“Anything Goes” is more than just a title

Newton - “Anything Goes” is the title of the National Association Of Women Artists’ (NAWA) art show at Sussex County Community College, and when they say anything goes, they mean it. “Anything Goes” has on display 39 pieces of art from 33 different artists. Represented are: oil paintings, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and local artist, Alice Harrison. Harrison was born and grew up in Queens, NY, moved to Bergen County, and eventually found her way to Sparta, where her husband said they had to live because of its beauty. She has been living in Sparta for 7 years now. Here, she creates her work in a variety of mediums- oil, water color, acrylic, acostic, image transfer, found art and mixed media. “I even do photography and sculpture, but I’m not a photographer or sculptor. I love all the mediums.” Harrison said she’s been an artist for as long as she can remember. She graduated with a degree in English literature, but was always in art classes and in the art student league. “No matter what I’ve done, I’ve always done art,” said Harrison. While her kids were growing up, she started with her own craft business which she operated for more than 10 years. She eventually found her way back to fine art, “and I swore I would never leave it again.” A member of NAWA for more than 10 years, Alice explained how the group has helped her. “You live in an isolated world as an artist. It helps us stay connected to the living world.” NAWA was founded in 1989 by a couple of women as a response to women artists not getting the recognition that men were. NAWA executive director, Linda Pedersen, in attendance at the art shows opening night explained, “It’s still a challenge for a woman to get the same opportunities as men. In art galleries across the country only 25 percent of the exhibited artists are women, and only 5 percent in museums.” NAWA’s mission is to encourage women in the arts, help them attain full recognition for their artistic achievements and to support each other as colleagues. It’s the only group of it’s kind in the United States. “Artists have to be juried in,” explained Pedersen. Jurying takes place twice a year. “We feel most of our members can be shown in a museum. We look for serious accomplished artists, but they don’t have to be professionals.” Today, there are approximately 900 members from 44 states, 77 of whom were juried in this past year. “We do so many exhibits, we couldn’t function without volunteers,” said Pedersen. NAWA is headquartered in Manhattan, where it has a gallery that rotates one or two person shows. The group also has a permanent collection at the Jane Vorhees Museum at Rutgers University, which includes archives and a reference system. “Our members scout out places to hold our shows. We use different types of venues to reach difference types of audiences — like corporations, museums, collages,” according to Pedersen. who has been director for 5 months, and looking to do new things this coming year, hoping for more new artists from new states. “We are always open to include new artists and encourage accomplished women artists to apply.” Though members aren’t always chosen the first time they apply, Harrison was. Harrison found the group through word of mouth when she lived in Bergen county. Her works have been in art shows in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois, Vermont, Ohio and many other states. Many of these shows were with NAWA. Harrison has two multimedia pieces in Anything Goes entitled Song of Joy and Patterns of Time 3. Harrison also has works displayed locally in Lafayette, Boonton, Newton and Bedminster. These days, Harrison not only does her own work, but teaches workshops as well. “I teach at various art centers but mostly at my studio. Workshops in collage, multi media, mosaics and image transfer.” Her next open workshop on collage, is scheduled for January. Anything Goes runs from through Jan. 12 at Sussex County Community College’s Gallery in Building C. Call 973-300-2144 or go to www.sussex.edu for more information. For more information about Alice Harrison, visit her Web site at www.aliceharison.artspan.com. NAWA can be found at www.nawanet.org.