Morris County Skateboarder Turned Brooklyn Artist Scores Exhibition in Newark

Things appear to be going exceedingly well for artist John Szlasa, who grew up in Chester Township. The Daily Record reports that in the last months he finished his master's degree at Yale University and became featured artist for a Newark art exhibition that opens Friday.

Szlasa, 30, who now lives in Brooklyn, said his art reflects the time he spent growing up in Chester. He recalled being a skateboarder (and painter) in a rural town without ramps. Feeling the lack, he built his own ramps. He later went on to work as a carpenter and, through that, Szlasa said he recognized a connection between his skateboard apparatus, his carpentry and a new way for him to create art. That thought motivated him to study at Yale.

The exhibition "Yes, But Less" opens Friday night with a 6 p.m. opening reception at Apt. 16 at 61 New Jersey Railroad Ave. #16 in Newark. The installation runs Thursdays through Sundays until Oct. 20. It features two of Szlasa's creations, sculptures made from cement, plywood, steel and wire, materials he’s used since working on his Chester skateboard ramps, the article said.