All-woman art show starts this weekend

Four artists from around the area featured in new exhibit NEWTON — From Oct. 8 through Nov. 12, the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council will be exhibiting the All-Woman Show. As the title implies, all the works of art in this show, which includes all mediums and mixed-media pieces, are created by women. In addition, to further shape the focus, all the art must relate to or include a music theme. That’s because the All-Woman Show will be running concurrently with Council’s hosting of the New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music, a traveling exhibition presented through Museum on Main Street. That show is a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution, the Federation of State Humanities Councils and state humanities councils nationwide. Consisting of seven freestanding modules with interactive listening stations, the exhibition allows visitors to experience a journey through America's musical heritage and the sounds that emerged — from the old Protestant hymns of Britain and storied rhythms of Africa to America’s gospel, blues, country, folk and historical protest music. Visitors who come to see this exhibition will also discover how different artists in different mediums translate the universal theme of music into visual art. From the artistry being shown, the talents of four artists are highlighted: Lisa Hirkaler is a sculptor, painter and fiber artist. She is also an art teacher at the Vernon Township High School and travels to a sister school in South Africa. Hirkaler’s bright and lively colored paintings in the All-Woman Show depict the importance of music and dance to women of African villages. Leah Morgan Korbel “loves the adventure of trying to capture fleeting instances of beauty in the light, shadows, lines and colors of natural and man-made things.” Using these pictorial qualities, Korbel’s photos of musical instruments transcend the non-emoting limitations of inanimate objects. Susan Scarince Jones “loves working with acrylics, oils, pen and inks, metal collage and found object sculptures.” She rarely does preliminary sketches and “keeps things exciting” by starting with an idea and working with the piece until it looks right. As a freelance illustrator, Jones has designed packaging and giftware and created a “Just 4 Kids” page in the Messenger magazine, where she gives how-to-draw tips and outlines activities for children using cartoons. Jones offers art workshops at various libraries and schools, and frequently exhibits and sells her fine art in the Tri-County Area. Joyce Ellen Weinstein is a recent transplant to Milford, Pa. She is among the artists included in Fixing the World: Jewish American Artists of the Twentieth Century, published by the Brandeis Division of New England University Press and The Book as Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts. She has received many honors and awards and has been named a Fulbright Senior Specialist Candidate; three times finalist and one time winner Metro DC Dance Awards for Scenic Design. Locally she is represented by Bluestone Gallery in Milford, Pa. If you go The Arts Council’s Gallery is located at 133 Spring St., Newton. Gallery hours for the duration of the New Harmonies exhibit are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Thursday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit www.scahc.org or call 973-383-0027.