Art Collective springs from fertile ground
Rick Black
for The Mirror

About two dozen local photographers, painters, book artists and sculptors have banded together to form a new organization to exhibit and promote their work here and around the county. The Highland Park Arts Collective seeks to “foster an interactive and supportive environment for the artists involved,” said Bill Bonner, a digital photographer who was instrumental in getting the group of 22 artists together. “We want to network with each other, and boost the visibility of the visual arts in Middlesex County.”

“I felt this would be an excellent way to show my work as well as help develop a ‘scene’ in Highland Park,” said Fred Cole. Cole, a sculptor who works in recycled materials, sees the collective forming the basis for benefits to the community at large.

An inaugural show will be held at the IM Gallery, 235 Raritan Avenue, opening Saturday, May 31. Julia Im, the owner of the gallery, encouraged the formation of the group and donated the use of her space for the kickoff show – dubbed “High IMpact” in the gallery’s honor-- running May 31st through Sunday, June 8th.

Many of the artists came together as a result of the H.P. Open Studio and Exhibition sponsored by the borough’s Arts Commission. On a designated weekend, this annual fall event invites the public to visit, observe, and meet artists at their private studios. But the common schedule meant none of the artists had time to see each other’s work

“There are now so many artists I see and recognize around town,” said Sharon Sayegh, who paints in a variety of media. The collective was formed as a way to enable artists to get to know one another and their work. “Due to the solitary nature of an artist’s work, there is a great need for us come together socially and to share our ideas, information, and opportunities,” Sayegh says.

“I just love the energy, the variation in ages, and the warmth and enthusiasm which has emerged,” said Phyllis Freedman, who works primarily in oils and watercolors. “It has also been a stimulus for getting back into the studio.”

The collective held a pre-debut showing on April 30th in co-operation with Artists Now, the Highland Park non-profit that promotes musical and cultural events and arts education. After the June inauguration, future themed shows will be determined by a membership curatorial committee. One early idea is to feature found objects, in which participating artists demonstrate their creative expression through the use of everyday and discarded objects.

Other near term plans call for expanding the group’s membership -- applications will be made available as soon as they have been drafted – and arranging min-exhibits under the aegis of local merchants.

All of the members either live in or are closely associated with Highland Park. “We would like to become as rich and diverse as the community in which we live and work,” says Bonner. “So far, we’re off to a great start.”