FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Bonnie-Lynn Nadzeika
Communications & Marketing
Phone (908) 273-9121, ext. 225
E-mail: [email protected]
Female Artist’s Digital Collages Cast a Spell on Viewers
Summit, NJ (July 12, 2016)—On Friday, July 22 the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey will open its
newest exhibition, Jill Kerwick: Lipstick and Other Stories. Jill Kerwick’s ingenius digital collages
resemble film stills—part fantasy, part science fiction, and part fairy tale—featuring strangely serene
female characters and giant animals in bucolic landscapes or domestic spaces. The New Jersey artist
describes them as, “just real enough” to be believable—at least at first glance.
Kerwick assembles miniature stage sets by positioning antique lady head vases, live animals, grass,
and foliage in front of paintings or backdrops. After photographing them she uses Photoshop to insert
images of her body into the compositions. Her use of lady head vases for her female characters is an
important signature element of the work and demonstrates Kerwick’s interest in contrasting the natural
with the artificial. Blurring the boundary between reality and fiction, these intriguing images surprise
us, excite our imaginations, and invite us to construct our own fanciful stories.
An opening reception will be held on Friday, July 22 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm for Jill Kerwick:
Lipstick and Other Stories as well as the Marylou Hillyer Members Show Juried Exhibition. The
reception is a free event open to all. The Marylou Hillyer Members Show Juried Exhibition
features 39 works of art in a variety of media by Art Center students and members. The pieces
were selected through a highly competitive process and chosen by Lauren Hinkson, a curator at
the Guggenheim Museum.
Adult and children’s group tours for this and the Art Center’s other exhibitions are available
throughout the year. Visit www.artcenternj.org for more information. Gallery Hours: Monday –
Wednesday and Friday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; Thursday 10:00am – 8pm; and Saturday & Sunday
11am – 4pm. Please call 908-273-9121 to confirm holiday hours. On view through September 11,
2016. Visit www.artcenternj.org for more information about these exhibitions and programs.
Support
Major support for the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is provided by the New Jersey State
Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the
Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the WJS Foundation, Audrey & Zygi Wilf and the Wilf
Family Foundation and Art Center members and donors.
About the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
For more than 80 years, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey has been dedicated to viewing,
making and learning about contemporary art. Recognized as a leading non-profit arts
organization and accredited by the American Alliance for Museums, the Art Center’s renowned
studio school, acclaimed exhibitions, and educational outreach initiatives serve thousands of
youth, families, seniors and people with special needs every year.
Attached: Lipstick, 2013, archival pigment print, courtesy of the artist.
VISUAL ARTS CENTER OF NEW JERSEY | 68 Elm Street, Summit, NJ 07901 | WWW. ARTCENTERNJ.ORG