MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
March 4, 2012, from 1 to 4 pm,
OMG by the NEW ART GROUP at the Watchung Art Center
www.newartgroup.com

The New Art Group latest exhibition, OMG!, at the Watchung Arts Center, is not only an opportunity to revel in the artists’ new work, but the first chance to meet and see the work of the three new members of the group, Jane Caminos, Heidi Sussman and Michael Teters.

OMG! – an acronym that is possibly texted in the millions of times each day – stands for Oh my God!, or gosh, or goodness. Whatever your preference, it is representative of an exclamatory response to an event, situation, thought or just about anything that gives one pause.

As artists, the members of the New Art Group feel this title is a good way to encapsulate the many varied responses each of us has to our world today. Whether it be in the imagery of the art itself or as a reference to the almighty, there is no doubt that all of the members have and continue to experience reactions through their work that OMG! captures well.

Jane Caminos, a new member of the New Art Group, expresses it this way, “Because we use it [OMG] so loosely, we may forget there are circumstances so terrible in lives less fortunate than ours that these words are all that can be evoked….” For Heidi Sussman, “For all our constant connectivity we are more isolated than ever.”

The key is that OMG! stands for so many things, from the very insignificant to the incredibly complex. It can, as in the case of Nancy Ori‘s work, stand for the divine presence. “I am drawn to the architecture of churches. There is something grand, important and unique about them…The scale and the materials are amazing.”  For Mr. Pinkman, another exhibiting member, his work is based on his reaction to, “the way in which people of all kinds, all ages and all backgrounds live in between states or moments.”

Every artist in the show grounds their work in OMG! based on howthey react to the world and how it reflects that reaction. Susan Ahlstrom‘s piece, “first bird at dawn”, depicts the Greater Prairie Chicken at first light of day. Capturing her interest in endangered species, this work is a reminder how sometimes even our strongest epithets are not enough.

The current roster of New Art Group members is Susan Ahlstrom, Francesca Azzara, Jane Caminos, Jim Fuess, Nancy Ori, Paul XO Pinkman, Heidi Sussman and Michael Teters.

The exhibition, OMG!, the works of the New Art Group, will be on view at the Watchung Arts Center from March 3 to March 28, 2012. For further information about the New Art Group and the OMG! exhibition, please contact Paul Pinkman at paul@pinkmania.com or 908-625-1571 or Jim Fuess at jimfuess@comcast.net.

Watchung Arts Center is located at 18 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ 07069 . For hours of operation, please contact the Watchung Arts Center at wacenter@optonline.net or 908-753-0190.  www.watchungarts.org

History: The New Art Group (www.newartgroup.com) is a 20+ year old arts group that has exhibited in more than 36 group shows. It consists currently of 8 New Jersey artists. The group was formed out of the Visual Arts Committee at the Watchung Arts Center (WAC) (www.watchungarts.org)  and was responsible for the visual arts exhibitions in the lower and upper galleries for 7 years in the 1990s. During that time Jim Fuess was the curator at the WAC.
We have returned after a 10 year hiatus and continue working with the WAC to bring a lively roster of visual artists to the community.

For more information, contact Jim Fuess – jimfuess@comcast.net– (908) 322-5940 or Paul Pinkman – paul@pinkmania.com – (908) 625-1571.
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