Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of County Commissioners is proud to announce that 12 artists from Union County have been selected as award winners in the 55th annual New Jersey Senior Citizen Art Show. Awards to Union County artists include the exceptional honor of Best in Show.
The 2021 New Jersey Senior Art Show can be viewed online at njseniorarts.com.
“The Senior Citizen Art Show enables senior artists from all walks of life to share their vision and creativity with the Union County community and beyond. We are all enriched by their efforts to reach out and communicate through the visual arts,” said Commissioner Board Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Congratulations to the award winners, and thanks to all those who participated.”
The 2021 New Jersey Senior Art Show includes more than 200 artworks created by both professional and non-professional artists, ages 60 and older, from 15 counties across the state.
As the culmination of county-based senior art shows held this year, the New Jersey Senior Art Show features every artwork that was awarded first-place at the county level in their respective categories. The New Jersey show was juried by art experts Lynn Lymere, Aubrey Kaufmann and Martha Press.
The Union County awardees are:
- Eileen Bonacci (Berkeley Heights) – Best in Show by a Professional; and 1st Place, Oil by a Professional artist, for the artwork, “Day at the Beach”
- Tina Berlin (Scotch Plains) – 1st Place, Acrylic by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “Painted Girl”
- Joe Manzella (Cranford) – 2nd Place, Digital Art by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “Many Paths – One Destination”
- Anne Castellano (Cranford) – 2nd Place, Pastel by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “The Cupcake Dog”
- Betsy Fabricant (Elizabeth) – 3rd Place, Craft by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “Covered Bridge, Williamsville, Vermont”
- Natalie Gregorio (Elizabeth) – 3rd Place, Photography by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “Sunflower Sunset”
- Johnnye Hansford (Plainfield) – Honorable Mention, Craft by a Professional artist, for the artwork, “Natural Sinamay and Purple Fascinator”
- Cheryl Payne (Hillside) – Honorable Mention, Mixed Media by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “Women in Their Seasons of Grace”
- Indira Govindan (Springfield) – Honorable Mention, Mixed Media by a Professional artist, for the artwork, “World versus Corona”
- Janice Metzger (Westfield) – Honorable Mention, Pastel by a Professional artist, for the artwork, “Birdsong”
- Paul Lachenauer (Cranford) – Honorable Mention, Photography by a Professional artist, for the artwork, “Liberty State Park”
- Luciano Felicio (Union) – Honorable Mention, Sculpture by a Non-Professional artist, for the artwork, “American Eagle”
The annual New Jersey Senior Art Show is co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Mercer County’s Division of Culture & Heritage, and is funded by the Council on the Arts with additional support from Mercer County and the New Jersey Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
Union County’s annual Senior Art Exhibit is a project of the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Recreation. The 2021 Union County Exhibit is on view at ucnj.org/senior-art.
For more information about programs and services related to the arts and history in Union County, contact the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, a division of the Department of Parks and Recreation, at culturalinfo@ucnj.org or 908-558-2550 (NJ Relay users dial 711), or visit ucnj.org/cultural.
For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including free vaccination, free testing, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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