To paraphrase the common saying (and Rod Stewart album title), “Every picture window tells a story.”
Studio Montclair invites viewers to take an outside look in to “Inside Out,” its new social distancing-friendly exhibition on display in the windows of its gallery at 127 Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair.
The first four works chosen for the exhibit were unveiled on Monday, June 1, and will stay up through mid-July, when they will be replaced by four different installations through Aug. 30.
“We are pleased to collaborate with Fresh Air Montclair Exhibitions to activate the downtown area through art," said Susanna Baker, the studio’s executive director. "These installations, both exciting and thought-provoking, encourage the kind of interpersonal connection we seek during the pandemic without risk of contagion.
"We hope you will take the time to walk or drive by and enjoy art in the time of COVID.”
Fresh Air Montclair Exhibitions was conceived as a way for local artists to show their works in storefronts along Bloomfield Avenue and adjacent streets during the state-mandated coronavirus shutdown of businesses and other public venues. The project was spearheaded by Mary Scotti of 73 See Gallery Design Studio and Kathryn Waggener McGuire of Clerestory Fine Art.
Other businesses currently taking part are Pure Energy Hair Studio, 460 Bloomfield Ave., with “Seeds to the Future,” an exhibit of works by Kate Dodd, Yvette Lucas and Monika Smerdel; and the Crescent Building, 18-30 S. Fullerton Ave., which is hosting “EGALLUTS Quarantined,” with documentary photography by Amando “OUTthere” Diaz from Clerestory Fine Art’s “Everybody’s Got a Little Light Under The Sun” exhibition and performance series.
Artists on display for the first phase of “Inside Out” at Studio Montclair are:
Window 1: “COVID-19 Cut-ups,” Joe Castronova -- The approach to art of Castronova, an artist and educator living in Metuchen, is described as “using the languages of abstraction, graffiti and nature to talk about issues of conflict, resolution and visual harmony.” The work he is displaying was all created while “sheltering at home.”
Window 2: “Drawing in Space,” Linda Streicher -- Streicher’s installation aims to “interact directly with the facade and display-area architecture to alter the viewer’s spatial perceptions." She noted: “My goal is to break down the barrier and void between interior and exterior by creating a unique and somewhat odd in-between space.”
Window 3: “Day of the Dead,” Santiago Cohen -- Mexican/American artist Santiago said in regard to his window: “The quarantine is here and will be here for the near future; death and grieving are the two uninvited friends among us. I present you the string puppets we made for the Day of the Dead parade in Jersey City. . . . elegant and dignified, a reminder that we can laugh at the edge of our future.”
Window 4: “Faux Forest,” Suprina -- Suprina describes her installation as "a commentary on how much 'stuff’ we consume and throw away. I am fascinated with our ability to cherish an object and then later, deem it useless.”
The exhibit was juried by Elie Porter Trubert, executive director of The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster.
Artists for the second phase of the exhibit have yet to be revealed.
Other artists or businesses that would like to participate in Fresh Air Montclair Exhibitions can apply online here or email info@freshairmontclair.com.
For more information on the nonprofit Studio Montclair, email smi@studiomontclair.org, or call 862-500-1447.
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Email Patrick O’Shea at poshea@njadvancemedia.com