2022 Preview

2022 EXHIBITS PREVIEW

Linda Baran and Louise Krasniewicz, Co-Directors of the 2022 exhibits year at Belmar Arts, present their schedule for the coming year. In planning an entire year of new and innovative themed exhibits, Linda and Louise hope to excite and challenge the Belmar Arts community and encourage members to renew their memberships and non-members to join this exciting year.

Several noteworthy elements:
***Anchored by our traditional Juried Art Show (in its 18th year), all the exhibit themes are new
***Each new exhibit will be non-juried and will welcome all forms of art
***Each exhibit will have associated classes, workshops, book club readings, lectures, and/or music events.
***Dropoff and Pickup dates have been standardized for the year
***Entry fees (other than JAS) have been reduced for members to $20 for first entry, $5 for each additional entry

Contact Louise Krasniewicz or Linda Baran (email) if you are interested in co-ordinating or working on one of these exhibits.

THE 2022 SCHEDULE OF EXHIBITS
Remaining Shows

THE RATIONAL DRESS SOCIETY
April 20 to May 20, 2022

Artwork Pick up: Friday, May 20, 5-7pm and Saturday, May 21, 10am-1pm

In the latter part of the 19th century, women organized to protest the Victorian clothing that pinched, squeezed, and deformed their bodies, restricting their movements and affecting their health. The Rational Dress Society promoted wearing comfortable shoes, abandoning corsets, and adopting split skirts for athletic activities.

In the 21st century, during the lockdowns of the Covid pandemic, women (and men) were free to abandon the ritualistic clothing they had to wear for work or school and adopt comfortable and simple clothing for staying at home. This echo of the Rational Dress Movement is the subject of this anything-goes exhibit. We will focus on clothing as a statement of politics, beauty, philosophy, and identity. Whether your art celebrates Rational Dress or promotes its irrational counterparts, share your ideas and works on clothing fashion in this timely exhibit.

Book Club Reading:
The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women's Lives, 1660–1900, April 24

JAS (Juried Art Show) 18
May 25 to July 9, 2022

The Juried Art Show is a traditional part of the Belmar Arts Center exhibit schedule each year and is eagerly awaited by members and other regional artists. It will be juried by a renowned artist and will provide awards as it does every year. Entry fees and awards will differ from the other exhibits in the schedule.

Mosaics and The Ceramics Invitational
July 13 to August 13, 2022

A mosaic is a work created by joining smaller pieces into an image or pattern. A traditional mosaic is made of stone or glass pieces and in the ancient world decorated floors and walls. Mosaics can also define physical objects like vases and jewelry. Image mosaics can be made with printed images or through digital techniques. In every case a mosaic is an exciting and dynamic process that creates unique works of art. Explore mosaics in a variety of forms in this multi-media show.

At the same time as the Mosaics show, the Ceramics Invitational will extend the connection between mosaics and other design elements that commonly appear in ceramics. The invitational will feature practical and utilitarian works for sale as well as artistic offerings.

Workshops on:
Creating a planter using mosaic pieces

Beautiful Sea: The Belmar Anniversary Show
August 17 to October 8, 2022

In 2022, the Borough of Belmar will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding. To celebrate this event and connect BAC more directly to the people who call Belmar home, we are presenting artists’ interpretations of Belmar’s history. With objects, images, and documents shared with us by the Belmar Historical Society (BHS), we will use Belmar’s history as an inspiration for a mixed media exhibit. Each artist will choose one of the BHS historical artifacts or can explore Belmar’s history on their own. The resulting exhibit will include the work that inspired the artistic interpretation of some moment or element in the 150 years of this beautiful town by the sea.

The Evil Eye
October 12 to November 12, 2022

Since ancient times, it was a common belief that an “evil eye” (in the form of a malevolent stare or an actual eye shaped object) had the power to cause misfortune. Protection against such a curse often took the form of an eye shaped talisman. In general, eyes have been the fascination of cultures around the world. For artists, the eye is highly symbolic, conjuring ideas of power, insight, truth, emotion, and vigilance. In this exhibit artists can employ any of these concepts of the eye as we examine the power of seeing. The concept of the “Evil Eye” then takes on multiple meaning that can be explored in the art world but also in the world of terror and horror in the darkest of months, October.

The Games People Play
November 16, 2022 to January 7, 2023

Play is considered one of the most important human activities. The playing of games is universal, and for children game playing is a way to learn the values and ideas of a culture. For adults it is a stepping away from the real world and entering an alternative with different rules and outcomes. It is through the chaos of play that we gain insights into what makes a normal and stable world. In this exhibit, depictions of play, though the objects used in games or the joys and strains of engaging in play, will be a reminder of the value of play in our lives.

A marketplace of play related gifts and art will also be available.