Unusual Works of Art Showcased at WHIMSY Exhibit Opening Reception

At 5:30pm on a Friday evening, most people are rushing out of office buildings, eager to start the weekend. But this past Friday at 14 Maple Ave., crowds were just arriving for the opening reception of the Gallery at 14 Maple's WHIMSY exhibit. Members of the public sipped wine, viewed the exhibit's 33 pieces, and mingled with the 29 featured artists.

WHIMSY is the fourth exhibit to be held in the Gallery at 14 Maple, which is located on the third floor of the building, in the main offices of the Arts Council of the Morris Area. The exhibit's theme was interpreted through a variety of mediums, from paper sculpture to photography to pantyhose.

The Guest Curator for the WHIMSY exhibit is Mary-Kate O'Hare, associate curator of American art at the Newark Museum. The Arts Council of the Morris Area's executive director, Anne Aronovitch, said that the Council works with a new curator for each exhibit at the gallery, and that each curator has used the gallery space differently.

"Mary-Kate lets art breathe," Aronovitch said.

Lynn Siebert, director of arts participation and communication for the Arts Council, agreed. "Mary-Kate is sensitive to how much space is needed between objects, which lets each piece convey its unique message."

The exhibit's 33 works were all created by New Jersey artists. Betty McGeehan, of Morristown, presented "Politics", composed of a copper toilet tank attached to a megaphone.

"I work with found objects, things that resonate with me," McGeehan said. McGeehan bought the copper toilet in New York, but it wasn't until later, when she found the megaphone during the November 2008 presidential election, that the idea for the piece occurred to her, she said.

Many unusual mediums were represented, reflecting the exhibit's title; Katie Truk's "Hall of Fame", for example, is a mixed media piece composed of pantyhose and wire.

"I've been working with pantyhose exclusively for ten years," Truk said. "I grew up in the 80's and always loved the colors of pantyhose back then."

Truk also said that pantyhose is quite unlike any other medium. "It has that stretchy, ethereal feeling," she said.

Liz Kuny's art quilt piece, "Flight of Fancy", depicts multicolored gumballs floating away from their dispenser. "It's an oddball piece," she said.

"I give the Arts Council credit," she said. "Art quilters have had a hard time getting accepted into the mainstream, and the committee of this exhibit was open and welcoming to a lot of craft-type mediums."

"The pieces in this exhibit really grab you by surprise," O'Hare said. She chose the word "whimsy" as the title of the exhibit because it reflects her belief that art can be playful, sophisticated and accessible all at once, she said.

 "I hope people will come away from the exhibit seeing things differently or in a new way. These are tough times, and I would like this exhibit to allow people to step away from all that and enjoy the moment," O'Hare said.

WHIMSY will be on display at the Gallery at 14 Maple through Feb. 9, 2011. It is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays.