2023 Gallery of Exhibits

 “My Favorite Things"’ by the Clifton Association of Artists 

March 8th - April 29th

Opening Reception:   Saturday, March 11th from 1pm-4pm 

The Clifton Arts Center presents “My Favorite Things” by Clifton Association of Artists, on Saturday, March 11th from 1pm-4pm there will be a Meet & Greet opening for all the artists. Awards will be presented at the meet/greet reception which will be given in various art categories. The gallery’s visiting days open to the public are Wednesdays through Saturdays 1pm-4pm. 

This year’s theme by the Clifton Association of Artists showcases favorite things. A variety of art media such as oil, acrylic, pastels, photography, watercolor, and sculpture from amateur and professional artists are displayed. The artists are depicting a few of their favorite things like vistas of the New York skyline, cats, music whimsical rabbits and leprechauns and varied landscapes through their artworks. For example, the song “My Favorite Things” was composed by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The song was performed in the well-known movie version of The Sound of Music sung by Julie Andrews. There are so many “favorite things” that we can appreciate. 

The Clifton Association of Artists was established in 1963 by a group of twelve Clifton artists. The mission of the Association is to promote the advancement of art and culture in Clifton by creating an environment for the expression of the visual arts. Presently, the Association has artists that are uniquely talented in their own art styles and media. 

 “And We’re Off!’ by Pro Arts Jersey City & Shim Art Network 

Wed, January 18th to Sat, February 25th.  

Opening Reception:   Saturday, January 21st from 1pm-4pm a Meet/Greet for the public to see and meet the artists will be held with a light reception. 

Pro Arts Jersey City is a professional membership community dedicated to advancing and promoting visual artists and their work. Volunteering and community-building are key components of the Pro Arts non-profit 501(c)(3) model established in 1994. Pro Arts is comprised of roughly 200 emerging and professional artists living and working throughout New Jersey and New York who are actively engaged in pursuing the visual arts as a career. Yearly programming includes exhibitions and professional development events that introduce curators, collectors, and the public to members and their work.  

In 2019, Pro Arts formed a partnership with SHIM Art Network making it possible for members to voluntarily join the international online platform, Artsy.net, at a reduced rate. SHIM also offered the opportunity for exhibitions in physical spaces in the NYC metro area. Unfortunately, the pandemic eliminated the possibility of live exhibitions. 

And We’re Off! is the first exhibition of 2023. The leadership team of Pro Arts knows that once the new year begins, they are in a race to carry-out the busy exhibition & event calendar that are promised to members every year. For this exhibition, co-presidents, Dorie Dahlberg and Bryant Small, felt Pro Arts should reward those who have renewed their SHIM membership throughout the pandemic with a gallery exhibition. Pro Arts is grateful to the City of Clifton Arts Center’s gallery space and for the opportunity to present and introduce members’ artwork to a new audience! 

 “And We’re Off!’ by Pro Arts Jersey City & Shim Art Network 

Wed, January 18th to Sat, February 25th.  

Opening Reception:   Saturday, January 21st from 1pm-4pm a Meet/Greet for the public to see and meet the artists will be held with a light reception. 

Pro Arts Jersey City is a professional membership community dedicated to advancing and promoting visual artists and their work. Volunteering and community-building are key components of the Pro Arts non-profit 501(c)(3) model established in 1994. Pro Arts is comprised of roughly 200 emerging and professional artists living and working throughout New Jersey and New York who are actively engaged in pursuing the visual arts as a career. Yearly programming includes exhibitions and professional development events that introduce curators, collectors, and the public to members and their work.  

In 2019, Pro Arts formed a partnership with SHIM Art Network making it possible for members to voluntarily join the international online platform, Artsy.net, at a reduced rate. SHIM also offered the opportunity for exhibitions in physical spaces in the NYC metro area. Unfortunately, the pandemic eliminated the possibility of live exhibitions. 

And We’re Off! is the first exhibition of 2023. The leadership team of Pro Arts knows that once the new year begins, they are in a race to carry-out the busy exhibition & event calendar that are promised to members every year. For this exhibition, co-presidents, Dorie Dahlberg and Bryant Small, felt Pro Arts should reward those who have renewed their SHIM membership throughout the pandemic with a gallery exhibition. Pro Arts is grateful to the City of Clifton Arts Center’s gallery space and for the opportunity to present and introduce members’ artwork to a new audience! 

 “Seasonal Splendor and Spatial Relations” - Nov. 9th to Dec. 10th

Meet and Greet Reception on Saturday, Nov. 19th 1-4pm

The Clifton Arts Center will host a joint exhibit of painting and sculpture,

“Seasonal Splendor and Spatial Relations,” by  The Tuesday Painters and Indie Sculptors..  Michael Bertelli, the president of the Clifton Arts Center’s advisory board, serves as the curator for the exhibition.

About Tuesday Painters:

The Tuesday Painters had an exhibit at the Clifton Arts Center in 2020. The organization is a group of 30 artists that meet on a weekly basis in an art workshop at Trinity Episcopal Church in the Bergen County town of Allendale. Linda Marks, president, said the Tuesday Painters began as an art class run by Billie Samuelson. “When she retired (about 15 years ago), we didn’t want to disperse, so John Panzenhagen organized us into a club to meet each Tuesday.” Marks said members of the Tuesday Painters express themselves in a diverse range of media and subject matter. For more information about joining the group and participating in the workshops, contact Marks at (973) 962-6550.

About The Indie Sculptors: 

The Indie Sculptors is a group of various artists that Mike Bertelli, President of Clifton Advisory Board of Trustees collaborated with to exhibit with the Tuesday Painters for the special seasonal exhibition at the Clifton Arts Center Gallery.  The independent sculptor’s exhibit, with many artists of international renown, will include work by Catherine Schmitt and Richard Pitts. A native of Paris, Schmitt studied with Josee De Creef at New York’s Art Students League, followed by studies at the city’s Studio School. Her associations include the National Association of Women Artists and the Sculptor Affiliates of the Art Center of

Northern New Jersey. Her artwork was part of the 2010 Clifton Arts Center’s

“Passport to the Arts.”

After graduating from Clifton High School in the 1950s, Pitts attended the Newark

School of Fine and Industrial Arts. In 1960 he moved to New York City, set up a 

studio and attended Pratt Institute. He studied in Paris and later became a 

teacher in the Fine Arts Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology. In 2004 he began exhibiting sculpture. Involved in sculpture and painting, sculpture developed as a major direction for Pitts after attending an artist welding workshops in Connecticut. Five years later he set up a sculpture studio on a farm in Pennsylvania for welding metals. His career spans six decades as an artist and teacher, and he continues to paint and exhibit large-scale outdoor sculpture.

In addition, other local and national artists are included:  Dan Bertelli, Herrat Sommerhoff, Gary Erbe, Miklos Sebek, Paul Sisko, Ed Smith, Meryl Taradash, Susan Barbetti-Norton, Elaine Lorenz, Peter Allen, Michale Shacham, Judith Peck, Mario Busoni and Ruben Kadish. 

This exhibit showcases the many talents and craftsmanship skills of various art mediums within sculpture and within painting.  

“The Art of Living Together” by Peace Islands Institute

Wednesday, September 21st - October 29th

Community Art Day, Meet & Greet Reception: 

September 24th 1:00-4:00pm

The Clifton Arts Center presents “The Art of Living Together” by Peace Islands Institute

in collaboration with the Turkish Cultural Center of New Jersey from Wednesday,

September 21st to Saturday, October 29th.

On Saturday, September 24th from 1pm-4pm there will be a Community Art Day for the public to see and meet the artists and a light reception. September 21st is observed annually as International Day of Peace.  The day aims to acknowledge the idea that though combined efforts, nations can strengthen the ideals of peace.  By working together, nations, can solve common problems such as disease or violence.  International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations General Assembly.

In addition to the community art day at Clifton Arts Center on Saturday September, 24th, International Day of Peace will also recognized and acknowledged.

Peace Islands Institute promotes peace, love, respect, humanity, integrity, welfare, and

understanding. It aspires to facilitate a forum of mutual respect and collaboration,

welcoming and acceptance of varied viewpoints and voices with the intent to develop

original and alternative perspectives on vital issues that our society is facing.

The Turkish Cultural Center of New Jersey (TCCNJ) is a not-for-profit organization that aims to promote understanding of American and Turkish cultures, and to foster integrity through cultural and educational activities, providing an inspiring atmosphere for the friends and helping them get better integrated with their local communities.

The exhibit of “The Art of Living Together” presented by Peace Islands Institute in

collaboration with the Turkish Cultural Center of New Jersey showcases the many

talents and craftsmanship skills of Turkish culture and art via various mediums, such as

paintings, water marbling on paper, calligraphy, pottery and various mixed-media. The

exhibit also aims to promote good will and peace.

“In Motion” by Clifton Association of Artists 

Wednesday, August 10th to Saturday, September 3rd from 1pm-4pm.   

Opening Reception and Meet and Greet: 

Saturday, August 13th from 1pm-4pm 

This year’s theme by the Clifton Association of Artists focuses on movement. A variety of art media such as oil, acrylic, pastels, photography, watercolor and sculpture from amateur and professional artists are displayed. The artists are depicting the flow of motion and movement through their art. 

The Clifton Association of Artists was established in 1963 by a group of twelve Clifton artists. The mission of the Association is to promote the advancement of art and culture in Clifton by creating an environment for the expression of the visual arts. Presently, the Association has artists that are uniquely talented in their own art styles and media and includes artists of all skill levels.  

Residents interested in joining can find out more information here. 

Wed, May 11th to Sat, July 30th, 1pm-4pm.  

Saturday, May 14th there will be a Meet & Greet opening for both artists.  

Both father and daughter are unique and very talented artists in their own ways. Their exhibit will excite your sense of reality. One important common thread that both Gary and his daughter, Chantell share is that both are completely self-taught.  

The only input into Chantell’s creations by her dad has been to critique her work and extend his personal and honest opinion. Her preferred medium for many years has been mixed media and she has developed an independent artistic identity for herself, which in itself is a personal accomplishment. Chantell also exhibits a broad interest in subject matter, always combining subject with content. As a result, the viewer is drawn to her paintings, often in a gradual way until we find ourselves entering into them. The body of work Chantell has created to date shows her goal is to discover new ways of painting while responding to the world around her and her inner world. She is the winner of numerous awards, Chantell’s art career has spanned over three decades. She is an elected member of Allied Artists of America and Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club. She is listed in Who’s Who in American Art. In 2019, her work was featured in a book devoted to New Jersey artists by author, Tova Navarra. 

 Gary Erbe has been painting professionally for over 40 years.  Via extensive solo exhibitions, Erbe’s work has been presented throughout the United States, and he has garnered numerous honors and awards. He has exhibited internationally and participated in a group show, American Art on the Brink of the 21st Century, organized by Meridian International in Washington, D.C., that traveled for two years in the Far East. Erbe’s works hang in a number of museums across the country and can be found in many public and private collections throughout the world. He currently maintains a studio in Nutley, New Jersey. Gary’s impeccable skill imbues familiar objects with a heightened realism that evokes pristine and otherworldly clarity of surrealism.  His work is aesthetically complex and profoundly engaging. His work is referred to as perspectival illusionism, “trompe l’oeil”. Gary explains it as “levitational realism as an illusionistic depiction of objects where they seem to hover in space.” 

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 - Saturday, April 30, 2022.  

Students of Clifton High School Art Department are exhibiting and selling their artworks at the Clifton Arts Center Gallery.  This is an opportunity for all residents to view work created by talented and emerging resident artists.  Inspired by the Famous Quote; “Every Cloud has a Silver Lining” the Clifton High School Visual Art Teachers & Students felt drawn to this theme for this year’s Annual Student Art Gallery Exhibit.

It is often said that Art reflects History and we are most definitely living in historic times. We are all dealing with a pandemic that is ever-changing and it affects each and every one of us in different ways. Students have had to deal with many struggles, obstacles and adjustments to their usual daily life both at home and at school. However, focusing on the negative never changes anything. Instead, we have to remain focused on the positive - find that “Silver Lining” while experiencing difficulties in our lives. Through the therapeutic creation of art, the visual art students have been encouraged to focus on the “Silver Lining” through these current times and focus on the aspects that bring joy, peace and a sense-of-self. 

This year’s Student Art Gallery Exhibit is dedicated to all of the young and talented student artists. It is with great hope that the art teachers create a lasting impression on all of them as they continue to move forward in positive directions in their lives.  

March 3rd – April 2nd, 2022     

Thursdays 10am-4pm and Saturdays 10am- 4pm. 

The Butler Institute of American Art  

 The Butler Institute of American Art is located in Youngstown, Ohio. It is the first museum dedicated exclusively to American art. Established by local industrialist and philanthropist Joseph G. Butler, Jr., the museum has been operating pro bono since 1919. Dedicated in 1919, the original structure is a McKim, Mead and White architectural masterpiece listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Among the extraordinary number of distinguished painters over the past two centuries in New Jersey, among them is Fred Staloff (1924-2019). His career spanned over 6 decades, and whose work represents every major art movement of the twentieth century, from American Scene Painting through Modes of Abstraction. He was attending the Newark College of Engineering when World War II changed his plans, he joined the army in 1943.

In 1946, with aid from the G.I. Bill, he enrolled as a student in the Newark School of Fine & Industrial Art. There he studied sculpture with Reuben Nakian and painting with Hans Weingaertner. After graduating in 1949, he went to Paris, where he studied in the Atelier of Ossip Zadkine and then at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. It was at this time that he fortuitously met the young woman, Janette Gannat, who would become his wife .

The exhibit is open to the public Thursdays from 10am-4pm and Saturdays from 10am- 4pm.  For other appointment requests please call  973-472-5499 or email Roxanne at rcammilleri@cliftonnj.org 

November 4th – December 11th, 2021

Painting Affiliates of the Art Center of Northern New Jersey

The Clifton Arts Center presents “Painting Through the Pandemic” by the Painting Affiliates of the Art Center of Northern New Jersey, an art exhibit and sale.

Painting Affiliates is a group of regional artists who work independently and join to exhibit together in the metropolitan area. Founded in 1970, the group seeks to build community appreciation of contemporary art without representing any particular style or school. Members meet to exchange ideas, stimulate new thinking, solve problems and provide creative support. Their group shows have been held at the Newark Museum, The Morris Museum, the Bergen Museum of Art and Sciences, Nabisco World Headquarters, Johnson & Johnson, Volkswagen and Valley National Bank.

The Painting Affiliates is one of four groups associated with the Art Center of Northern New Jersey, which provides art training for all ages as well as year round exhibits.

Did you miss this exhibit?   In this video, some descriptions and techniques about the paintings from the art group Painting Affiliates of the Art Center of Northern New Jersey are presented. Watch the video here. 

 October 7th - October 30thThursdays & Saturdays 10am - 4pm

This exhibit features the artwork of Joel Naprstek, a freelance illustrator for over 25 years.  He has painted pulp-style covers for DC Comics and Marvel, and worked with NBC, CBS and Time, Inc.  A graduate of New York's School Of Visual Arts, Joel taught painting and illustration there for nine years, and currently teaches at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in NJ.  A car racing enthusiast, Joel paints classic auto racing scenes, as well as comics and pulp heroes like Batman, Zorro and The Spider.

Did you miss this exhibit?  In this video,  Joel Naprstek takes us on a visual tour of his exhibit, The Dynamic Art & Illustration of Joel Naprstek.  Watch the video here.

March 4th – March 28th, 2020

“World Travel in Art” - An Exhibit & Sale

Clifton Association of Artists

Reception: Saturday, March 7th, 2020 1pm-4pm

April 8th – April 25th, 2020

“Unleash Your Inner Artist”

Clifton High School Students

Reception: Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 6pm-8pm

May 20th ~ September 5th, 2020

“Reaching for the Moon & Beyond”

NASA and Kennedy Space Center

DNC Parks & Resorts at Kennedy Space Center

Reception: Wednesday, May 20th at 5pm

September 23rd – October 24th, 2020

“Comic Book Art, Auto Racing Art & Aviation Art”

Joel F. Naprstek

Reception: To Be Announced

November 4th – December 5th, 2020

“A Season in Paint”

Painting Affiliates of Northern New Jersey

Reception: To Be Announced

Sunday, March 22, 2020

“Fly Me to The Moon with Jazz Music”

Jazz Drummer, Mike Luipersbeck & Trio Peter Greco & Ron Naspo

Time to Be Announced

 As the new decade begins, The Clifton Arts Center is excited to present "An Art Partnership" by the Tuesday Painters, with sculptural works by Mike Bertelli. 

The Tuesday Painters are a co-op of local New Jersey & New York artists who meet & create on Tuesday mornings.

This exhibit opens Wednesday, January 29th and runs Wednesday - Saturdays

1:00PM to 4:00pm.   A Reception will be held Saturday, February 8th 1:00pm TO 4:00PM.