BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Alfa Art Gallery - ECPv6.17.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Alfa Art Gallery X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.alfaart.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Alfa Art Gallery REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20100314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20101107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20110313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20111106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20120311T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20121104T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20130310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20131103T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120908T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120908T220000 DTSTAMP:20160729T222224Z CREATED:20120901T171206Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T222224Z UID:2461-1347130800-1347141600@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - Sept 8 @ 7pm - "Temples" - Vesselin Kourtev Mixed Media Cycle Exhibition Opening DESCRIPTION:Opening reception Saturday\, September 8\, 7 – 10 PM VIP Reception: Thursday\, September 14\, 5 – 8 PM Exhibition duration: September 8 – October 2\, 2012 All proceeds go to the “Alfa Art Center a NJ Nonprofit Corporation” supporting “Alfa Art Gallery”. \n \nAbout the Exhibition\nAlfa Art Gallery is proud to present Temples\, a solo exhibition featuring the works of Vesselin Kourtev.  The exhibition brings together over 40 drawings introducing  Kourtev’s questions/thoughts: What are “Temples”?… What is the meaning of “Temples”?… The “Temples” and us…. \nMany years in the making\, this collection of work has deep roots in the artist’s personal history. Hailing from Bulgaria\, a country with ancient traditions and a spiritual past\, Vesselin takes the viewer on a deeply reflective and meditative pilgrimage with this series. 

 \nMuch like the transcendental atmosphere of temples\, these works provoke feelings of mysticism and mysteriousness. The cutout collages offer windows into distinct realities. Scenes are cut off\, bodies are fragmented\, and paint seems to take on a life of its own\, spreading in terms of gravity and not the artist’s hand. We become the seer\, as if we are having a vision\, seeing into the confusing and disorienting landscape of another person’s thoughts.

 \nThough the composition may seem randomly scattered\, the placement of the windows is quite deliberate. Sometimes these fragmented boxes stretch across the piece\, creating a desolate landscape where pilgrims have settled and nomads still wander. Other times these windows are clustered and offer glimpses into an emotional yearning\, picturing ringing bells\, open palms\, crescent moons\, and cosmic skies. But the effect through these pieces is always deeply spiritual. As we piece together these segmented realities a mystical and ritualistic mood takes hold conjuring our deep desire for meaning. \n“Temples” – Vesselin Kourtev Mixed Media \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n Photos of “Temples” Opening Reception \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Alexa Varga and Linda Rosenblum at Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Alexa Varga and Linda Rosenblum at Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Mr Gomzalez and Mr Weeks from PNC Bank at Temples Exhibition Opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Pamela Stefanek and Vesselin Kourtev \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Reginald Johnson and Vesselin Kourtev at Temples Exhibition Opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Reginald Johnson\, Rosalyn Neal\, Vesselin Kourtev 09-14-12 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rosalyn Neal and Reginald Johnson\, 09-14-12 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Vesselin Kourtev \,Rosalyn Neal\, Reginald Johnson - 09-14-12 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Temples - Vesselin Kourtev's Solo exhibition opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Russell Marchetta\, a spokesman for New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill at Temples Exhibition Opening \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rosalyn Neal and Reginald Johnson\, 09-14-12 URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-sept-8-7pm-temples-vesselin-kourtev-mixed-media-cycle-exhibition-opening/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/2012-09-08-TemplesBanner.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120713T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120713T210000 DTSTAMP:20240606T185540Z CREATED:20120705T193324Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240606T185540Z UID:2402-1342206000-1342213200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - July 13 @ 7pm - "Currents" - An Exhibition of Modern Art DESCRIPTION:Opening Reception: Friday\, July 13 @ 7pm\nExhibition Duration: July 13 – September 6\nCurator: Kathryn Mecca \nAlfa Art Gallery is proud to present Currents\, a group exhibition featuring the works of Helen Zajkowski\, Maria Giancola\, Jorge Cruz\, and Chris Minervini. \nAn acute vanguard of works from wide ranging media\, Currents offers a definitive sample of the state of modern art making. Whether it be through their processes\, materials\, or subject matter\, these artists thrive on and respond to contemporary culture in innovative ways.
 \nHelen Zajkowski’s award winning sculptures comment on modern day enigmas and dilemmas. In her Found Objects series\, she juxtaposes unrelated objects in new and surprising ways\, creating imagery charged with irony and humor. The biblical cycle of creation and destruction is at the core of this body of work. Once functional and full of purpose\, these objects have since been discarded — an act that symbolically threatens their very reason for being. But by rearranging their components in peculiar ways\, Zajkowski manages to create fantastic amalgams full of new and surprising meaning. Helen received her MFA at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 1994. She has since exhibited her work internationally\, and this past year\, her work was featured in the WCA National. \nMaria Giancola is a painter\, graphic artist\, and printmaker. Her abstract paintings and collages find their inspiration from contemporary magazine advertisements and the figure. These works feature extreme chiaroscuro lighting\, and are developed using an accidental approach\, in which she combines non traditional materials to produce unexpected results. Parallels between Giancola’s pieces and the non traditionalist pop art of James Rosenquist and Wendy White are especially fitting. Maria received her BFA at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 2011 and currently works as a graphic artist with The Sawtooth Group\, an advertising agency based in Red Bank\, New Jersey. \nChristopher Minervini received his BFA at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 2010. His passionate dreamlike collages combine photography with painting techniques to meditate upon the irreversible effects of war on both the environment and its inhabitants. These pieces mature and develop gradually\, blossoming at last with intimate significance. His vibrant and playful palette grapples with his blunt and sometimes conflicting imagery. The effect is a manifestation of cognitive dissonance — an eerie discomfort born from an attempt to reconcile idealistic hopes for a world burdened with harsh realities. \nJorge Cruz has been working in stained glass for over 20 years. His distinct figurative compositions cultivate powerful and emotional imagery in this historically charged medium. Although Cruz utilizes a minimalist aesthetic\, his works communicate a spiritual and mythological narrative. This is due to the stylized and primeval aura of his stained glass figures. Their palpable ethos make it difficult not to identify with their triumphs and tribulations. Jorge is currently the artist in residence and gallery director of Abbey Hill Gallery in Easton\, Pennsylvania. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n\nViernes\, 13 de julio a las 7pm – “Actualidad” – Recepción de Exposición de Arte Moderno\nInauguración: Viernes\, 13 de julio a las 7pm\nDuración de Exposición: 13 de julio hasta 11 de septiembre\nCuradora: Kathryn Meca \nAlfa Art Gallery se complace presentar Actualidad\, una exposición colectiva con las obras de Helen Zajkowski\, Giancola María\, Jorge Cruz\, y Chris Minervini. \nUna vanguardia aguda de las obras de grandes medios de comunicación\, Actualidad ofrece una muestra definitiva de la situación de la toma de arte moderno. Ya sea a través de sus procesos\, materiales\, o la materia\, estos artistas prosperan y responden a la cultura contemporánea de maneras innovadoras. \nLas esculturas\, ganadoras de premios\, de Helen Zajkowski comentan sobre los enigmas de hoy en día y dilemas. En su serie de Objetos Encontrados\, que yuxtapone objetos no relacionados de maneras nuevas y sorprendentes\, creando imágenes cargadas de ironía y humor. El ciclo bíblico de la creación y la destrucción está en el centro de esta obra de arte. Antes funcional y lleno de propósito\, estos objetos han sido descartados – un acto que simbólicamente pone en peligro su misma razón de ser. Sin embargo\, reordenando sus componentes de manera peculiar\, Zajkowski logra crear amalgamas fantásticas llenas de un significado nuevo y sorprendente. Helen recibió su Maestría en la Escuela de Mason Gross de las Artes en la Universidad de Rutgers en 1994. Desde entonces\, ha expuesto su obra internacionalmente\, y el año pasado\, su trabajo fue presentado en el Nacional de WCA. \nMaría Giancola es una pintora\, artista gráfico y grabadora. Sus obras abstractas y collages encuentran su inspiración de anuncios de las revistas contemporáneas y la figura. Estas obras muestran iluminación de extrema claroscuro\, y se desarrollan con un enfoque accidental\, en la que combina materiales no tradicionales para producir resultados inesperados. Los paralelismos entre las piezas de Giancola y el arte pop no tradicionalista de James Rosenquist y de Wendy White son especialmente oportuno. María recibió su BFA en la Escuela de Mason Gross de las Artes en la Universidad de Rutgers en 2011 y actualmente trabaja como artista gráfico con el Grupo Sawtooth\, una agencia de publicidad con sede en Red Bank\, Nueva Jersey. \nChristopher Minervini recibió su BFA en Mason Gross School of the Arts en la Universidad de Rutgers en 2010. Sus collages de ensueño apasionados combinan la fotografía con las técnicas de pintura para meditar sobre los efectos irreversibles de la guerra en el medio ambiente y sus habitantes. Estas piezas maduran y se desarrollan gradualmente\, floreciendo al fin con un significado íntimo. Su paleta vibrante y juguetona se enfrenta con su imagen contundente y a veces contradictorias. El efecto es una manifestación de la disonancia cognitiva – una extraña incomodidad nace de un intento de reconciliar las esperanzas idealistas por un mundo cargado con la dura realidad. \nJorge Cruz ha estado trabajando en los vitrales por más de 20 años. Sus composiciones figurativas distintas cultivan imagenes poderosas y emocionales en este medio cargado de historia. Aunque Cruz utiliza una estética minimalista\, sus obras comunican un relato espiritual y mitológico. Esto es debido al aura estilizada y primitiva de sus figuras de cristal. Su espíritu palpable de que resulta difícil no identificarse con sus triunfos y tribulaciones. Actualmente Jorge es el artista en residencia y director de la galería de Abbey Hill Gallery en Easton\, Pennsylvania. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-july-13-7pm-currents-an-exhibition-of-modern-art/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/2012-06-17_currents_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120608T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120608T210000 DTSTAMP:20240606T185548Z CREATED:20120601T150004Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240606T185548Z UID:2294-1339180200-1339189200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - June 8 @ 6:30pm - "Synthesis" - New Brunswick Art Salon\, Spring 2012 - Part II DESCRIPTION:Opening Reception: Friday\, June 8 @ 6:30pmExhibition Duration: June  8 – July 11Curator: Kathryn Mecca \nReaching from the historical “salon” style exhibition\, Synthesis provides local artists with a chance to simultaneously unveil their recent works to both their contemporaries and the public. Since opening its doors in 2008\, Alfa has held these Art Salons biannually. Each exhibition is juried by a panel of art professionals\, and features new artists to the gallery while celebrating their exchange of ideas. Synthesis features a group of works which carefully balance\, juxtapose\, and combine opposites in ways that evoke novel synthetic unities. \n  \nShalum Shalumov is a painter\, jazz pianist\, and poet. His paintings find inspiration from unexpected mediums. We clearly see musically themes behind his work in their dynamic compositions and layered imagery. Boundaries are constantly shifting\, much like the perpetual transformation found in the films of Federico Fellini and Andrei Tarkovsky. This complexity brought on by movement creates surreal\, dreamlike environments in his work. Shalum captures the dynamism of creation by using a wet-on-wet watercolor technique.  Originally from Russia\, Shalum received his Masters in Fine Art and Architecture at the Ilya Repin State Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg.  He currently works full time as an architectural designer and renderer in New York City.  \nJane Dell has studied painting\, printmaking\, textile design\, fabric art\, and graphic design. Her diverse background in the arts is well explored in her current body of work. She combines collaging techniques with painting to create provocative and outspoken pieces. The works force us to consider the interactions and interrelations of contemporary culture by embedding carefully selected imagery within surrealistic landscapes of evocative color. Jane has been practicing for nearly forty years and has exhibited in six shows this past year alone\, including a solo show currently on display at the Monmouth Museum.  \nWade Miller’s oil paintings explore the creative destruction of illusion. He offers a fragmented yet cohesive perspective of popular culture by presenting familiar images in ways that challenge the eye. By carefully positioning found images from magazines\, his works channel the modern strategies found in cubist and surrealist traditions. Because his works stop and begin in unexpected ways\, they are naturally absorbed more slowly\, providing a more prolonged interpretive experience for the viewer. Wade received his Masters in Fine Art from Columbia University and has been practicing for nearly thirty years. He currently lives and works in Highland Park\, New Jersey. \nTheodosia Tamborlane is an active member of the Art Students League\, the New Century Artist Gallery\, Studio Montclair and the Woodbridge Artisans’ Guild. Her series “Connections & Communications” uses abstract painting methods to explore the ways that communication among individuals serves to unite and unify their disparate lives and personal experiences. These colorful compositions are highlighted with bold line work that branches throughout the entire surface and reflects the complex entanglements that both bind and limit us. Theodosia has participated in six shows this year alone\, and is currently featured in a group show at the The Artist Framer in Crandford\, New Jersey. She is the recipient of the 2012 Blue Dot Award through the Art Students League\, and a selected juried artist with the 2012 Gaelen Juried Art Show.  \n  \nThis event is in part sponsored by: \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n\nInauguración: Viernes\, 08 de junio a las 6:30 pmDuración de Exposición : 8 jun – 11 julCuradora: Kathryn Mecca \nLlegando desde la histórica exposición “salón” de estilo\, Síntesis ofrecen a los artistas locales con la oportunidad para dar a conocer simultáneamente sus obras recientes tanto a sus contemporáneos y el público. Desde que abrió sus puertas en 2008\, Alfa ha mantenido estos Salones de Arte cada dos veces al año. Cada exposición es juzgado por un panel de profesionales de las artes\, y cuenta con nuevos artistas a la galería mientras celebran su intercambio de ideas. Síntesis cuenta con un grupo de obras que cuidadosamente equilibran\, yuxtaponen y combinan los opuestos en formas que evocan nuevas unidades sintéticas. \nJane Dell ha estudiado pintura\, grabado\, diseño textil\, arte de tela\, y diseño gráfico. Sus diversos antecedentes en las artes es bien explorado en sus obras de trabajo actual. Ella combina las técnicas de collage con la pintura para crear piezas provocativas y abiertas. Las obras nos obligan a considerar las interacciones e interrelaciones de la cultura contemporánea mediante la incorporación de las imágenes seleccionadas cuidadosamente dentro de los paisajes surrealistas de colores evocadores. Jane ha estado practicando durante casi cuarenta años y ha exhibido en seis muestras sólo este año pasado\, incluyendo un show solitario actualmente en exhibición en el Museo de Monmouth. \nShalum Shalumov es un pintor\, pianista de jazz\, y poeta. Sus pinturas se inspiran demedios inesperados. Vemos claramente los temas de música detrás de su trabajo en sus composiciones dinámicas e imágenes de capas. Los límites están cambiando constantemente\, al igual de la transformaciónes perpetuas que se encuentra en las películas de Federico Fellini y Andrei Tarkovski. Esta complejidad provocada por el movimiento crea los ambientes de ensueño\, surrealistas en sus obras. Originalmente de Rusia\, Shalum recibió su Maestría en Bellas Artes y Arquitectura en la Academia de Ilya Repin Estatal de Bellas Artes en San Petersburgo. Actualmente trabaja como un procesador de arquitectura en la ciudad de Nueva York. \nTeodosia Tamborlane es un miembro activo de la Liga de Estudiantes de Arte\, la Galería Siglo Nuevo Artista\, Montclair Studio y el Gremio de Artesanos de Woodbridge. Su serie “Conexiones y Comunicaciones” utiliza métodos abstractos de pintura para explorar las formas en que la comunicación entre individuos sirve para unir y unificar sus vidas de dispar y experiencias personales. Estas composiciones de colores se resaltan con el trabajo de línea gruesa que se ramifica a lo largo de toda la superficie y refleja los complejos enredos que ambos se unen y nos limitan. Teodosia ha participado en seis exposiciones en este año solamente\, y actualmente muestra en una exposición colectiva en el Framer El Artista en el Crandford\, Nueva Jersey. Ella es la ganadora del Premio 2012 Blue Dot a través de la Art Students League\, y una artista seleccionada para el jurado en el Salón de Arte de Gaelen 2012. \nPinturas al óleo de Wade Miller exploran la destrucción creativa de la ilusión. Él ofrece una perspectiva fragmentada\, sin embargo cohesiva de la cultura popular mediante la presentación de imágenes familiares en formas que desafían la vista. Colocando cuidadosamente las imágenes encontradas en revistas\, sus obras canalizar las estrategias modernas que se encuentran en las tradiciones surrealistas y cubistas. Porque sus obras paran y comienzan de maneras inesperadas\, ellas son naturalmente absorbidas más lentamente\, dando una experiencia de interpretación más prolongada para el espectador. Wade recibió su Maestría en Bellas Artes por la Universidad de Columbia y ha estado practicando desde hace casi treinta años. Actualmente vive y trabaja en Highland Park\, Nueva Jersey. \nEste programa es patrocinado en parte por: \n \n  URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-june-8-630pm-new-brunswick-art-salon-spring-2012-part-ii/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception,New Brunswick Art Salon ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/2012_nbas_spring_part2_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120525T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120525T220000 DTSTAMP:20160729T220742Z CREATED:20120519T131406Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T220742Z UID:2313-1337974200-1337983200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - May 25 @ 7:30pm - Celebration of May 24th - Bulgarian Education and Culture\, and Slavonic Literature Day DESCRIPTION:Join us on Friday\, May 25th at 7:30pm to celebrate the Bulgarian Education and Culture\, and Slavonic Literature Day. We will start out with a performance by Bulgarian-American children and then continue with Bulgarian music and dances. \nFeel free to bring snacks/food to share with everyone and don’t forget your dancing shoes. \n  \nWhy do we celebrate May 24th? \nMay 24 is the Day Of Slavonic Alphabet\, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture. This day has been celebrated for 161 years now – no other holiday was so long celebrated in Bulgarian late history. \nOn May 11 1851 a celebration was organized by Nayden Gerov at the eparchy school `St St Kiril and Methody` in the town of Plovdiv. This was the first time to be marked the Day of the Saint brothers Kiril and Methody – the creators of Slavonic Alphabet. Since 1857 this day has been celebrated every year in Plovdiv\, Tsarigrad\, Shumen and Lom and it was no by accident that May 11 was chosen – this is the common Church Holiday of the two Saints. \n24th of May is a Day that has no analogue among the other nations – the Day of literature\, enlightenment\, culture. It’s a holiday of spiritual rising\, perfection striving for scientific and cultural achievements. The letters created by Kiril and Methody\, their translations of the liturgical books\, their fight to protect the rights of all nations to do honour of God in their own languages have a historical significance to Bulgarian national developing and its prosperity. Their life work is human\, democratic\, and Slavonic. It becomes part of the general human idea for equality at the spiritual field… (click here to read the rest of the article) URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-may-25-730pm-celebration-of-may-24th-bulgarian-education-and-culture-and-slavonic-literature-day/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/2012-24may_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120511T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120511T210000 DTSTAMP:20240606T185548Z CREATED:20120507T135049Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240606T185548Z UID:2271-1336761000-1336770000@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - May 11 @ 6:30pm - "Spaces Occupied" - New Brunswick Art Salon\, Spring 2012 - Part I DESCRIPTION:Opening Reception: Friday\, May 11 @ 6:30pmExhibition Duration: May 11 – June  6Curator: Kathryn Mecca  \nReaching from the historical “salon” style exhibition\, Spaces Occupied provides local artists with a chance to simultaneously unveil their recent works to both their contemporaries and the public. Since opening its doors in 2008\, Alfa has held these biannual Art Salons. Each juried exhibition features new artists and celebrates their exchange of ideas. Central to this group is the careful consideration of space\, and the figures\, forms and narratives that inhabit it. \nAlaine Becker’s pastels on oversized paper deal with damaged people. The psychological drawings combine with pure color to create deeply vulnerable and intimate portraits. Heavy layers and transparencies reflect the subject’s fragility and leave the surface textured with complexities. We are at once familiar with and alienated by these personal vignettes. And with the subject’s identity always undisclosed\, the viewer is given the freedom to create their own narrative. Alaine Becker received her BFA from SUNY Purchase in 1981. She recently completed a residency at the Vermont Studio Center and has been exhibited extensively throughout the Northeast Coast. \nAlyce Gottesman received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in and has been painting for over 30 years. She captures a unique organic essence in her work by focusing on formal issues\, such as space and dimension. Her abstract paintings appear atmospheric. Forms inhabit the space\, and a clever play with perspective gives the illusion of spacial depth. In combination with her heavy use of drawing\, and subtle yet bold color choices\, the viewer becomes absorbed into an imaginary world. The works capture the spirit of nature on an energetic level\, by using abstractions to communicate vital messages. Alyce Gottesman lives and works in Montclair\, NJ. She currently teaches Art at Bergen Community College in Paramus\, New Jersey and is a member of the Young Scholars Program of Newark\, NJ. \nCarole Krinsky is a self taught artist working primarily in pointillism. Her dot and circle filled acrylic paintings exercise bold color choices and intricate arrangements. Finding inspiration from the aboriginal works native to Australia\, her paintings offer universal messages which are powerful and primitive. These confident works convey a broad range of themes\, often spiritual and personal in nature. And\, each theme is provoked by and changes with the artist’s daily life experiences. Carole Krinsky lives and works in East Brunswick\, New Jersey. She is a full time business owner\, mother of three\, and a student of the Highland Park Academy of Art. \nJonathan Horowitz is both a writer and painter. His heavily conceptual but vibrant paintings combine abstractions with familiar cultural references. Their composition is carefully designed so that movement radiates throughout the canvas. His paintings are the result of countless preparatory sketches\, a process which allows him to hone his shapes and designs. Emotion is provoked by his choice of tone\, and a dramatic effect is achieved by his use of loud\, complementary colors. Jonathan Horowitz lives and works in Highland Park\, and has exhibited extensively throughout the area. \n  \nThis event is in part sponsored by: URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-may-11-630pm-spaces-occupied-new-brunswick-art-salon-spring-2012-part-i/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception,New Brunswick Art Salon ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/nbas_spring_2012_part1_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20120428 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20120429 DTSTAMP:20240725T164542Z CREATED:20120427T153426Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240725T164542Z UID:2263-1335571200-1335657599@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - April 28 - Rutgers Day & NJ Folk Fest DESCRIPTION:On Saturday\, April 28th\, Alfa will participate in the famous spring celebration called Rutgers Day\, that is a University wide event which happens every year and is incredibly popular in the area. With tons of great activities planned by various Rutgers departments and local business\, great food and good music\, it is the place to  be! \nOur booth will be in Voorhees Mall behind the Zimmerli Art Museum. We’ll be there between 10am-4pm. Come check out our booth! Our interns have been busy painting our banner and preparing for the event. We plan on having a Communal painting project\, where we will have 1 large canvas divided into lots of little squares and our Director and resident artist Vesselin Kourtev will start it off by painting the first square. Visitors can then paint the next square with something related to the previous square. This way in the end it will be like a running comic strip painted by many different people.  \nYou can follow us live on Twitter the day of the event – http://www.twitter.com/AlfaArtGallery. \nAlso dont forget to check out the NJ Folk Festival happening at the same time on Cook/Douglas campus. Each year they have ensembles of dancers and singers from a different country perform on the stage and this year it is Bulgarian folk music! Make sure to stop by and enjoy the music and great food from the vendors at the location. For more info go to: http://www.njfolkfest.rutgers.edu/ URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-april-28-rutgers-day-nj-folk-fest/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/2012rutgersday_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20120420 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20120422 DTSTAMP:20240606T185548Z CREATED:20120320T140558Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240606T185548Z UID:2159-1334880000-1335052799@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - April 20 - Omega Sound Fix II DESCRIPTION:Experimental Music Festival resonates in New Brunswick art gallery \nOver fifteen innovative acts will perform at the bleeding edge of sound on April 20th & 21st at Omega Sound Fix II at the Alfa Art Gallery\, New Brunswick\, NJ. The festival began in 2010 when curators Mark Weinberg and Michael Durek sought to fill a void for a spirited festival of new and innovative music in central NJ. \nAmong the performers this year is spoken word artist\, Brick\, who was born deaf but now expresses himself with inspirational tones that he has created to cope with adversity. Brooklyn- based experimental trio Prehistoric Horse\, and danceable ambient artist $50 trumpet (also hailing from Brooklyn) will be generously sharing their skills on the bill. Avant-garde vets ArtCrime will take the stage on the opening night. And Chester Hawkins\, playing as Blue Sausage Infant\, will be there from Washington D.C.\, hypnotizing and stimulating with loops\, arpeggiated vibrations\, and everything in between. \nThe local element at the festival promises to be powerful. Blithe(doll)\, excavating their innovative electro/trip-hop siren calls\, will be returning for their second Omega Sound Fix appearance\, as will part-techno-part-down-tempo atmospheric laptop guru\, Borne. Asbury Park’s rising Wreaths will headline the first night\, displaying their warm and mystifying saturated drones. Fairychaser will stop you in your tracks with their heartbreaking combination of ethereal percussion and starkly classic vocal stylings. STRNGLV’s multimedia demonstration of nebulous pulses will take you on a trip to the astral plane\, but don’t float away… \n…because you don’t want to miss festival curators Mark Weinberg and Michael Durek\, who will combine sonic forces on day two for a memorable Trinitron/CloudCloud set. Trevor Pennsylvania and Jim Schmidt’s foray into no-wave\, a movement swaying you to the left of the proverbial dial\, will take shape as The Summer Dresses. 2673 will intrigue with his blissfully oppressive sound worlds\, ranging from barely there zero ambiance to speaker shredding walls of noise static. \nOpen your mind. Allow these unique transmissions to wash over you. There is water everywhere. This is the Omega Sound Fix. Your perfect prescription awaits.  \nTickets are $6 for one day\, $10 for a two-day pass. Doors open at 7 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday.  \n  \nVisit omegasoundfix.com for full line-up and details \nFacebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Omega-Sound-Fix/336522986382754 (share with friends!) On twitter:   twitter.com/omegasoundfix URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/omega-sound-fix-ii/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Concert/Band Night ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/OmegaSoundFix2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120414T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120414T210000 DTSTAMP:20160729T213419Z CREATED:20120307T210616Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T213419Z UID:1805-1334426400-1334437200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - April 14 - Moments in Matter: Vesselin Kourtev’s Recent Works DESCRIPTION:Alfa Art Gallery is proud to present Moments in Matter: Vesselin Kourtev’s Recent Works. This collection encompasses three smaller bodies of work\, all unique yet intimately unified by their impulse to seize fleeting moments in material form. With two groups of oils\, the artist explores a more minimalist approach than he has in the past. He strives to reduce his overall mark making by maximizing his use of the palette knife. And\, with fewer voices on the canvas\, each resounds more confidently. His mixed media collages are more experimental in nature\, and pay close attention to line\, composition and representational imagery. All the while\, Kourtev remains true to his roots by incorporating both narrative drawing and abstract expressionist painting techniques into the works. \nVarying in theme and concentration\, these oils and mixed media collages expand his body of work to areas previously unrevealed. This group appears especially organic with heavy references to traditionalist styles of the past. A formally taught artist himself\, Kourtev is particularly inspired by the ideals of the Symbolist and the Arts and Crafts Movements of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Join us on Saturday\, April 14 to celebrate this exciting debut of these never before seen works. \nVesselin Kourtev is the Founder\, Director and current Artist in Residence at the Alfa Art Gallery. Originally from Bulgaria\, he is recognized internationally as an oil painter with a truly unique style. He uses traditional\, narrative drawing techniques paired with abstract-expressionist painterly qualities. His works pay homage to artists like Arnold Bocklin and Walter Crane\, and incorporate gesture and story telling. Vesselin currently lives and works in New Brunswick\, NJ\, where he continues to find new inspirations for his work.  URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-april-13-vesselin-kourtevs-solo-exhibition-opening/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/vkourtev_apr2012_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120309T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120309T210000 DTSTAMP:20160809T185946Z CREATED:20120210T152745Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160809T185946Z UID:2095-1331317800-1331326800@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - March 9 @ 6:30pm - "Three Paths to the Abstract Image" - 4th Year Anniversary Exhibition & Awards Ceremony DESCRIPTION:Exhibition Duration: March 9 – April 13\nOpening Reception: March 9 @ 6:30pm\nCurator: Jeffrey Wechsler\nLive Music By: New World Order \nAwards Ceremony: Announcing the winners of the New Brunswick Art Salon 2011 Juried Exhibition\n(1st Place: Peter Arakawa\, 2nd Place: Darren McManus\, 3rd Place: Rita Herzfeld\, Honorable Mention: Dara Alter)  \nThis year’s Alfa Gallery anniversary exhibition present three artists who all create abstractions\, but with different approaches to technique and imagery: Chinyee\, Bertha (Bert) Thompson and Tony DiBella. Since its emergence as a viable and accepted form of modernist art near the beginning of the 20th century\, abstraction has continued to act as a method of image-making that seems essentially boundless in its diversity and potential to inspire imagination and technical experimentation.  Within the work of the three artists in this exhibition\, one can appreciate the flexibility of abstraction to accommodate differing and highly personal sensibilities and interests\, yielding particular exemplars of the range of abstract imagery\, whether painterly or geometric\, gestural or linear\, opaque or filled with light.  These artists also demonstrate how\, behind the immediate impression of abstraction\, sources drawn from the real world may be at work\, whether literal or symbolic.   \nOver a career spanning more than 50 years\, Chinyee’s art reveals a progression of vividly realized themes that are notably diverse yet equally reflective of a coherent\, lifelong vision.  While her earliest works show full mastery of traditional Chinese ink techniques and Western realism\, her major influence turned out to be Abstract Expressionism.  Within this style\, often known for aggressive paint-handling\, some artists preferred a refined and somewhat muted manner of expression\, using a lighter touch and more delicate and complex manipulation of color.  This style has been called “lyrical abstraction\,” and Chinyee’s art is appropriate to this label.  Always exploring and receptive to fresh insights\, she moves smoothly from medium to medium\, working with oil\, watercolor\, oilstick\, enamel\, acrylic\, China marker\, and collage.  Her abstractions derive in part from both the calligraphic and atmospheric traditions of Chinese art\, as well as the Western mode of color field painting.  While her art is basically abstract\, Chinyee’s Chinese heritage\, in which nature is the primary source of art and philosophy\, intermittently affects her imagery.  Open to all sources and sensitive to the feeling of life – or ch’i – which Chinese artists find essential to meaningful expression\, Chinyee allows references to nature to suffuse into her work\, which might be specific\, such as a lotus plant\, or general\, as in horizontal bands that suggest land and sky.   \nBert Thompson’s work has alternated between abstraction and realism; the current presentation concentrates on a group of abstract paintings she produced between 1992 and 1998.  These works are typified by geometric shapes and divisions\, often with large areas of black\, gray or white\, set off with color forms that are sometimes bright and primary\, but frequently muted\, rather like rock or sand.  The paint is laid down in impasto\, with rich and rather glossy surfaces built up with evident individual strokes.  Accompanying the large major compositional elements such as triangles\, rectangles and circles are scatterings of linear motifs that enliven the compositions and resemble graffiti or scratches into the walls of buildings.  Indeed\, these abstractions by Thompson are cogent\, if surprising\, painted reactions to the physical environment of Urbino\, Italy\, which deeply moved her emotionally and visually.  She has written: “The Ducal Palace had intricately carved marble around all the mantels\, doors and window frames – a light and airy feeling.  I found myself absorbing the colors – ochres\, umbers\, siennas; the textures and the effects I saw…. These I used in my abstractions.”  Thus\, these works are to some degree abstract translations of physical structures\, with the stucco-like or incised impasto surfaces mimicking the irregular stone of buildings\, in refined or weathered aspects.  To these features Thompson may add shapes that seem like symbols or letters\, providing further levels of interest to a series of paintings whose individual works are by turns active\, mysterious\, elegant\, and elegiac. \nAt a quick first glance\, the imagery of Tony DiBella might suggest subtly painted abstractions of the color-field variety\, perhaps produced by watercolor or airbrush\, given their smooth color transitions and flashes of light.  However\, inspection of DiBella’s intriguing compositions of hazy color and indistinct forms reveal images made not with paint and brush\, but through photography\, transforming quite ordinary objects and their details by carefully controlled use of out-of-focus imagery and lighting techniques.  In general\, his method involves illuminating an object with ambient light and carefully directed beams from small LED flashlights\, then moving around the object and manually changing his camera’s focus\, seeking the interplay that will produce a satisfying image.  Colors may be added by reflection of materials placed around or behind the subject.  From time to time\, he leaves just enough of his subjects in focus to allow the viewer to comprehend their original physical presence\, their solidity\, although rarely in amounts sufficient to easily reveal the identity of the objects.  Generally\, he titles his photographs not with their true source\, but rather with a form or concept suggested by the color miasmas and amorphous shapes in the final composition. For example\, The Dove is the result of photographing through a paperweight; Sandbar captures effects derived from a candelabra of square-edged\, modern design.  In DiBella’s work\, we find the path to abstraction moving straight through the real world\, and\, via the agencies of technology and imagination\, creating a new world of invented form\, color\, and light.  \n  \nSponsors: URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-march-9-630pm-three-paths-to-the-abstract-image-4th-year-anniversary-exhibition/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/20120309_4th_year_anniversary.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120223T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120223T230000 DTSTAMP:20160729T222559Z CREATED:20120209T214439Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T222559Z UID:2132-1330030800-1330038000@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 – Feb 23 @ 9:00pm – No Funny Business Comedy Show DESCRIPTION:This Thursday\, February 23rd @ 9pm\, live at the Alfa Art Gallery in downtown New Brunswick…Charlie K hosts the city’s best comedy showcase NO FUNNY BUSINESS… And you can join in the fun for just $5 at the door! \nThe lineup of comedians this week includes: \n\nJoe Conte\nDina Hashem\nFred Austin\nJohn Minus\nCraig Sharf\nMatt Jenkins\n\nAnd we’ve got a very special musical guest this week from NYC: Idgy Dean \nPlus this week\, Charlie sits down to talk with the latest viral video star\, Rutgers’ very own Matthew Ferguson. He skyrocketed to fame and fell back into obscurity in the time it has taken you to read this sentence. \nBut seriously his viral video already has 700\,000 views and caught the attention from CBS and the Huffington Post. Check it out here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJA-Tfbbtdg \nCome on down to the Alfa on Thursday Night. What else are you going to do? Cure morning breath and read to underprivileged kids? Then stay home and do it. \nOtherwise come out for a great show! \nYou can also follow No Funny Business on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/nofunnybusiness)\, Twitter (www.twitter.com/NFBcomedy)\, and on FourSquare (No Funny Business Comedy Show). \n  \nAbout No Funny Business \nNo Funny Business (NFB) is like no other comedy show you’ve ever seen before. It is an original\, live show that is guaranteed to keep things fresh and keep you laughing! NFB seamlessly blends stand-up from the best in local comedy with the staging and sit-down interviews of a late night talk show. Not to mention\, NFB will feature live musical acts and special guests from various industries to give its audience a complete night of entertainment. The comedy show has consistently drawn in a large\, diverse crowd comprised of students\, local civilians\, and professionals. So if you are looking for a fun-filled night that won’t break your wallet\, where you can let loose\, laugh\, and even learn something new\, then check out No Funny Business in downtown New Brunswick! \n  URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-feb-23-900pm-no-funny-business-comedy-show/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/no_funny_business_new.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120210T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120210T220000 DTSTAMP:20160729T214734Z CREATED:20120126T020604Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T214734Z UID:1803-1328898600-1328911200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - Feb 10 @ 6:30pm - "A Two-Man Show" DESCRIPTION:Exhibition Duration: February 10 – March 9Opening Reception: February 10 @ 6:30pmCurator: Kathryn MeccaLive Music By: New World Order \nAlfa is pleased to present A Two Man Show\, featuring the sculptures of Jivko Jeliazkov and the paintings of Vesselin Kourtev. Neither realist nor symbolist\, this humanistic collection provokes the mysterious realm of life. The works are both inspired by and attractive to the subconscious and leave the viewer to think\, reflect and dream in their shadow. Both artists are classically trained yet experimental in their approach. Through their heavily abstracted lense\, we see suggestions of the figure\, both in subject and concept. Jeliazkov’s architectural sculptures act as the skeleton and Kourtev’s colorful oils are the organs and skin. Together they give us a complete expression\, inside and out\, of distinct facets of the human spirit.   \nJivko Jeliazkov  is a renowned sculptor whose works are found in prestigious collections all around the world. Originally from Bulgaria\, he is especially well known in Paris\, France\, where he has lived and worked since 1990. His architectural compositions are full of life and movement\, with themes revolving around man’s evolution and transcendental fate. With a delicate balance between traditional matters and contemporary forms\, Jivko’s sculptures seduce the viewer’s subconscious. He captures wild and primitive energies with his soft and angular geometry\, leaving us heavily humanistic pieces teaming with mythological meaning.  \nVesselin Kourtev is recognized internationally as an artist who uses the cultural traditions of many countries. Bulgaria\, where he grew up\, is a constant presence in his work. He uses traditional\, narrative drawing techniques combined with abstract- expressionist painting techniques. His paintings pay homage to works by artists of past centuries\, like Arnold Bocklin and Walter Crane. Vesselin’s engaging\, stylized figures are always engrossed in some curious or intriguing activity. His use of strong\, thick color is absolutely poetic. Viewers identify with his “people” because they are universal. His canvases seem to be in two worlds at once: the world that we find within our mind\, and the world that we see with our eyes. His unique and personal style is a lyrical reflection of the present\, where viewers may move back and forth between realism and surrealism\, immersed in their own fantasy universe. Vesselin has recently been using collage techniques in his work; photographs of buildings and figures in New Brunswick bring Kourtev’s paintings even closer to home for members of this community. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/february-10-jivko-and-vesselin-group-exhibition/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/20120210_jivko_and_vesselin_main2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120209T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120209T230000 DTSTAMP:20160729T215206Z CREATED:20120122T155205Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T215206Z UID:2106-1328821200-1328828400@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - Feb 9 @ 9:00pm - No Funny Business Comedy Show DESCRIPTION:On Thursday night\, “No Funny Business” is back at Alfa for another great show! Join us on February 9th at 9pm.  \nNo Funny Business (NFB) is like no other comedy show you’ve ever seen before. It is an original\, live show that is guaranteed to keep things fresh and keep you laughing! NFB seamlessly blends stand-up from the best in local comedy with the staging and sit-down interviews of a late night talk show. Not to mention\, NFB will feature live musical acts and special guests from various industries to give its audience a complete night of entertainment. The comedy show has consistently drawn in a large\, diverse crowd comprised of students\, local civilians\, and professionals. So if you are looking for a fun-filled night that won’t break your wallet\, where you can let loose\, laugh\, and even learn something new\, then check out No Funny Business in downtown New Brunswick! \nEnjoy the comedy stylings of: \n\nRon Snipes\nKevin Danger\nTy Raney\nStephen Hilger\nDan Speiser\nJustin Flanagan\nBoris Khaykin\nJohn Post\n\nThe  special guest this time will be Ron Snipes\, a standup comic who saved a suicidal man’s life last week right here in Middlesex County! Charlie Kratovil will be the host\, once again\, and we’ll get to see how close he came to matching his suits with his shoes!Plus\, rock out to live music from our house band Conkey & The Patrick Swayzee Express! \nCome join us for a unique live comedy show in downtown New Brunswick geared towards fostering and exploring the art of standup… cheap cover and a good crowd\, guaranteed. \nYou can also follow No Funny Business on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/nofunnybusiness)\, Twitter (www.twitter.com/NFBcomedy)\, and on FourSquare (No Funny Business Comedy Show). \n  URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-feb-9-900pm-no-funny-business-comedy-show/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/no_funny_business_main_2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120203T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120203T210000 DTSTAMP:20160729T215004Z CREATED:20111226T020516Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T215004Z UID:1801-1328293800-1328302800@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - Feb 3 @ 6:30pm - Black History Month Celebration - Group Exhibition DESCRIPTION:Exhibition Duration: February 3-10\, 2012Opening Reception: February 3 @ 6:30pm Curator: Kathryn MeccaLive Music By: TBD \nAlfa Art Gallery is proud to host our first annual Black History Month Celebration exhibition. \nSince 1976\, Black History Month has been celebrated nationally during the month of February. It is a time to commemorate important African-American figures and celebrate the crucial role they have played in American and World History. \nThis group exhibition combines the works of seven talented local artists who draw upon a rich history to communicate a unique cultural perspective. And they approach this perspective using a broad array of techniques and media: Narrative photography is used to document and define personal identities\, abstracted yet powerful sculpture communicates strength and suffering\, and realistic portraiture explores popular American culture and the sense of community. Together\, these works capture the importance of this unique perspective in a well-rounded\, yet powerful collection.  \n  \nAbout the Artists\nJared Hamilton Schwartz is an emerging photographer based out of New Brunswick\, New Jersey. He studies contemporary American society by focusing on themes routed in identity\, race\, class and youth culture. With such intimate subjects as his family and members of his close-knit community\, he explores the subtle and ever changing stereotypes embedded in our social fiber. His photographs emphasize the dual existence of reality and imagination\, structure and disarray\, and whimsy and seriousness found in today’s generation. Jared is currently a senior at Rutgers University\, where he is pursuing a dual degree in Photography and Journalism.\n\nPaul Jeter is a draftsman\, writer and painter based out of New York City. His most recent works depict the rhetoric between realism and abstraction; viewer and self; idolatry and society; morality and heroism. His watercolor series entitled “Moral Authorities” considers cultural identity through modern day icons. His recognizable portraits capture such memorable subjects as Martin Luther King Jr.\, Bill Cosby\, Jimi Hendrix\, and Elvis Presley. Their unique aesthetic is a reflection of his commercial technique\, photographic realism and his background in printmaking. He combines an intricate line work with flattened planes of color to develop a sort of tension in the finished product. A tension similar to what is created by moral authorities when they intrude on our personal lives by telling us how to live. Paul received his BFA from Hartford Art School in \nRoberta Rose finds inspiration for her mixed media collages in discarded photographs. She pairs found images with delicate patterns and materials to develop nostalgic compositions. When looking at her works\, it is like the experience of remembering. The old\, faded photographs seem to regain life in the way they rise up to the surface and vaguely relate to the artifacts that surround them. Heavy in layers and texture\, the finished product seems to take on a life of its own. Her award winning works have been featured in many galleries throughout the tri-state area and are featured in the permanent collection of the New York City Public Library. \nMichael Gyampo is an award winning sculptor and painter. Originally from Ghana\, his works have been exhibited and collected internationally\, including such distinguished recipients as Carnegie Center\, the Bronx Museum\, Johnson & Johnson\, Nabisco Headquarters and the Nissan Corporation. His works stem from themes of identity\, religion\, and the challenges of the human condition and are extremely versatile in context\, form\, medium and expression. His primitive yet forceful images communicate a possible yearning to embody one’s true identity with their stylized portrayals of the figure and bold nationalistic imagery. They command attention\, yet remain deeply sensitive and spiritual. Michael has taught at the Johnson Technical Institute of Sculpture and the NJ School of the Arts program. He has guest lectured at many institutions including the prestigious Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. \nClifford Ward’s sculptures\, masks and paintings have been exhibited extensively throughout the New Jersey and Philadelphia areas. Dance lies at the center of his works. Dancers in mid flight\, and their ability to create gravity defying illusions through body movement particularly fascinate him. He describes these illusions by concentrating on lines\, asymmetries and fluid movements. His sculptures have a certain lightness and grace to them\, which seems to evolve the longer one looks. Clifford currently maintains a studio at the Grounds for Sculpture\, located in Hamilton\, NJ and rated among the top ten sculpture parks in the USA. \nLeroy White has been drawing and painting since the age of 10. His emphatic narrative pastel drawings capture their viewer in moments of extreme emotion by using serene and often celebratory imagery. From joyful choirs and colorful street merchants to excited children playing on the beach\, his works recreate everyday moments of beauty as he experiences them. These drawings are infused with energy by his use of vibrant colors and dynamic compositions. Leroy finds his inspiration in his family\, church community and friends. He is a member of the Pastel Society of New Jersey and currently teaches Graphic Design and Animation at the Anthem Institute in Jersey City. \nAutin Dean Wright has been exhibiting his award winning sculptures internationally for over 25 years. Born and raised in Jamaica\, Autin moved to the United States in 1987. His modern compositions are clean\, sleek and highly abstract. They are minimalist\, yet forceful with a loud presence. It is quite possible that their simplified form may be their strongest feature; they seem to be able to speak loudest with the fewest words spoken. These smooth\, highly polished masses appear to have a vitalistic energy to them\, emphasized even further by their large\, life-like size. And it is clear\, when looking at these works\, that the artist’s confidence has taken shape. Autin’s work was included in the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Jamaica and he was the recipient of the Simon Bolivar Sculpture Competition Award hosted by the Venezuela Embassy in Jamaica. He currently lives in Trenton and maintains a studio at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton\, New Jersey. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/february-3-black-history-month-celebration-group-exhibition/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/20120203_black_history_month_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120126T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120126T230000 DTSTAMP:20160729T215627Z CREATED:20111224T172244Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T215627Z UID:1944-1327611600-1327618800@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - Jan 26 @ 9pm - No Funny Business Comedy Show DESCRIPTION:On Thursday night\, “No Funny Business” is back at Alfa for another great show! Join us on January 26th at 9pm.  \nNo Funny Business (NFB) is like no other comedy show you’ve ever seen before. It is an original\, live show that is guaranteed to keep things fresh and keep you laughing! NFB seamlessly blends stand-up from the best in local comedy with the staging and sit-down interviews of a late night talk show. Not to mention\, NFB will feature live musical acts and special guests from various industries to give its audience a complete night of entertainment. The comedy show has consistently drawn in a large\, diverse crowd comprised of students\, local civilians\, and professionals. So if you are looking for a fun-filled night that won’t break your wallet\, where you can let loose\, laugh\, and even learn something new\, then check out No Funny Business in downtown New Brunswick! \nYou can also follow No Funny Business on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/nofunnybusiness)\, Twitter (www.twitter.com/NFBcomedy)\, and on FourSquare (No Funny Business Comedy Show). URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/2012-jan-26-9pm-no-funny-business-comedy-show/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/no_funny_business_main_2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20120113T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20120113T210000 DTSTAMP:20160729T215434Z CREATED:20111224T005442Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T215434Z UID:1799-1326479400-1326488400@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2012 - Jan 13 @ 6:30pm - On Tour - Photography Exhibition DESCRIPTION:Duration: January 13 – February 3\, 2012Reception: Friday\, January 13 @ 6:30-10:30pmCurator: Kathryn Mecca LIVE Music: New World Order \nSpecial Guest Photographers: Andrew Darlow and Whitey Warner  \nOn Tour: the third annual group photography exhibition at Alfa Art Gallery. Featuring works from five talented artists\, this exhibition focuses on photography as a reflection of space and place. From the local markets of rural South Korea to the majestic landscapes of Switzerland\, each of these artists provides us with a piercing sense of place. As a collection\, these works offer a glimpse into the natural and cultural diversity across three continents. \nJoin us for the opening reception on Friday\, January 13th at 6:30pm\, with live music by the New World Order and photography by Jay Seldin\, Jennifer Lugris\, Christopher McGuigan\, Mary Conlon and Mike Lindwasser (click each artist’s name for more info). The exhibition will remain open through February 3rd. \n  \nJay Seldin is a professional photographer\, digital media artist and master digital printmaker. His photographs have been featured in various solo and group exhibitions nationally and abroad. He travels the world to document cultures through portrait based photography. Past series include location based works from Cuba\, SouthEast Asia\, China and Italy. On Tour features nearly 15 pieces from his Haitian and Indian series. He captures people in ordinary yet whimsical moments\, which effectively communicates the idiosyncrasies of their culture. His systematic use of color makes his subjects pop from their monochromatic backgrounds. The resulting photographs are personal\, playful and optimistic in nature. Jay has been awarded numerous awards including a fellowship from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and is currently the artist-in-residence at Montclair Art Museum. \nJennifer Lugris is a graduate of Rutgers University\, where she received her BA in Sociology with a concentration in Photography. Her work combines her interests in travel\, photography and the study of culture. With series from South Korea\, Spain\, Germany\, Guatemala and Uruguay\, Jennifer studies the social and cultural diversities that range with location. She focuses on simple images and primary colors to give the viewer an unembellished record of a place. Jennifer currently lives in Alhambra\, California\, where she works as a research assistant for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. \nMary Conlon is currently pursuing her BFA in photography at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Alfa is proud to present this emerging artist’s five diptych Spain series. Her images are captured in public spaces\, with subject matter ranging from architecture to pedestrian life. This series captures her desire to understand a foreign culture as an outsider. Through her process\, she remains detached from and observant of the culture she visits. Originally from Trenton\, New Jersey\, Mary has participated in various exhibitions throughout the State. This past year\, she interned at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. \nMike Lindwasser attended the School of Visual Arts and currently lives and works in New York City. Alfa presents his location based photographs\, all of which are shot in various cities throughout the United States. He distorts his images with the use of fades and colored tints and focuses on such dream-like subjects as windows\, puddles\, docks and trees. With their limited colors and reflective imagery\, the viewer cannot escape their solemn tones/moods. Mike is originally from Queens\, New York and comes from a family of artists. His artistic focus has been on photojournalism\, portraiture\, fashion photography and the documentation of social events. \nChris McGuigan has been the resident photographer for Alfa Art Gallery for the past year. His work is a mix of staged studio photography and candid landscapes and cityscapes. On Tour features his majestic black and white landscapes of the Adirondacks region of New York State. This series captures the raw but dormant power of the region and focuses on its tumultuous skies and rocky landscapes. Their monochromatic format underscores further the contrast between the explosive potential and the docile solitude of nature. Chris received his BA from Rutgers University and currently works as a wedding and portrait photographer at the Rivington Studio. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/january-13-on-tour-photography-exhibition/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/20120113_on_tour_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111215T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111215T170000 DTSTAMP:20160729T131603Z CREATED:20111215T191403Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T131603Z UID:1782-1323936000-1323968400@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Dec 15 @ 9pm - No Funny Business - Comedy Show DESCRIPTION:On Thursday night\, “No Funny Business” is back at Alfa for another great show! Join us on December 15th at 9pm. \nNo Funny Business (NFB) is like no other comedy show you’ve ever seen before. It is an original\, live show that is guaranteed to keep things fresh and keep you laughing! NFB seamlessly blends stand-up from the best in local comedy with the staging and sit-down interviews of a late night talk show. Not to mention\, NFB will feature live musical acts and special guests from various industries to give its audience a complete night of entertainment. The comedy show has consistently drawn in a large\, diverse crowd comprised of students\, local civilians\, and professionals. So if you are looking for a fun-filled night that won’t break your wallet\, where you can let loose\, laugh\, and even learn something new\, then check out No Funny Business in downtown New Brunswick! \nYou can also follow No Funny Business on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/nofunnybusiness)\, Twitter (www.twitter.com/NFBcomedy)\, and on FourSquare (No Funny Business Comedy Show). URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/december-15-9pm-no-funny-business-comedy-show/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/no_funny_business_main_2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111207T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111207T220000 DTSTAMP:20160729T131537Z CREATED:20111121T214009Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T131537Z UID:1703-1323288000-1323295200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Dec 7 @ 8pm - Objet d'Art Magazine 20th Issue Launch Party DESCRIPTION:Please join Objet d’Art as we celebrate the publication of our 20th issue at our Fall 2011 Launch Party at the Alfa Art Gallery on Wednesday\, December 7th. Issues of the magazine will be available along with light refreshments. Featured poets and musicians will be reading and performing their work. Join us from 8 PM – 11 PM in celebration of our anniversary issue! URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/december-7-8pm-objet-dart-magazine-20th-issue-launch-party/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-12-07_objet_dart_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111202T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111202T220000 DTSTAMP:20240606T185548Z CREATED:20111121T213239Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240606T185548Z UID:1701-1322852400-1322863200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Dec 2 @ 7 pm - Archive III - Catalog Release Exhibition Opening DESCRIPTION:Exhibition Duration: December 2 – December 23Reception: Friday\, December 2 @ 7:00 -10:30pmCo-Curators: Jewel Lim\, Kathryn Mecca Multidisciplinary Event: The New World Order \nAlfa Art Gallery is proud to present αrchive III. This group exhibition celebrates the release of the 2011 Alfa Art Gallery catalog. Our annual retrospective features 9 talented artists\, whose works range in style and medium\, and who epitomize the vibrant assortment of art showcased at Alfa this year. The catalog boasts selections from over 35 local and international artists\, all of whom Alfa has been proud to represent in 2011. \nSince its inception in 2008\, this non-profit organization has been an indispensable venue for artistic expression in the New Brunswick community. This past year alone\, Alfa has hosted over 30 events\, ranging from lectureseries and open studios\, to artist workshops and exhibitions. Having represented both established professionals and emerging artists\, the gallery once again looks forward to showing an impressive array of work inthe year ahead. \n“αrchive III” features the work of Dara Alter\, Agop Gemdijian\, John Hawaka\, Carlos Frias\, Jimmy Leslie\, Alexandra Pacula and Vesselin Kourtev\, and introduces Linda Gebhard and Brian Bulfer\, who are both new to the Gallery. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/december-2-630-pm-archive-iii-catalog-release-exhibition-opening/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/archive3_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111201T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111201T230000 DTSTAMP:20160729T131614Z CREATED:20111121T145404Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T131614Z UID:1699-1322773200-1322780400@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Dec 1 @ 9pm - No Funny Business - Comedy Show DESCRIPTION:Join us on December 1st at 9pm for the exciting new comedy show “No Funny Business”. \nNo Funny Business (NFB) is like no other comedy show you’ve ever seen before. It is an original\, live show that is guaranteed to keep things fresh and keep you laughing! NFB seamlessly blends stand-up from the best in local comedy with the staging and sit-down interviews of a late night talk show. Not to mention\, NFB will feature live musical acts and special guests from various industries to give its audience a complete night of entertainment. The comedy show has consistently drawn in a large\, diverse crowd comprised of students\, local civilians\, and professionals. Plus\, it is BYOB! So if you are looking for a fun-filled night that won’t break your wallet\, where you can let loose\, laugh\, and even learn something new\, then check out No Funny Business in downtown New Brunswick! \nYou can also follow No Funny Business on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/nofunnybusiness)\, Twitter (www.twitter.com/NFBcomedy)\, and on FourSquare (No Funny Business Comedy Show). URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/december-1-730pm-no-funny-business-comedy-show/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/dec1_no_funny_business_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111111T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111111T220000 DTSTAMP:20160729T133402Z CREATED:20111103T155446Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T133402Z UID:1621-1321036200-1321048800@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Nov 11 @ 6:30pm - Art and Healing\, Group Exhibition Opening DESCRIPTION:Exhibition Duration : November 11 – December 1\, 2011Reception: Friday\, Nov 11 @ 6:30 -10:30pmCo-Curators: Jewel Lim\, Kathryn Mecca Multidisciplinary Event: The New World Order \n The Alfa Art Gallery is proud to present “Art and Healing\,” the joint exhibition of Iliyan Ivanov and Michael Fenton. This exhibition is dedicated to demonstrating the role of the arts in the healing processes of individuals\, whether from a traumatic experience or the stresses of daily life.  Exposed to the painful stories of others\, Ivanov and Fenton are inspired by the intensity of those who suffered from physical misfortunes\, such as a stroke that paralyzes half the body\, to scarring incidents\, such as the multiple rapes experienced by a teenage girl. The styles of Ivanov and Fenton\, abstract and representational\, come together to unearth the dark side of life and\, within their artwork\, express the ups and downs of these happenings. In addition to these unfortunate individuals’ tales told through art\, the artists also use art as a healing process from their everyday stresses in order to vent what cannot be said or relieved through words. \n  \nAbout the Artists\nIliyan Ivanov received his education from the George Yanakiev Art Studio in Bulgaria and the National Academy of Design\, School of Fine Arts\, in New York City. He has exhibited in several solo and group exhibitions in the United States\, Germany and Bulgaria. His affiliations include the Momenta Art Slide Registry\, Artist Space Slide Registry and the Viewing Program Slide Registry at The Drawing Center in New York.    \n“The Journal” is a 6-panel composition borrowing on the images from two earlier series  “Lights Down” and “Fish Tanks” that later on came under the umbrella name “Who Was There?” series. The common idea focuses on the empty ambiguous spaces – empty rooms under hanging lamps either in the moment before the lights go out after someone just left or the second after the lights have come on before someone enters; similarly the empty fish-tanks symbolize the vacuum left after the water and life have been drained out or at the moment of waiting just before new life will be poured in. \nThe background of these paintings is writings from the journal of a psychotic teenage girl treated on a psychiatric unit who revealed a terrifying personal history of multiple rapes (recently becoming pregnant possibly in result of rape). To make matters worse her cognitive abilities were limited possibly secondary to a head trauma inflicted a year ago by her farther. She felt suspicious\, paranoid and betrayed by everyone and appeared to be in an uneasy and ambivalent emotional state – right after something horrible may have happened and expecting to join the outside reality for one more time. Around that time I happened to see Milosh Forman’s film “Goya’s Ghosts” that told\, among other things\, the story of a young girl in 18 century Spain\, played by Natalie Portman\, who is imprisoned by the Inquisition to be transformed from a young beauty into a retarded ugly woman. If you may feel that such a story is an over-the-top fabricated and unrealistic overkill that could have happened only in the movies and if real\, only in Inquisition controlled 18 century Spain\, then what type of rationalization will help us\, the residents of the 21st century capital of the world\, to make sense of that teenage girl’s real-life story? After all\, may be God really does not like ugly? \n— Iliyan Ivanov \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n  \nMichael Fenton is a representational-narrative painter who generally paints from his own experiences or his personal connection with the subject portrayed. After a successful career in the corporate world\, he retired to pursue his love of art\, painting in a variety of modes and mediums. His works range from Korean folk painting to realism to near-impressionism. \nMy work doesn’t come from a experience with darker regions of the human soul. I’m usually content to tell a story or make a simple statement and rarely originates from a place as deep and profound as Iliyan’s. I’ve avoided the dark areas of the human experience. To laugh is better than to cry\, perhaps. But\, I understand that  his work is not running a comedy club. He has to react to the human conditions he finds. And\, I react to mine. \nBut both of us\, I believe\, use art as some sort of personal gyroscope to stay balanced. It’s a therapy or way to deal with what we see or experience. That\, in itself\, is art as a healing thing. My own art is first a way that helps me achieve balance in my life so that both stress or physical and mental “pain” can be tolerated or reduced and put into perspective. If I could not paint I would first become a physical wreck and then I would go “nuts”.  I’m convinced of that. I have learned that there is something in the creative process that has healing power. I’ve experienced it and I have seen it. And\, I believe Winston Churchill said it many years ago. \nI recently met two men. One\, a man who turned to pencil sketching after experiencing a very serious and debilitating stroke that immobilized one whole side of his body. He began drawing using the bad side of his body and now\, four years later he is winning awards with his highly realistic drawings. Before all this he was a carpenter and had never drawn. He is functioning almost normally today\, although not as a carpenter. The other a young man in his 20′s who had Cystic Fibrosis and chose painting to express his experiences with this terrible disease. His bravery and talent moved me and he shared it with others to help them understand. He achieved a measure of pleasure in this\, but sadly he lost his battle late this past summer. But the memory I carry of his love for painting and the way he smiled while talking about his paintings with me always. This is the healing power of art. \nSo\, while my own art has value to me in my own health\, I also volunteer to work with others to bring art into their lives so that they have an opportunity to gain from participating in a healing process. I’ve seen these folks “paint their pain” in order to better explain to others and themselves what their ailment has done to them. What they do appears to me\, in a way\, similar to your need to express your feelings\, emotions\, and experiences through your creations. It seems that not only do you get to release a lot of angst but you get to provide others with something that allows them to say/think\, “wow\, that’s just the way I feel…” or something like that. \nArt is often an iceberg with only 10% of it showing. We never see the whole thing when we look at a picture\, do we? \n— Michael Fenton URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/november-11-630-pm-art-and-healing/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/art_in_healing_main.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111022T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111022T220000 DTSTAMP:20160729T133856Z CREATED:20111018T134825Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T133856Z UID:1601-1319313600-1319320800@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Oct 22 @ 8pm - Experimontage DESCRIPTION:8pm$5 \nA night of ambient\, nowave\, and experimental music and performances featuring international and local acts\, including \nSummer Dresses (Trevor from Human Adult Band) \nSK Orchestra (Michael Durek\, Brandstifter\, Jim Tuite…) \nWizards of Oi ( Brandstifter\, and Aaron Moore of Volcano the Bear) \nMore acts TBA URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/october-22-8pm-experimontage/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Concert/Band Night ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20111021T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20111021T220000 DTSTAMP:20160729T133702Z CREATED:20110909T134810Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T133702Z UID:1457-1319223600-1319234400@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Oct 21 @ 7pm - Counterparts - New Brunswick Art Salon\, Fall'11 DESCRIPTION:Duration: October 21 – November 10\, 2011Reception: Friday\, Oct 21 @ 6:30-10:30pmCurator: Jewel LimMultidisciplinary Event: The New World Order  \n \nThe Alfa Art Gallery is proud to present “Counterparts\,” the third exhibition of the 2011 New Brunswick Art Salon\, following two exhibitions from the spring. \n  \nAbout Alfa’s New Brunswick Art Salon\nIn the 18th and 19th century\, Art Salons were the greatest annual or biannual art events in the Western world\, celebrating the farthest advances in academia and the arts. The Alfa Art Gallery\, in order to bridge talented and highly esteemed artists with the New Brunswick public\, holds its own Art Salon exhibitions biannually in the Spring and Fall. \n  \nAbout this Exhibition\n“Counterparts” is an exhibition that highlights the collaboration of opposites. Contained in this collection of works is a variety of contrasting elements that complement each other:  representational with abstract pieces\, conversations from past to present\, narratives from experienced to imagined and styles that are dynamic and tranquil. Featuring Ellen Weisbord\, Jamie Greenfield\, Lisa Pressman\, Nilufer Ozturk\, Sarah Petruziello and Theodosia Tamborlane\, this exhibition\, varied in style and medium\, demonstrates an extensive scope of aesthetic sensibility\, where concept is executed into art from different viewpoints\, and brings together an explosive showcase of cooperative diversity. \n  \nAbout the Artists\nEllen Weisbord received her BFA in Art Education from the Philadelphia College of Art. She is a mixed media artist\, working with felt\, photography and coiled basket. Her works\, which reflect influences from nature\, are interpretation of what she observes within and outside her daily life. She has exhibited her work in New Jersey\, Oregon and Washington D.C. At present\, she teaches at Columbia High School in Maplewood\, New Jersey. \nJamie Greenfield obtained her BA in Studio Art from the State University College at Fredonia and her M.A.\, also in Studio Art\, from the State University of New York at Albany. The volume of her works is varied\, ranging from abstract\, colorful pieces to beautifully representational sketches\, reminiscent of Renaissance Art.  At present\, she is serves on the Bunn Family Distinguished Teaching Chair at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrence\, New Jersey. Greenfield has exhibited in many shows in New York\, New Jersey\, Pennsylvania and Alabama. Her works are held in the permanent collections of Rider University\, the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission\, the University of Delaware\, the College of New Jersey and others. \nLisa Pressman received her BA from Douglass College at Rutgers University and her MFA in Painting from Bard College. Her paintings are beautifully abstract\, incorporating oils\, collage\, wax and other media to create works that allude to personalized time and space. According to Pressman\, her work is the physical embodiment of the slow and gradual process of realization and transformation. She has showcased her work in several solo and group exhibitions in Pennsylvania\, New Jersey\, New York\, Florida\, Texas\, Massachusetts\, Georgia\, Florida\, Oregon and South Carolina. Her work appears in several corporate collections\, including those of McKinsey Financial Corporation\, Hyatt Regency\, Evergreen Spot Trading Corporation and many others. \nNilufer Ozturk earned her BA in Art Education from the Ondokuzmayis University in Samsun\, Turkey. Prior to moving to the United States in 2000\, she has taught in various cities\, including Istanbul. The focus of her work is in establishing communications between past and present in regards to what she observes from her surroundings\, often using organic forms. She has exhibited in several shows in Turkey as well as in New Jersey. She was awarded second place in an exhibition at the Hunterdon Museum of Art in Clifton\, New Jersey. \nSarah Petruziello obtained her BFA and MFA from the University of Georgia in Athens\, Georgia. She creates large-scale drawings—using graphite drawing pencils on Arches watercolor paper—that are generally narrative portraiture with elements of symbolism. Petruziello has successfully exhibited in many solo and group exhibitions in New Jersey\, New York and Georgia. She has been awarded a grant by the George Sugarman Foundation and a fellowship from the New Jersey Council State of the Arts. \n  \nTheodosia Tamborlane received her A. A. in Visual Arts from the Union County College in Cranford\, NJ. Prior to her artistic career\, Tamborlane obtained an A.A. from Peirce College of Business\, a B.A from Drew University\, an M.P.A from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a J.D. from Seton Hall Law School. Her series exhibited\, “Toys and games” is abstract\, designed to elicit childhood memories of play\, as colors dance across each canvas. Tamborlane has exhibited her work in several solo and group exhibitions in New Jersey\, New York and Florida. She has also been awarded in several juried exhibitions. \n  \nIf you would like to submit for the 2012 New Brunswick Art Salon\, please visit our website again in the future for the next prospectus. \n  \nThis program is sponsored in part by: URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/october-21-7pm-new-brunswick-art-salon-2011/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception,New Brunswick Art Salon ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/main_nb_art_salon_fall_2011.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110930T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110930T210000 DTSTAMP:20160729T134127Z CREATED:20110909T133910Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T134127Z UID:1452-1317407400-1317416400@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Sept 30 @ 6:30pm - PAINTING / PRESENCE DESCRIPTION:Recent Work by Marsha Goldberg\, Larry McKim and Wes Sherman \nExhibition duration: September 30 – October 20\, 2011Opening Reception: Friday\, September 30 @ 6:30-10:30pmCurator and event coordinator: Jewel LimLive Jazz Music: New World Order \nThe Alfa Art Gallery is proud to present “PAINTING / PRESENCE” a group exhibition by Marsha Goldberg\, Larry McKim and Wes Sherman – the best artists in “New Brunswick Art Salon 2010” and winners of awards provided by New Brunswick City Market.  Chosen from a broad range of talented participants in the “New Brunswick Art Salon 2010\,” Goldberg\, Larry and Sherman were selected for their contribution of new perspectives to the New Brunswick community as a means of art education\, with their different approaches to painting the non-representational. \n   \nJudy Wukitsch about the exhibition\nWes Sherman\, Marsha Goldberg\, and Larry McKim are three artists who share the broad genre of abstraction in their paintings. However\, their approaches are different when putting brush to canvas\, as are their personal goals and visions. While seemingly lighthearted\, the paint-marks that jump across the canvas\, or the color and shapes that seem haphazardly placed along the surface\, in actuality often result from great diligence and painstaking deliberation. \nJudy WukitschIndependent Arts ConsultantFounder/former Director\, Pierro Gallery of South Orange \n  \nMarsha Goldberg about the exhibition\nI begin these paintings with a gestural mark contained within ruled lines. The mark is then reiterated—and sometimes obscured—by tracing it or painting the negative space around it. This slow and measured method of presenting the initially spontaneous gesture is a meditation on the art-making process. \nIn its resemblance to text\, the imagery may appear to be almost decipherable. This is comparable to what one may experience when traveling—attempting to interpret a written language that is unknown\, but ultimately only able to understand it as a picture or decorative line. \n \n  \nLarry McKim about the exhibition\nThe imagery in my work is abstract\, however is not inspired only by geometric shapes.  I also imply the human form\, animal and plant shapes.  Different pieces suggest humor\, chaos\, peacefulness and playfulness.  The titles are given when the pieces are complete and suggest my own personal associations.  Once the pieces are formally resolved\, they exist apart from me and I view them as anyone else would. My goal is to have the pieces have complexity\, mystery and intelligence that keep me interested and engaged over time. \nMy work includes painting and several printmaking techniques.  I find that silkscreen\, reduction woodblock and monoprinting all relate to painting in some way and help me advance my visual vocabulary.  The series of small collages are called “Amalgam” to reflect the fact that they have elements of many image making techniques within them. \n \n  \nWes Sherman about the exhibition\nI paint about painting and the nature of painting. It is neither a grand or uncommon act. Painting is one of the earliest acts of human beings; we paint to define our lives and to put our existence into context with nature. \nThe act of painting is a search for meaning within nature’s sublime. This probing for self-meaning is at the heart of the sublime and the history of painting. The painter is constantly trying to reason a way into nature\, while the philosopher is trying to reason a way out of nature. Painters who get their hands messy with the mud of paint and interact with the history of painting\, will by the natural act of painting\, look for the spiritual purity\, grandeur or excellence that is hidden in nature’s sublime. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/september-30-7pm-painting-presence/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/sherman_larry_marsha_exhib.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110909T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110909T210000 DTSTAMP:20160729T134428Z CREATED:20110806T190323Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T134428Z UID:1296-1315593000-1315602000@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Sept 9 @ 6:30pm - “Spirit of Nature” - John Hawaka's Solo Exhibition Opening & Catalog Release DESCRIPTION:Exhibition duration: September 9 –29\, 2011Opening Reception: Friday\, September 9 @ 6:30-10:30pmOpen Studio: Friday\, September 23 @ 6:30-9:30pm \nCurator: Jewel LimLive Jazz Music: New World Order \n  \n \nThe Alfa Art Gallery is pleased to present “Spirit of Nature\,” a solo exhibition featuring John Hawaka. Carrying the trademark of his works created with lacquer\, these paintings in his second nature series are graceful yet explosive. While some pieces give the impression of colorful ink beautifully suspended in water\, ever so slowly expanding outwardly on the white board Hawaka uses others splatter dynamically into natural forms with force. Regardless of the way the lacquer imprints the board\, Hawaka’s colors are captivating and optimistic\, never in any inch of the work dull\, with the white spaces delightfully acting as light. Overall\, Hawaka’s abstraction of the spirit of nature creates a beautiful and long-lasting impression of the sublime. \n\nJohn Hawaka’s catalog will also be released at this exhibition\, featuring both of his nature series\, last year’s collection “Above\, Below and Beyond” and the “Spirit of Nature.” \n  \n  \n  \nAbout the Artist\nOfficially represented by the Alfa Art Gallery since 2008\, John Hawaka has brought to New Brunswick a wealth of creativity and skill. As one of the few artists to use lacquer in painting\, his work is more impressive and rare to see. Hawaka attended Phoenix School of Design in New York and Montclair State University in New Jersey. He has also contributed his work to foundations and private collectors in New Brunswick\, Princeton\, Piscataway and surrounding areas\, making him a local treasure. \n  URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/spirit-of-nature-john-hawakas-solo-exhibition-catalog-release/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/John-Hawaka-UNTITLED.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110826T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110826T210000 DTSTAMP:20240606T185548Z CREATED:20110824T104003Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240606T185548Z UID:1424-1314381600-1314392400@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Aug 26 @ 6:00pm - "Poetry and Place" a Multidisciplinary Exhibition DESCRIPTION:Exhibition duration: Friday\, August 26\, 2011 @ 6:00-9;00pmHosted by: Marlon Davis and Christine Rung \nAbout: \nThe theme of this event will center on awareness of place\, landscapes and environment through a combination of visual and performing arts.  The exhibition will feature drawings\, sketches and models made by students of the Landscape Architecture department at Rutgers University (www.landarch.rutgers.edu).  From precise\, crisp lines of the drafting pencil to soft sweeps of charcoal and conte crayon\, these images demonstrate a wide variety of tools and  techniques used by designers to capture place. The event will also include live poetry performances by poets from the Douglas Black Student Congress and Verbal Mayhem on the theme\, adding a dynamic and equally expressive element. \nFrom this multidiscplinary approach\, we hope to expose the public to unique perspectives of the environment and broaden the dialogues between people and their surroundings. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/august-26-600pm-poetry-and-place-a-multidisciplinary-exhibition/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/evanralph_feature2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110819T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110819T220000 DTSTAMP:20240606T185547Z CREATED:20110804T022641Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240606T185547Z UID:1257-1313778600-1313791200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - Aug 19 @ 6:30pm - "Embodiment of Emotion" - Group Exhibition Opening DESCRIPTION:Exhibition Duration: August 19 – August 21\, 201119th – Exhibition Opening @ Live Music | 20th – Documentary | 21st – Open StudioEvents organized by Nyssa Wawra\, Kira McDonal and Mary Paulyshun \n \nAbout this Exhibition\nThis exhibition features the works of Sarah Zar\, Ryan Rusinski\, Benjamin Caplan and Pavol Olsavsky III. The concept of this exhibition is to show how Alfa Art Gallery is open to all mediums of artwork\, and its interests in global and student issues. Benjamin Caplan’s style is intricate pen-work that captures the attention and draws the viewer in. His highly detailed work depicts many different events going on in the same picture\, but they are all related to the overall theme. Between the high contrast of the black ink and the white background\, the intricate line work\, and the emotional pull; his work demands further examination and interest. Pavol Olsavsky III’s paintings are very representational\, realistic and yet dreamlike. His passion for his work reflects in every painting he produces; each has a very strong theme behind its vibrant colors and unique organization\, which help expressively enhance the feelings that his paintings portray. He uses these elements of art as an author would use punctuation\, by creating emphasis and significance to his work. Ryan Rusinki’s paintings are greatly impacted by the beauty of the natural world. He uses more familiar\, earth-toned colors and makes ordinary nature turn into something extraordinary. His work is realistic yet painterly\, giving it a more aesthetic look with a different perspective of depth of field. Sarah Zar is a master of both realism and surrealism. She has a very unique view of the world\, and this is reflected in every one of her works. Her realistic work captures a perspective on the world that not too many are familiar with\, the dark side of reality; while her surrealistic work shows the same perspective\, but with a haunting adjustment of the shapes and forms that create a more potent emotional response.  This exhibition brings together many different artists who are remarkable at stirring up emotional responses\, which will accompany both the live music and the documentary days. \n  \nAbout the Artists\nPavol Olsavsky III \nHas attended the Governor’s School of the Arts and the Mason Gross School of the Arts. Pavol was born in a small village in Slovakia (former Czechoslovakia) and spent most of his childhood outdoors enjoying nature. After coming to America at the age of ten\, his passion for fine arts grew stronger. He has exhibited at the Governor’s School of the Arts Exhibition and the Mason Gross Student Art Show. \n  \nBenjamin Caplan \n  \n  \n  \nRyan Rusinki \nRyan Rusinski is a painter entering his senior year at Mason Gross School of the Arts\, Rutgers University\, whose primary artistic interest is the landscape of New Jersey. \n“When I recently found a book of historic photos of my township\, I realized that human manipulation of the landscape is far from a purely contemporary occurrence. The semi-rural\, often forested landscapes of Readington Township seem \nperfectly appropriate\, and it would be difficult to imagine that land looking much different. But these old photos show almost none of the trees that I associate with where I live; every picture shows landscapes composed almost entirely of open farmland. These images really sparked and have begun to direct my interests not simply in landscape\, but also in how people have affected the landscape\, how we use and may misuse the land\, and how the landscape reads because of our intervention.” \n  \nSarah Zar \nSarah Zar is an interdisciplinary artist\, currently perched in Brooklyn\, NY*.  Her work has appeared in places (Sloan Fine Art\, Denise Bibro Fine Art\, Janet Kurnatowski Gallery\, under bridges and on boats\, The Highline Ballroom\, and so on)  and sensory organs around the world\, the most recent of which are in your head.  Her paintings have received numerous awards in NY\, and her other visual works range from installations\, drawings\, collages and sculptures to spatial design and letters to strangers.  She currently teaches at Montclair University\, paints on just about anything that moves (itself or her)\, writes songs\, and plays the singing saw with Shayfer James\, Yula & The Extended Family\, and other sorted specimens of cryptozoology. She has a collection of imaginary avians that enjoy flying around her neck when the winds are rising. She is an editor for ONandOnScreen\, and above all things a Collaborator. \n*This means that Sarah Zar is a northern-dwelling\, migratory “bird”. It traditionally creates novels by painting\, and their titles and relationships are nomadic. This species is noted for its colorful use of dream logic. \n  \nAbout the event on August 19th \nOn August 19th\, Alfa will be hosting a live music show showcasing the broad spectrum of styles being played in the current New Brunswick Underground music scene. The bands peforming will be Fairychaser\, Suicide Magnets\, In Air\, Marquise Phantom\, Amber of Dreams and Luke Eternity. \nFairychaser is the solo project of NJ native Sally Burtnick. Beautiful\, bittersweet songs of lost love and cloudy days\, her voice is enchanting and eerie like none other. She is often accompanied by April\, who plays a singing set of crystal glasses. http://www.myspace.com/sallyburtnik \nSuicide Magnets is the other name of Wendy H. from Philadelphia. Through filtered vocals she sings somber tunes next to her electric guitar\, transcendence into a foggy reverie. http://www.myspace.com/suicidemagnet \n In Air is Stefan and Aaron\, an experimental duo native to New Jersey who switch their instruments many times throughout their set; best described as stream of consciousness punk with a free jazz edge. http://in.air.tripod.com/ \nMarquise Phantom is new brunswick native JP Roy. He plays noise music through a series of pedals; white noise crypt echo experimentation.    \n As Amber In Dreams and Luke Eternity respectively\, best friends and members of the local shoegaze band Eternal Fuzz Kyle W. and Luke B. play songs from their acoustic solo projects; a small glance into their extensive library of melancholy meditations. \n  \nAbout Nyssa Wawra\, Kira McDonal and Mary Paulyshun \nThis exhibition and events were curated and organized by Nyssa Wawra\, Kira McDonal and Mary Paulyshun; three of Alfa Art Gallery’s summer interns. They have collaborated to hold a three day exhibition at the gallery on August 19th\, 20th and 21st\, 2011. \nKira is hosting a live music event in the gallery on the 19th. She obtained information about local musicians and forwarded her research about the underground music scene in New Brunswick to Alfa’s assistant director\, Galina Kourteva. Kira communicated with these musicians to welcome them into Alfa as an open-minded artistic venue area; showing our appreciation of art in all mediums. The musicians purposed to be hosted in the gallery are: Fairychaser\, Suicide Magnets\, In Air\, Marquise Phantom\, Amber of Dreams and Luke Eternity. \nMary is hosting an event where the documentary “Seoul Train”\, presented by LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) Rutgers Chapter\, on August 20th. She chose this documentary to show that Alfa is interested in student activities and global issues; and\, in showing this type of interest in Rutgers demonstrates that Alfa is profoundly involved and interested in the New Brunswick community. \n  \nNyssa is in charge of communicating and coordinating with the artists in this exhibition; which is overlooked Alfa’s assistant director\, Galina Kourteva\, and the head curator\, Jewel Lim. While communicating with these artists\, Nyssa obtained information and images of the artists’ work\, which is then relayed to both Galina and Jewel for further inspection and approval. The artists proposed to be shown in the gallery are: Sarah Zar\, Ryan Rusinski\, Benjamin Caplan and Pavol Olsavsky III. Nyssa is also supervising the final day of the exhibition\, August 21st – there will be an open studio with the artists that were featured; the artwork will be on the walls of the gallery for all three days of this exhibition. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/students-exhibition/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/Pavol-beastly03.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110708T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110708T200000 DTSTAMP:20160729T131250Z CREATED:20110615T172811Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T131250Z UID:1197-1310149800-1310155200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - July 8 @ 6:30pm - Open Studio/Lecture by Ilya Raskin DESCRIPTION:Come see our new exhibition – “FERTILE\, FRIGHTFUL\, DIVINE!” – African tribal masks and sculptures from the Raskin Collection and enjoy a lecture on the artworks by Ilya Raskin. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/july-8th-630pm-open-studiolecture-by-ilya-raskin/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Lecture/Workshop,Open Studio ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/iraskin_lesser_flamingos_in_flight_lake_nakuru_kenya.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110707T063000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110707T210000 DTSTAMP:20160729T131347Z CREATED:20110620T140910Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T131347Z UID:1216-1310020200-1310072400@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - July 7 @ 6:30pm - "PDOA - Public Display of Art"\, Exhibition Opening DESCRIPTION:New Brunswick Community Arts Council Announces the Launch of\n“PDOA – Public Display of Art” \nFirst Installation || Featured Artist:  Joseph Schembri \nExhibition Duration: July 7 – August 7\, 2011Opening Reception: Thursday\, July 7\,  6:30-10pm \nThe New Brunswick Community Arts Council is proud to announce the launch of its new project “PDOA – Public Display of Art\,” featuring the works of Joseph Schembri as its first installation. “PDOA” is a community project focused on the beautification of New Brunswick. The mission of this project is to promote art education within the New Brunswick community. This first installation is located at the Ferren Mall\, on the corner of Albany Street and Spring Street\, across from the NJ Transit New Brunswick train station. \nThe works of Joseph Schembri capture dancers and musicians in performance and at rest. They are photographic images\, digitally painted and printed as large format giclees\, reminiscent of the impressionists in the late 19th century\, with their quick\, vibrant strokes. For Mr. Schembri\, the aim is to reinvent these captured moments as a dream-like version\, a hybrid of reality and illusion. Influenced by Edgar Degas not only in subject but also in color\, this collection is delicate but brimming with the performance energy of the subjects. Mr. Schembri’s subjects include dancers from Buglisi Dance Theatre\, NY International Ballet Competition\, and New Jersey Ballet\, and musicians including Junior Mance\, Warren Vache\, Richie Cole\, and Rosie Ledet. \nJoseph Schembri is a freelance photographer. Within his 26 years of experience\, focused on capturing dancers and musicians in performance\, he has studied with Sandi Fellman at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University\, worked with Lois Greenfield in her New York City studio\, and has completed various workshops and seminars. He served as the photographer for The New Jersey Ballet Company for 22 seasons and was appointed official photographer of the New York International Ballet Competition in 2005. His work has been exhibited in several galleries in New Jersey\, including Artworks in Trenton\, the Barron Arts Center in Woodbridge\, and the Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown. His works have also been published in The New York Times\, The New York Daily News\, Pointe Magazine\, Dance Magazine and Attitude and in the books The Nutcracker Backstage: the Story and the Magic and Paper Mill Playhouse-The Life of a Theater. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/july-7-630pm-pdoa-public-display-of-art-exhibition-opening/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110624T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110624T210000 DTSTAMP:20160729T132240Z CREATED:20110609T184252Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T132240Z UID:1159-1308940200-1308949200@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - June 24 @ 6:30pm - “Fertile\, Frightful\, Divine!” - Masks\, Sculptures and Photographs of Africa DESCRIPTION:June 24\, 2011 || “FERTILE\, FRIGHTFUL\, DIVINE!”Exhibition duration: June 24 – July 22\, 2011Opening Reception: Friday\, June 24 @ 6:30-10:30pmLIVE Jazz Music: New World Order \nOpen Studio/Lecture: Friday\, July 8th @ 6:30pm \n  \nThe Alfa Art Gallery proudly presents “FERTILE\, FRIGHTFUL\, DIVINE!” – African tribal masks and sculptures from the Raskin Collection. \nThe collection was assembled over 30 years by the late tribal art collector and dealer Yuri Raskin and his son\, Ilya Raskin\, who is a professor at Rutgers University and a wildlife photographer.  It is his dramatic photographs of African wildlife that accent the displayed works of African art.  Art pieces from the Raskin collection have been sought for art installations\, interior decoration\, private collections\, TV and theater production\, as well as inspiration\, reflection and research. \nThe Raskins’ educational site www.zyama.com is one of the largest and well used on-line information sources on African art assembled over the past 15 years. Their gallery www.arttribal.com is a successful family owned business. Its clients represent more that 20 countries on five continents and include artists\, anthropologists\, collectors\, architects\, art teachers\, decorators\, films studios as well as practitioners of African religions. \nFeel the passion and magic emanating from fertility statues\, nail studded fetishes\, awesome ceremonial masks\,  power staffs\, decorated shields and chiseled wooden doors replete with symbols of beauty\, strength\, healing and divination. \n  \nThe Exhibit will focus on the following \n\nstatues and masks used in fertility\, healing and divination rites mostly in Sub Saharan and West African tribes;\nbronze Benin style sculptures and other objects of power and beauty;\nphotographs of people\, landscapes and wild life in Africa.\n\n  \nGoal of the Exhibit \nTo highlight various aspects of African tribal masks and sculptures which – in ways similar to and yet distinctly different from western art – are both ritual objects for practitioners – and objects of decoration\, research\, or artistic inspiration for others. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/june-24-630pm-fertile-frightful-divine-masks-sculptures-and-photographs-of-africa/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception,Lecture/Workshop,Open Studio ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/african_exhibition.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20110610T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20110610T210000 DTSTAMP:20160729T132005Z CREATED:20110528T145511Z LAST-MODIFIED:20160729T132005Z UID:1149-1307730600-1307739600@www.alfaart.org SUMMARY:2011 - June 10 @ 6:30pm - “Abstraction and the Creative Unconscious” DESCRIPTION:Exhibition duration: June 3 –24\, 2011 Opening Reception: Friday\, June 10 @ 6:30-10:30pm Open Studio: Thursday\, June 16 @ 7 pm Curator: Jewel Lim Multiciplinary Event: TBA \nThe Alfa Art Gallery is proud to present “Abstraction and the Creative Unconscious\,” the joint exhibition of Peter Arakawa and Rita Herzfeld. The works of Arakawa and Herzfeld create a world of the nonrepresentational\, often conceived in moments of instinct and uncertainty. Each piece in this exhibition began as a mystery with the first brushstroke and stresses the artist’s journey to reach a conclusion. The title of this show “Abstraction and the Creative Unconscious” highlights the process in which creativity fosters and is fostered by artists from all walks of life. For Arakawa and Herzfeld\, the end results of these processes are phenomenal. Arakawa\, who paints from his observations of daily life\, successfully combines patterns and shapes that are unlikely together. In her work\, Herzfeld’s brushstrokes are dominant players\, suspended in a state of movement in a stationary painting. The works in this exhibition present themselves as if conceived in the midst of fresh inspiration\, whether from the moving strokes or the busy arrangements within them.  What this exhibition states is that there is ultimately no conclusion to the artist’s journey: the paintings\, with their uncontained “moving strokes” and busy environments\, exhibit that solutions only create new mysteries so that new works can be given birth to. \n  \nAbout the Artists\nPeter Arakawa obtained his MFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He became an artist through the influences of creative family members.  Arakawa has been a professional artist for over twenty-five years. His works are held in many institutions and museums\, including the Zimmerli Art Museum\, Newark Public Library\, Jersey City Museum\, the State Museum\, Hunterdon Art Museum and Johnson & Johnson Corporation. \nRita Herzfeld attended the School of Visual Arts and City College of N.Y. and obtained her BA from Rutgers University.  Inspired by her artistic mother\, Herzfeld became an artist who grew up believing in the power that comes with creation and its processes from simple tools such as pencil and paper. Her works are held in the Hunterdon Museum of Art\, the Zimmerli Art Museum and various private collections. URL:https://www.alfaart.org/event/june-10-630pm-abstraction-and-the-creative-unconscious/ LOCATION:Alfa Art Gallery\, 108 Church Street\, New Brunswick\, NJ\, 08901\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition Opening Reception ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.alfaart.org/wp-content/uploads/parakawa-the-balconey.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Galina Kourteva":MAILTO:galina@alfaart.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR