'Plein Air' Show Opens at Middletown Arts Center

Taking their inspiration from live outdoor scenes, local artists are ready to display their “plein air” works in Middletown beginning this week.

The show—featuring paintings completed outside—“highlights places we all love,” said Judy Stach, co-president of the Plein Air Painters of the Jersey Coast. From Oct. 30 through Nov. 23, works from 22 of the group's New Jersey artists will be on display at the Middletown Arts Center.

“Outside inspiration is what drives us to continue to discover new and wonderful locations to improve our craft,” Stach said.

This year’s show was influenced by Superstorm Sandy, which is fitting as New Jersey remembers the first anniversary of the devastating storm this week.

“This year with all the twists and turns of  the Sandy disaster took us to new locations and subjects that we never before had encountered,” Stach said. “From the Atlantic Coast of Maine to Florida and the Pacific.”

Stach’s work in this year’s show features a young child feeding gulls at the shore and was painted just a week before Sandy struck.

“It is with joy that I can report this sight has returned, however several of the jetty rocks were moved to newer locations,” she said.

Paintings include scenes of the Jersey Shore, such as Anthony Migliaccio’s “River Watch,” which features a Sea Bright sunset along the Navesink River. Artist Ness Neilson Morse’s “Castle Rock Light” takes viewers to a well-known lighthouse in Newport, R.I.

A reception will be held at the MAC on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The participating artists are: Donna Zimmerman Arvelo, Kathleen Beausoleil, Dianne Bollerman, Patricia Corboy, Ann Danieli, Ann Ferguson, Barbara Grena, Hema Gupta, JoAnn Jordan, Caroline L. Klein, Catherine Love, Mimi McCabe, Anthony Migliaccio, Nessa Neilson Morse, Grace O'Connor, Rosemary Pappa, Frank Sparandera, Judy Stach, Kuni Strange, C. Frank Urmey, Marg Vail and Fran Wood.

Members of the PAPJC meet to paint every Monday. More information about the organization is available online.