Watchung Arts Center Hosting 25-Year Photo Retrospective

WAC: The New Jersey Photography Forum (NJPF) continues the celebration of its 25th anniversary with a retrospective exhibit at the Watchung Arts Center at 18 Stirling Road on the Watchung Circle in Watchung, NJ from November 1 through November 30, 2019, with a gala opening reception on November 3 from 1-5pm. The Center galleries are open Tuesday, through Friday from noon – 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am – 3 pm.

The exhibit contains two floors of outstanding photographs representing the past 25 years of fine art photography. Upstairs in the Heinz W. Otto Gallery, the NJPF will be showing almost 50 pieces by 37 artists who live throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Some have been part of the group since its inception with the balance being very active exhibitors for many years. The works range from film and alternative processes to digital imagery. The Lower Gallery will feature photographs that have won some top prizes in the Forum’s annual juried photography exhibits held at the Watchung Arts Center over the past 25 years. Most works are for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to the arts center.

The New Jersey Photography Forum: A 25 Year Retrospective opening reception on Sunday, November 3 from 1-5 pm will encourage attendees to RSVP for the two presentations at RetrospectiveRSVP@gmail.com. At 1:30 there will be a presentation of the 10 thousand dollar Caryn B. Seifer Emerging Photographer Award to Precious Braswell, who will be a 1st year student in the 2-year International Center Of Photography-Bard MFA program. She is a New Jersey resident and recently graduated with honors from Saint Peter's University in Jersey City with a B.A. in Graphic Arts and a concentration in Photography. The ICP-Bard MFA Program offers a rigorous exploration of all aspects of photography through an integrated curriculum of studio and creative practice, critical study, and Resident Artist Projects. This $10,000 scholarship award demonstrates the commitment of the New
Jersey Photography Forum to foster education within the photographic community of New Jersey.
At 4pm Nancy Ori, the exhibit curator, will speak about the exhibit and introduce several of the artists who will also talk about their work. It will be a great afternoon of celebration with music, great food, wine tastings, andfun. It is free and open to the public but please RSVP to RetrospectiveRSVP@gmail.com and let us know what time you are coming. Nancy Ori, the founder and Director of the New Jersey Photography Forum says: “The Watchung Art Center is a
wonderful showplace for this retrospective exhibit tracing the history and dramatic changes that have happened in photographic art over the past 25 years, a period which corresponds to the founding and growth of the NJ Photography Forum. It also demonstrates the commitment that the NJPF and the arts center have to each other.” The New Jersey Photography Forum is dedicated to furthering the interests of professional and serious photographers living or working in the New Jersey area. Under Ori’s direction, the NJPF has become the largest and most recognized group of fine art exhibiting photographers in the state. The monthly meetings are held at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey in Summit and encourage attendees to share expertise and advance their skills.

The meetings provide access to a wide variety of current creative and technical information. Attendees have an opportunity to share their work for critique by others. Exhibition possibilities within the fine art community are constantly explored, and the group produces about a dozen group exhibits each year at various venues. These exhibit opportunities have become an invaluable resource for photographers interested in becoming fine art exhibitors.