Essex County Art Featured In New South Orange Exhibit

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel : Starting in November, 77 pieces from 30 Essex County artists will be showcased at the Open Essex exhibit at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI) at The Gallery at TSTI. The art opening, which is free and open to the public, will be on Sunday, November 10 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, charcoal and chalk drawings, and photographs will be displayed in the Reform synagogue’s art space at 432 Scotland Road in South Orange.

“We wanted to provide greater exposure to the talented Essex County art community and our committee has curated an impressive collection of hand-rendered and photographic pieces,” said Richard Koch, art committee chair. The artists represent towns throughout the county; many will be at the opening to meet the public and talk about their work.

“The member response to the gallery has been very positive and we’ve gotten great feedback on both our initial member art show and the nature photography show in September,” said Koch. “Out of those experiences, the committee decided to open it up to a wider pool of local artists.”
Among the artists whose works will be shown are Ellen Hark of West Orange and Joanne Leone of Orange. Both taught art for many years—Hark for 30 years at South Orange Middle School and Leone for 35 years, at all grade levels in Newark, where she grew up and attended Arts High School.

Hark, formerly of Maplewood, has exhibited at various galleries in Essex and Morris counties, including the past eight years at the Gaelen Center for the Arts at the JCC of Greater MetroWest in West Orange.

“Shows like this at TSTI are a great way to spotlight artists who live in the area, and share their art with the wider community,” said Hark. “It’s also a great way to get more community participation among residents of all ages.”

Hark works in many media but primarily in collages. She will have two mixed media portraits on display at TSTI, with multiple tones, colors and textures created with the torn print materials she overlays on the portraits’ underpaintings.

Leone, who now lives a few blocks from TSTI, said. “I love the idea of having a gallery in my neighborhood that encourages local artists and celebrates creative expression. I want to support that.” Her art studio is in Short Hills where, like Hark, she works in various media. She is also involved in curating exhibits, creating installations, and collaborating with other artists.

At TSTI, Leone will show two paintings she created while listening to music with her eyes closed, and that reflect the energy she was feeling from the music. A third piece, which includes found objects, contemplates wisdom and the circle of life.

The Gallery at TSTI began in April 2019 with an exhibit of more than 90 multimedia pieces by temple members. That inaugural success led to the synagogue mounting a nature photography show in September, in partnership with two area photography clubs. In February 2020, in honor of Black History Month, The Gallery at TSTI will host a show featuring African American artists expressing their experience with civil rights in America.

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel offers numerous ways for members to connect with and celebrate being part of the Jewish community and the world. Welcoming Jews by birth or by choice, interfaith, traditional and non-traditional families, and children of all abilities, TSTI provides lifelong learning and enriching programs for all members through a full complement of religious services, early childhood and religious school education, cultural programs, and activities that foster connection, engagement and community outreach in a joyful, judgment-free environment. TSTI draw members from Maplewood, South Orange, West Orange, Short Hills, Millburn, Livingston and surrounding areas. For more information, visit www.tsti.org.
Photo Caption: "Sisters" by Ellen Hark (left) and "Don't Box Me In" by Joanne Leone will be in the Open Essex art exhibit.