Painting began on Saturday, September 7, of the mural in tribute to our dear friend Jerome Luis Gonzalez. Here’s a slideshow of the mural as it was being created!
Updated 9/22/19: Watch til the end to see the final version!
Jerome Gonzalez’s cousin, Adrian Collazo (far right), presented artist Alejandro Medina (a.k.a. Elan Wonder), Gallery on Main co-owner Shaun Daley, and artist Leon Rainbow with portraits he painted of them.
Photo by Arielle Figueredo
Thank you to Rod Hirsch for this great article in TAPinto about the outdoor mural that’s being created in memory of our dear friend, Jerome Gonzalez — a beloved local artist, author and arts advocate who passed away unexpectedly on February 17, 2018 at the age of only 44, while competing in an endurance run. A graduate of Somerville High School, Jerome lived in Bridgewater before he passed away.
We are thrilled to announce that painting of the mural begins on Saturday, September 7!
The mural was organized by Arts On Division, a non-profit, 501(c) (3) corporation here in Somerville, and co-sponsored by Gallery on Main. The 90 x 18-foot mural — which will be on the side of the Phoenix Café building — is being created by two talented artists who are donating their time and skills: Alejandro Medina (a.k.a. Elan Wonder) and Leon Rainbow, both of whom worked with Jerome on art projects in the past.
Space for the mural was generously donated by Dimitrios “Jimmy” Stathatos, owner of the Phoenix Café building. Funding for the project is provided by numerous individual donations totaling approximately $7,000 to date. All proceeds in excess of the mural’s costs will be contributed toward Jerome’s children’s education.
Join us to watch this exciting project come to life in the alley right next to Gallery on Main (between #26 and #28 West Main St. in Somerville, NJ 08876).
Gallery on Main's "Artist of the Month" series features an exhibition of paintings by Branchburg, NJ-based artist Mike Beckwith, a Somerville native. Admission is free, and the paintings are available for purchase.
Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Saturday, July 6, 2019 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.
Born and raised in Somerville to artist parents, Mike was introduced to the art world from a young age. He spent many years in the professional theater world as an actor, director, teacher, fight choreographer, and designer, which firmly rooted in him a love of all the arts. When he moved from a career in theater to a career in teaching, Mike set about learning everything he could about any art form he could get his hands on, including video, photography, drawing, painting and martial arts. He was recently introduced to the technique of acrylic and resin pouring, and since then he hasn’t stopped taking flat objects and pouring liquid pigments over them.
Mike spent most of his summers in Maine by Acadia National Park. Having grown up both next to the sea and in close proximity to a National Park, his work is inspired by the beauty of the outside world.
Located at 30 West Main Street in Somerville, New Jersey, Gallery on Main is open Sundays 11:00 AM–5:00 PM; Mondays through Fridays 10:00 AM–6:00 PM; Saturdays 10:00 AM–5:00 PM; and by appointment. To learn more, visit www.GalleryOnMainSt.com, call 908-722-4234 or follow facebook.com/GalleryOnMainSomerville.
Somerville’s popular “Summer Stage on Division Street” series continues with live music on Saturdays from 6:00 to 9:00 through Labor Day and beyond! Here's this year's lineup. Performances are just across the street from Gallery on Main, so be sure to stop in and visit us as well!
5/24 - School of Rock
5/25 - Terrance Haupt
6/1 - Band X
6/8 - Venture to Zen
6/15 - Animal Masks
6/22 - Mail Order Bride
6/29 - John Busse
7/6 - Bob Lanza
7/13 - The Tyrone Stackhouse Project
7/20 - The Green Planet
7/27 - The Broadcasters
8/3 - Cafe Racers Band
8/10 - Walnut St.
8/17 - The Wait
8/24 - Mail Order Bride
8/31 - Bob Lanza
9/7 - Ray Gun Tony
9/14 - Art all Day on Division -3 bands - Venture to Zen, John Busse and The Tyrone Stackhouse Project (2 sets)
9/21 - The Paul Nagy Project
9/28 - Remember Yesterday
Date(s): Friday May 24 and Saturdays, Memorial Day to Labor Day
Time(s): 6:00 pm-9:00pm
Location(s): Division Street
For 30 years, Downtown Somerville has hosted the largest cruise night on the East coast. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, the coolest classic cars around line up along Main Street for you to check out as you stroll. Don't miss out on the annual tradition! Combine your visit with dinner at one of our fabulous restaurants and be sure to stop by Gallery on Main for more nostalgic blasts from the past!
Date(s): Every Friday, Memorial Day to Labor Day
Time(s): 6:00 pm- 9:00 pm
Location(s): Main Street
Gallery on Main's "Artist of the Month" series features an exhibition of works by Somerville, NJ-based artist photographer Donna Gioia Volpe. Admission is free, and the photos are available for purchase.
Borne from her lifelong yearly visits to Vermont, Donna Gioa Volpe developed a deep appreciation for nature and beautiful landscapes. After raising her three children, Donna's interest of photography blended with her love of nature. Her intention is to capture awe inspiring scenes in such a way that the photograph evokes the same feeling of wonder in those who view it as she experienced in the moment of capturing it. In 2018, her newfound passion inspired her visit to Iceland, further igniting her desire to travel, experience, and photograph diverse beautiful landscapes. This year her travel will take her to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
This exhibition focuses on photographs from Florida, Iceland, and some of her favorite local areas such as Ken Lockwood Gorge, Ricketts Glen State Park, Duke Farms, and more.
Located at 30 West Main Street in Somerville, New Jersey, Gallery on Main is open Sundays 11:00 AM–5:00 PM; Mondays through Fridays 10:00 AM–6:00 PM; Saturdays 10:00 AM–5:00 PM; and by appointment. To learn more, call 908-722-4234 or follow us on Facebook.
Oil on panel, 24” x 18”
Gallery on Main's "Artist of the Month" series features an exhibition of paintings by NJ-based artist Jan ten Broeke, on view April 1 through 30. Admission is free, and the artist’s works are available for purchase.
Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Saturday, April 6, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
A prolific artist, throughout his career, Jan ten Broeke has been known and recognized by his simple nom de brosse (brush name), “Ten.” Ten titles his work with his name and date of each work’s completion — as opposed to traditional, descriptive labels, which he believes confuses the viewer’s perception of his paintings rather than clarifies it.
Says Ten, whose professional background also includes working as a drug designer alongside some of the greatest minds in organic chemistry, “I have always been interested in exploring the scientific miracles of the natural universe, especially within the fragile biosphere that envelops Earth. The paintings of the last decade draw inspiration from nature—including biological, geological, and astronomical phenomena—and anthropological and prehistoric artifacts. My work does not represent any reality as we see it, but attempts to demonstrate the experience of the forces essential to the continuity of life on Earth.”
Ten was an active member of the vibrant, revolutionary art scene that electrified Greenwich Village in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, where he earned the admiration and friendship of many of the scene’s most influential members. Although that dynamic era in art has sadly receded, Ten has had many domestic and international shows, honors, and awards, and he has consistently garnered enthusiastic praise for the entirely unique biomorphic, geomorphic, and metamorphic imaginings that he renders with perfect technique, brushwork, and style.
Ten’s first encounter with notoriety came on the day of his birth. His mother would often tell how he had entered this world in the wee hours of Pentecost Sunday morning. A severe thunderstorm was raging, and it would ravage the countryside of rural Marienberg, in the province Overijssel in the Netherlands, before the night was through. Within a mile of the ten Broeke family home, two heifers were struck by lightning and killed. Ten was born a blue baby gasping for air. A thin membranous veil—locally believed to signify the gift of second sight—covered his face. The gift conferred in lieu of the supernatural, however, was manifest from early childhood, in the form of his uncommon artistic skill and a profound understanding of—and reverence for—the wonders of the natural world.
Says Ten, “Ultimately, my mind, my eyes, and my hands are merely instruments in producing this work. Despite knowing better, I do frequently experience the sensation that the work is not created by me, but through me.”
Ten and his wife, Barbara, live in the historic village of East Millstone, NJ, in a Dutch colonial farmhouse that was built in 1763.
Images © Jan ten Broeke, used with permission.
Gallery on Main's "Artist of the Month" series features an exhibition of paintings by NJ-based artist Casey Lynch, on view March 1 through 30. Admission is free, and the artist’s works are available for purchase.
Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Saturday, Saturday, March 2, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
A self-taught artist, Casey Lynch has been painting for a few years now. He says, “I use art to transcribe my anxieties about the world around me onto canvas, cardboard or whatever is around. I don’t finish a painting until it tells a story that I can understand. I mainly paint in acrylics but will use any methods or mediums to have each story be told.”
Images © Casey Lynch, used with permission.
Gallery on Main's Artist of the Month series continues in February with photographs by Monroe, New Jersey-based artist Debra Fedchin. Says the Gallery’s co-owner, Shaun Daley, “Her unique perspective is something that must be seen in person to truly appreciate.”
Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Saturday, February 2, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Debra’s work will be on view, and available for purchase, from February 1 through 28.
Says Debra, "As a self-taught photographer from New Jersey, from the time I picked up my first Kodak Instamatic camera, I have enjoyed capturing moments in time. It truly turned into a life’s passion when I acquired a Minolta SRT-101 at the tender age of 18. My photographic work runs the gamut of photojournalism through fine art photography and has been displayed as a resident gallery artist, used in publishing as well as being featured in regional juried art shows. Some of my work has appeared in Travel & Leisure, Pennsylvania Magazine, and as a contributing artist for Arcangel images, my work has graced book covers and has been utilized for media in both the U.S. and Europe. Through my photography I strive to capture an image that hopefully will bring to mind a pleasant remembrance long forgotten, or elicit a mood, as well as to offer you a glimpse of the ordinary to view its simple beauty that is often overlooked. My portfolio is diverse with glimpses of the somewhat unusual to the bucolic countryside."
Gallery on Main's "Artist of the Month" series continues with an exhibition of paintings, photography, and mixed-media pieces by Bound Brook, New Jersey-based artist Adrian Collazo, on view January 2 through 30. Admission is free, and the artist’s works are available for purchase.
Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Saturday, January 5, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Born in Somerville and raised in Bound Brook, Collazo credits his grandfather with being his first inspiration for art. “Whenever he came to visit from Puerto Rico I would watch him paint,” says Collazo. “While painting he would share his vision, his strong faith and his great sense of humor. Many times I would ask him to draw characters I liked on paper and I would always be so amazed at his ‘superpowers’.”
Collazo describes his youth and young adulthood as a difficult time, marked by self-doubt and fear of failure. “Growing up, the world looked very different to me. I didn't speak much, socialize with others or sign up for any extracurricular activities. Every day was a challenge to stay focused throughout my school years. I drew a lot…and I daydreamed about being a successful artist, doing what I love most and making a living out of it.”
At age 14 he got into graphic design and digital photo editing, then after graduating from high school he began studying visual communications at Katherine Gibbs Institute and later started photography, which he viewed as a hobby. But for a number of years, he says, “All of my ambition burning within was extinguished by fear. Fear of not being ‘accepted,’ fear of being ‘judged,’ fear of not being ‘good enough.’ I became my own worst enemy.”
In 2015, another artist in his family inspired him further: His cousin Jerome Gonzalez, who invited Collazo to watch him learn graffiti art at Terracycle in Trenton. “I took many photos of (Jerome) and others and was so amazed. His art and everyone else's were so inspiring to witness. He commissioned me to do some photography and videography for his book Pothole. I purchased a few cans of spray paint and started some canvas art. My love for art started building up as I painted more and did some more research on Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Vincent van Gogh and Henri Matisse. I picked a brush back up and found myself in early 2017 knowing this is what I was meant to do. Jerome gave me the strength and inspiration I needed to not only to be myself but to also establish something positive for my daughters.”
Sadly, during a 7-month period Collazo’s father passed away, he lost a job he had for 8 years, Jerome passed away, and he lost a woman he loved. He said, “Depression once again ruled my world, but this time I had a weapon that worked. Art became a necessity to get through rough times. The pain became more bearable since I was able to express myself…My goal is to always be a positive influence to others and inspire. Believe in yourself and push through all adversity.”
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