UNION COUNTY, NJ — The Union County Board of County Commissioners presents the Union County 2021 Senior Citizens Virtual Art Exhibit, showcasing 125 original works created by residents age 60 and older. The exhibit can be viewed on the Union County website at ucnj.org/senior-art.
“The Senior Citizens Virtual Art Exhibit provides senior artists in our community with an opportunity to reach new audiences, here in Union County and elsewhere,” said commissioner board Chairperson Alexander Mirabella.
The 2021 exhibit showcases work in the categories of Acrylic Painting, Craft, Digital Art, Drawing, Mixed Media, Oil Painting, Pastel, Photography, Sculpture and Watercolor.
An independent panel of professional artists judged the show. The award for Best of Show by a Professional Artist went to Eileen Bonacci of Berkeley Heights for “Day at the Beach.” Tina Berlin of Scotch Plains was awarded Best of Show by a Nonprofessional Artist for “Painted Girl.”
These entries, along with all other artworks awarded first place in their respective categories, will represent Union County at the state level in New Jersey’s 2021 Senior Citizen Art Show, opening online later this month.
Among the artists whose work is being showcased is Joseph Schott of Fanwood, a 99-year old veteran of World War II. Mr. Schott resumed painting last year after a decades-long hiatus and received a second-place award in the category of Oil Painting by a Professional Artist. He is also credited with inspiring his son, Robert Schott of Cranford, who received a second-place award for Oil Painting by a Nonprofessional Artist.
The annual Senior Citizens Art Exhibit is coordinated and administered by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, and made possible by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about programs and services related to the arts and history in Union County, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, a division of the Department of Parks and Recreation, at [email protected] or 908-558-2550. NJ Relay users dial 7-1-1 or visit https://www.ucnj.org/cultural.
Photos Courtesy of Union County