ELIZABETH, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to present an exhibit of paintings by Martha Noriette Garcia of Union in the gallery space at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, located at 633 Pearl Street in Elizabeth. A selection of Ms. Garcia’s paintings entitled “Journey and Imagination with Nature” is on display at the Pearl Street Gallery until January 30. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
“The talent and diversity of our county artists ensure an inspiring and interesting variety of exhibitions at the Pearl Street Gallery,” said Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski, liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board. “We are pleased to display this exhibit of intriguing paintings by Ms. Garcia.”
Martha Noriette Garcia graduated Magna Cum Laude from Montclair State University in May, 2011. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art education with a minor in business and a New Jersey Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing in Art Education (K-12).
Ms. Garcia studied on-site painting at the Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy, where she exhibited her paintings in 2009. Last year she was a featured artist at Gallery 3.5 at MSU and one of her paintings was published in “The Normal Review,” Montclair State’s literary arts magazine.
As a current AmeriCorps member, Ms. Garcia is an assistant teacher in the visual arts and language arts departments at Glenfield Middle School in Montclair. She has enjoyed being a Club Leader in the 4-H Club in Westfield since 2008 and was a volunteer instructor last year in the Art Backpacks Program in Newark, working with fourth graders in visual arts and language literacy. While painting is Ms. Garcia’s primary creative outlet, she also is skilled in photography, jewelry making, ceramics and printmaking. Visit her website: https://sites.google.com/site/arteducationmnghome/ .
“I create art because it is my passion, my outlet, and my vision,” Ms. Garcia said. “My current series of oil on canvas paintings consists of painterly brushstrokes to convey a sense of movement. The tactile texture of the layers of paint interests me as much as the composition itself. I like to create other ways of achieving texture and volume by using other material on the canvas.”
Union County artists (whose works can be hung on a wall) interested in exhibiting in the gallery space are welcome to apply. For more information about the Pearl Street Gallery or to learn about other programs and services please contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202. Telephone (908) 558-2550. NJ Relay users dial 711. E-mail to:culturalinfo@ucnj.org.
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