NJPF concludes its 25 Year Retrospective events

Since summer, the New Jersey Photography Forum (NJPF) has been celebrating its 25th anniversary with events throughout the State, ending with a closing reception last week.

The NJPF held activities and exhibits predominantly at Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park in Trenton as part of its events it named the NJPF: A 25 Year Retrospective.

Other events took place at the Freeholder’s Gallery in Elizabeth; at the Upstairs Gallery at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown; and at the Watchung Arts Center in Watchung, where artists had opening receptions to display their fine art photography and meet their fans.

At the closing reception, many of the works were for sale with a percentage of sales going to the Trenton City Museum, said Nancy Ori, the founder of NJPF and curator of the exhibits.

“The Museum is a wonderful showplace for this retrospective exhibit tracing the history and dramatic changes that have happened in photographic art because of the impact technology has had in the last 25 years, a period which corresponds to the founding and growth of the NJ Photography Forum,” explained Ori.

The exhibits at Trenton City Museum showcase pieces that relate to the history of photography within the last 25 years.

Before and during the closing reception, the artists spoke about their work. There were nearly 100 artworks by 37 artists who live throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

While celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year, the NJPF has been dedicated to furthering the interests of professional and serious photographers living and working in the New Jersey area.

Over the past 25 years, the NJPF has become “the largest and most recognized group of fine art exhibiting photographers in the state,” states Ori.

NJPF holds monthly meetings at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey in Summit and encourage attendees to share expertise and advance their skills.

Meanwhile, at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion, there is a collection of fine art and historical displays that illuminate New Jersey’s historical, industrial and cultural past and present.

The museum is in an Italianate Villa built in 1848, and the mansion is the centerpiece of Cadwalader Park. It was designed by the famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, whose most famous work is New York City’s Central Park.

To learn more about NJPF and exhibits at Trenton City Museum, visit www.njphotoforum.com, and the Museum website at www.ellarslie.org.