For the month of October The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library Gallery are proud to present Kortez, a visual artist and DJ who calls his work “Esoteric Urbanism".

A graduate of the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, his wide-ranging artwork includes mixed-media collage, drawing, painting, sculpture, print-making, jewelry, graphic design, photography and fashion. His expressive portraits and abstract work spring from sources including graffiti, African, underground DJ culture and social commentary. Recent exhibitions of his work include The Bridge Arts Gallery (formerly in Bayonne), Akwaaba Gallery (Newark), the Newark Museum and the Montclair Art Museum. He currently works as an independent artist, shows his art, and DJs via the artist collective Gathering of Tribes.

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The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library are proud to present Clifton artist Michael Gabriele, for an exhibition of his landscape and still life pastels during the month of September. The exhibit’s opening reception will be held on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2-4 p.m.

The exhibition and opening reception at the Glen Rock Public Library are free and open to the public. The exhibition is curated by the Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library, and runs through Saturday, Sept. 28.

Gabriele has displayed his artwork at galleries, libraries and museums for over 35 years. He’s a member of the executive board of Allied Artists of America, New York, the executive board of the Nutley Historical Society, and serves as the president of the Clifton Arts Center’s advisory board.

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For the months of July and August, The Gallery at the Glen Rock Public Library welcomes the photography of Glen Rock’s own, Simon Toffell.  The exhibition will include photographs from throughout Glen Rock and surrounding areas, spanning his photography career.

A lifelong resident of Glen Rock, Simon Toffell taught himself photography ten years ago.  Since then he has honed his photography skills in many different ways, including long-exposure and night photography.  In 2020, Mayor Kristine Morieko recognized Simon as the official Borough Photographer, and in 2022 he was declared a hometown hero- with his own namesake day! 

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June Gallery group show “Tuesday Painters”

For the month of June, the Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library welcome “The Tuesday Painters”, a non-profit group of local artists who enjoy painting together. The artists hail from Bergen and Passaic Counties, NJ and Rockland County, NY. Artwork by Mike Bertelli, Pamela Leggate, Marlene Basile, Debby Allian, Liz O’Leary, Gerry Bird, Sharon Belinsky, Jean Boyle, Linda Marks, Mary Walker-Baptiste, Sandy Piatti, Etti Aslan, Rose Scaglione, Bob Lockhart, Frances DeBartolo, Lynn Massey and Julia Gabriele.  The group was founded by well-known artist and teacher, Billie Samuelson.

The “Tuesday Painters” meet every TUESDAY from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. From September through June, at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 55 George St., Allendale, NJ.  New members are very welcome. Once a month they have a live model for figure drawing, and twice a year they have a critique of the members work followed by a luncheon.  All the artists share their talent and skills with each other.

For more information contact:
Linda Marks: 973-962-6550
e-mail: lininlog@optonline.net

For the month of May, The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library Gallery will feature the photography of Glen Rock High School students, lead by teacher Mara Siegel. 

The show includes ‘Honors Photo Solo Exhibition’ featuring Marina Martell.  In her words “My goal has always been to create photography in a way that combines my point of view with the beauty of the world around me.”

In ‘Capturing Moments through the Art of Shutterspeed’, student photographers Ally Zamparelli, Maya Bickel, Brady Morin, Tyler Brassil and Rose McGoey “developed an appreciation for photography's technical and artistic aspects.” Photography teacher Mara Siegel also noted, “They gained valuable skills in experimentation, analysis, and creative expression that will benefit them in their future photographic pursuits”. 

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For the month of April the Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library are happy to welcome the artwork and poetry of the Arts Council of Glen Rock.  

‘Verse & Visuals, The Art of the Poem’ will be on display in The Gallery through April 30th, in celebration of National Poetry Month.  Featuring the poetry of Alice Gomstyn, Peter Marcalus, Kay Fialkoff, and Marcia Kaiser. As well as poetry by Glen Rock students Amaani Dharia, Kai Elrom, Olivia Choy, Jake Dreyer and Anjali Gandhi.  Local artists were then asked by the Arts Council to submit artwork inspired by the poetry-  artwork by Peter Marcalus, Sarah Neydon, Kay Fialkoff, Peter Liman, Kristin Marchesiello, Arlyne Berzak,  Vinny Cartiglia, Sydney Mangaroo, Mary Lynch, Soo Kim and Pat Smythe was selected to exhibit. 

The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library and the participating artists will donate 20% of all sales to the Glen Rock Arts Council.  Please join the Glen Rock Public Library in celebrating the poets and artists participating in the exhibition at a reception Sunday April 28, 2-4pm.  Light, Kosher for Passover refreshments will be served.

The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library Gallery welcome the paintings of Lori Weisbart-Polson for the month of March.  

Lori Weisbart-Polson began painting and studying art at a young age. In her twenties she attended classes at the Art Students League in New York City and has traveled through Southern France on painting workshops. Weisbart-Polson has a BA in Communications from The American University and a second Associates Degree in Advertising Design from The Fashion Institute of Technology.

Her true love is painting and drawing. Polson, in addition to enjoying fine art, has been representing preeminent portrait painters for over twenty years. The link to the art consulting site is: LORIPOLSON.COM  

Before that, Lori was an art director for Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide in New York City. 

Her fine art sites are LORIWEISBARTART.COM and LWEISBART.COM

The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library Gallery welcomes the collage artwork of Jennifer Merz for the month of February.  Jennifer is also presenting her books to the children of Glen Rock on Feb 7th, World Read Aloud Day, (prior registration required). Please visit jennifermerz.com to learn more about her work and inspiration. An artist’s reception will take place at the library on Sunday, Feb 11th, 2-4p.m. and all are welcomed.

Jennifer Merz is a picture-book writer and illustrator from Allendale, NJ. Her whimsical and colorful collage art, handmade from special papers, fabric, and mixed media, create narratives that celebrate imagination. Influenced by master artists Henri Matisse, Romare Bearden, and Ed Young, Jennifer’s books have been recognized with the Children’s Choice Award, Best Book Finalist Award, and shortlisted for the self-published Selfie Award. Her picture book on Frances Perkins is designated by the Frances Perkins Center as a prime resource for teachers and parents.

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Kay Faye Fialkoff, long-time Fair Lawn resident and artist, will exhibit a series of embroidery masterworks, Prayers for the Earth, 1990-2018, at the Gallery in the Glen Rock Public Library. The exhibition will run from January 5 – January 31, 2024.

Ms. Fialkoff took inspiration from New Jersey’s wetland, meadowland, and woodland habitats including the Ramapo Valley County Reservation in Mahwah, the Celery Farm Nature Preserve in Allendale, the Glen Rock Duck Pond, the Saddle River County Park Glen Rock and Paramus (Dunkerhook), and Cape May. The embroidery masterworks celebrate Earth from the time granite formed over a half a billion years ago through our current era, the Cenozoic Era, a time of great diversification of flowering plants and birds. Her practice invokes the art of Zen, portraying nature over time and space.

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For the month of December, The Gallery at the Glen Rock Public Library will be showcasing the giftable artworks of several Glen Rock Arts Council artists including Soo Kim of Soo Soo Studios, Wendy Villa of Munay Art Studio, Pat Smythe, Lisa Hahn, Karol Rubio, Shantala Kaikini, Christopher Weyant, and Daniel Perry of DJP Wildlife Photography.  All artworks in The Gallery are for sale, and 20% of every sale benefits The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library, who underwrites many of the library’s activities. 

Thank you for shopping small and shopping local!  Karol Rubio and Christoper Weyant are generously donating 100% of the proceeds from their sales back to The Library.  Also shop online Daniel Perry Wildlife Photography https://djpwildlifephotography.net  where 10% of every sale gets donated to an organization working with the subject of the photo.

Shop more artwork from these local Glen Rock artists and others on December 5 - "Holiday Hoopla" - 6 pm-10pm • Glen Rock Inn, 222 Rock Rd., Glen Rock