Art gallery exhibits ‘Success Stories'

NEWTON—The Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council is opening its annual "Success Stories" Exhibition of Fine Art at the Public Gallery, 43-47 High St., Newton. The show is on the second floor and is open to the public now through Aug. 16. Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free. The featured artists are Sue Iler Cunningham, Amy Fairweather and Gavin Gewecke. All three are graduates of area schools and have met with notable success in their fields of study. Cunningham is a 1984 graduate of Vernon Township High School where she was a member of the National Art Honor Society. She graduated in 1986 with honors from the Art Institute of Philadelphia with an associate degree in specialized technology. She was awarded a presidential scholarship, and was chosen by the faculty to paint a large holiday mural for the Hershey Hotel in Philadelphia. Since 1989, she has worked at Quantum, a consumer healthcare advertising agency in Parsippany, and is a vice president group art supervisor. Her work has been cited for the RX Club Award of Excellence, the Product Management Today's Reader's Choice Award, and by the Art Directors Club of New Jersey. Cunningham lives in Newton with her husband, Kevin, and two daughters, Colette and Camille. She is working in water-mixable oils, with a focus on landscapes and buildings. Included in this show are nine paintings and two print advertising posters. Amy Fairweather lives in Wantage and is a graduate of Wallkill Valley Regional High School. She received her bachelors in fine arts and a teacher of art certification from William Paterson University. She taught at the Visual Arts High School in Jersey City for seven years before returning to teach at her alma mater. Fairweather is a mother of two, Alexandra and Olivia. Most of the art she creates these days revolves around her girls, as gifts, or is oriented toward classroom instruction. Included in this show are photographs, drawings of her daughters and some crafts. Gewecke is a resident of Frankford Township and a 2003 graduate of High Point Regional High School. He received the Ben and Barbara Jones Art Award in 2003. He has just finished his associate degree in fine arts as a dean's list student at the Sussex County Community College, where he was awarded the Alumni Scholarship. He served as president of the Fine Arts League there for two years. He will continue his education at Boston University's School of Visual Arts in the fall. Gewecke has concentrated on oil painting and drawing. As a member of the Rockport Art Association in Rockport, Mass., Gewecke has studied with T. M. Nicholas, Linnet Tutwiler, and Stapleton Kearns. He has studied locally at the J.R. Studios in Branchville and with internationally known artist Jordan Wolfson. Gewecke's work has been exhibited at the Morris Museum in Morristown, and at the Moran Street Gallery in Newton. He has won numerous prizes, including an award in the Skyland Art Show 2004. He is a volunteer at the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council Gallery. Gewecke is showing nine paintings, three charcoal drawings, one pencil drawing and two monotypes. His subject matter is still life, landscapes, seascapes, abstracts, and the human figure. Gewecke has added a new dynamic to his painting process which is fueled by music. Also on exhibit on the second floor of the public gallery is the work of four artists from the 2005 Skylands Art Show. They are JackHornstra and Judith Hornstra of Sparta, and Robert Derby and Galina Zhuk of Stanhope. The public is invited to attend a closing reception to honor these artists on Tuesday, August 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served. For further information, call 973-827-0027, Tuesday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.