Three local artists – two Maplewood residents and one West Orange resident — won prizes in the 4th annual Maplewood Art Walk and Music Fest juried art show this year. Here is information about the artists and the judges, from Maplewood Village Alliance manager Julie Doran.
“There was ‘a lot of local’ in the winners this year,” said Doran, who noted that all three winners happened to be sponsored by Maplewood Village businesses, “which added to the fun and excitement.”
Moss Freeman and Salvage Style owner, also a Maplewood resident, Amy Hughes.
Best in Show: Moss Freeman – Maplewood resident, sponsored by Salvage Style. Moss is a painter who always displays a sense of humor, irony and nostalgia in his art. Read more on Moss and his art here. Thanks to the generosity of the event’s sponsors, Moss received a $250 cash prize.
1st Place: Lara Tomlin – Lara Tomlin is a professional illustrator, moonlighting cookie decorator and ten-year resident of Maplewood. You can find her running the roads of town, walking her dog, Dino, or working at The Able Baker. Her art is currently gracing the bakery’s walls. Lara received a gift certificate to Arturo’s Osteria and Pizzeria.
Lara Tomlin and Julie Pauly from The Able Baker
2nd Place: Lisa Pressman – Lisa lives in West Orange and her work is currently on view at The Tenth Muse Gallery who sponsored her in the show. Lisa’s paintings incorporate oils, collage, wax and other mixed media to create works that allude to a personalized time and space. See more about Lisa’s art here. She received a gift certificate to Words Bookstore.
Three distinguished judges served on the panel:
Nigel Freeman is the director of the African-American Fine Art department at Swann Auction Galleries in New York. He is a painter and printmaker with a Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University. Nigel is also an appraiser on the PBS television show Antiques Roadshow.
Lisa Pressman with Mary Ann Spencer of Tenth Muse Gallery
Tricia Laughlin Bloom is Curator of American Art at the Newark Museum. She holds a phD in Modern and Contemporary Art History from Rutgers University, and a Masters in 19th and 20th Art History and Criticism from SUNY Stony Brook. Previously Tricia was Associate Curator of Exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum.Tricia Laughlin Bloom is Curator of American Art at the Newark Museum. She holds a phD in Modern and Contemporary Art History from Rutgers University, and a Masters in 19th and 20th Art History and Criticism from SUNY Stony Brook. Previously Tricia was Associate Curator of Exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum.
Jeremy Shires is a painter in the ‘plein air’ tradition, established in the NE and Mid Atlantic Regions. He runs a local gallery and workshop. You can see his work here.
