Curators open doors for various artists

PRINCETON, N.J. — Many local photographers and mixed media artists now have a chance to

showcase their artworks at local hospital galleries, thanks to a few area curators.

Among others making this possible, are curators from the Princeton Photography Club (PPC), which include Sheila Geisler, Lillian Ciuffreda, and Mark Poiani. David Anderson is president of the club.

The PPC oversees Millstone River Gallery at Merwick Care and Rehabilitation Center in Plainsboro, and Lakefront Gallery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton.

Geisler explained that, “the Robert Wood Johnson Hospital (Lakefront Gallery) and the Millstone River Gallery at Merwick are maintained by the photo club in order to give local, emerging artists a place to show their work without a cost,” or fees because the club maintains the galleries.

At the recent opening reception for the “Pictures at an Exhibition” photography show at Millstone River Gallery, Geisler said that even though this specific exhibition is about photography, the galleries tend to be diverse with their artwork.

“We are able to invite many artists besides photographers to join us, including mixed media artists like what is currently at Lakefront Gallery,” she said.

The diversity of artists includes high school students who compete in the annual 4^thCongressional Dist. Art Competition by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, and recently the Trenton Street Artists.

It was very exciting for the Trenton Street Artists.

“This was the first time they ever hung in a hospital gallery,” said Geisler. “And we sold 10 pieces of their work. Then they got invited to other hospitals in the Trenton area to exhibit.”

She said PPC opened a whole new venue for them.

Geisler also said, “it’s a wonderful goal for the club to be able to allow the artists and the community to participate” in the art exhibitions.

She said they accept almost all the artists’ works.

“If the work is interesting, we hang them” in the galleries, she said.

The hospital galleries have become community attractions.

According to Christina Fleming, vice president of marketing and strategy at Windsor Healthcare Communities, the parent of Merwick Care, having the gallery in the hospital benefits everyone.

“We are good stewards to the community by opening our doors for them to come into our building and see how positive we are,” said Fleming.

She said it is not really a marketing strategy, but instead it allows people who might need nursing care at sometime in their lives to come visit the place and see how it is firsthand.

Geisler said the galleries are well-known and popular with the artists and the communities.

The curators are busy with future projects such as a major Pine Barrens exhibition for PPC with Pinelands Preservation Alliance, which will open in Jan. 2020 at RWJ Hamilton Lakefront Gallery.

Other upcoming exhibitions will include artist Tasha O’Neill’s “Gifts from the Sea” and the Cool Women Poets at Millstone River Gallery in March.