha Urbiel asked Kroenke to display some of this digital artwork for residents to see.

“What happened is I had my stuff hanging at the and I had brought my mosaics in and I had exhibited them the month before at the Westwood Library because they liked them and a man who had seen my work went in and told Martha Urbiel about it and she asked me if I would like to have a show,” Kroenke said. “So I said yes and I waited about two months because there was a show of high school kids’ artwork.”

Along with displaying her work at the Washington Township and Westwood libraries, Kroenke’s art has been up in Ridgewood, Upper Saddle River, Hillsdale and a number of other places, she said.

Kroenke currently works part-time at The Record as a Digital Imaging Specialist in the photo department. Before that, she began her commercial artwork.

“I do commercial artwork and have for many many years,” Kroenke said. “I’ve worked in all kinds of places, for magazines, newspapers, ad agencies, printers and corporations.”

She’s also worked on doing repairs and coloring of antique prints in Photoshop.

“Years ago when photographers brought their photos in they were done in a dark room but now everything has gone over to Photoshop,” she said.

Initially, Kroenke was hired by The Record full-time, but when they were forced to make cuts she lost her job. They then rehired her at a part-time position and she plans to continue to work in their photo department, along with doing freelance work.

You can see Kroenke’s digital artwork at the Westwood Library through the end of June and visit her website to see all of her art collections.