Exhibition statement:
The paintings on display are by artists studying in the Advanced Painting classes here at the Arts Council of Princeton. This class is unique in that it attracts artists seeking to take the next step toward developing an exhibition-level body of work, yet the shift from student to mature artist is not always easy.
These artists come from a wide range of backgrounds and educational experiences. Many have pursued part-time painting studies while balancing careers and home life. Some hold degrees in the arts that, for one reason or another, did not lead them where they hoped to be today. The purpose of this class is to provide a studio environment where artists can focus on discovering their artistic identity, surrounded by like-minded creatives.
Advanced Painting is free of formal assignments. Instead, artists bring their own ideas, and the class acts as a laboratory where colors, concepts, and compositions are cultivated and woven into personally meaningful images. A landscape becomes more than a scene – it becomes the unfurling of a memory. A portrait is more than an academic exercise – it is a continued interaction with someone the artist may know. More expressionist works reflect not only remembered images but also the emotions tied to those moments.
This exhibition represents the culmination of each artist’s intellectual and creative journey and affirms that, even in an age of large-format photography and digital artmaking, there remains a vital place for the deeply personal touch of easel painting.
About The Witherspoon Artists Collective:
The Collective is composed of local artists who have studied painting and drawing at the Arts Council of Princeton, working across oil, acrylic, and pastel. Their work reflects both the high caliber of ACP’s visual arts instruction and the deep creative engagement nurtured within its classrooms.
Charles Viera, ACP teaching artist and curator of the exhibition, shares, “Some of the artists in this exhibition have been studying with me for years, while others come and go as their schedules allow. The unifying theme of this exhibition is that all of these artists are local, they have studied at ACP, and they are all excellent artists who are now being recognized as such.” This exhibition highlights the creative growth, skill, and dedication of artists who have found community and artistic momentum through ACP’s programs.
Artists exhibiting include: Si Chang, Paula Huttner, Margaret Kalvar, Luccia Carsky-Wilson, Lori Langsner, Geraldine Shea, Marisa Braccia, Hoke Bullard, Cynthia Butler, Anne Diebel, Jane Conlon Goble, Erica McEnery, Jane McCort and Pam Potenza.
