The historic Smithville Mansion and its surrounding complex are a hidden gem off a rural, farm-lined road in Burlington County. Smithville is an integral part of the Burlington County park system. The information page is full of helpful information, but it doesn’t do the park’s beauty justice—you’ll have to click through the photo gallery for a glimpse. 

Hidden in a section on the second floor of the main building in the art gallery in residence, appropriately named “The Annex Art Gallery.” My traveling companions and I had some trouble actually finding the annex at first, despite following signs around the building. As far as we could tell, the signs pointing to the Annex led to a tiny room with a storage closet on the left and a door leading to the courtyard. After a few circles around the building, we finally figured out that they key to our journey was the elevator to the second floor. 

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                   Marc Chagall, Paris Through the Window. 1913

If my love of baseball comes from my father, then surely my love of art comes from my mom. I can sit through a twenty inning baseball marathon without trouble, and I am perfectly fine spending hours and hours wandering through quiet (or noisy) hallways draped lovingly with art.

For Mother’s Day, I made good use of my Philadelphia Art Museum membership and took my mom to see the Marc Chagall exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Through modernist glasses, we had the privilege of seeing the City of Light from Chagall’s perspective in “Paris Through the Window: Marc Chagall and His Circle.”

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In an unexpected twist of events, this post will travel a little off the East Coast, Mid-Atlantic trail and into the heart of the Midwest. Chicago, Illinois is a teeming city, completely unique from the East Coast (e.g. New York) and West Coast (e.g. L.A.) hubs. The “Windy City” sits right on the mammoth Lake Michigan, straddling a river that swerves through the city. It’s home to deep dish pizza, the Cubs (White Sox, too), stunning architecture and Navy Pier. It’s also home to one of the country’s most worthy art museums: The Art Institute of Chicago.

The Art Institute of Chicago sits right downtown, near Millenium Park and close to Lake Michigan. It is conveniently located near public transportation and many tourist attractions, making a visit extremely convenient. Not only is the Art Institute a world-class museum, it also contains one of the oldest art schools in the country.

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When the weather gets nicer and spring slowly eases into summer, we take our cues from salmon, birds and butterflies and start our yearly migrations to the shore. New Jersey is a delicious mix of vibrant cities, quaint towns, and magical beach destinations, and each area provides its own brand of unique art. But what’s in between the population centers in the eastern (toward the Atlantic) and the western (toward Philadelphia) parts of the state? In South Jersey, it’s the Pine Barrens, a giant, fantastic forest with a culture all its own.

There are sporadic enclaves of towns and population clusters, but there are also miles of open fields, endless farms and infinite swaths of thick forest. Horses graze casually next to big farmhouses. Quaint local bars and family-owned wineries dot the winding roads.

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Beautiful museum. Post coming by tomorrow!

You may not realize it (I certainly didn’t), but Google has been very busy promoting the arts. Not only does the search engine (and then some) regularly bring world-famous art to viewers located thousands of miles away through its Google Arts project, its Google Maps feature provides a small voice for galleries who have not yet found a voice online. 

The current world is so wired these days, particularly in urban and suburban parts of the United States, that it is always a surprise when a business doesn’t have a website, or at least a Facebook presence. From what I have seen, it appears that many of these galleries are older and smaller than many of their gallery peers. Of course, these galleries are just as special and no less deserving of a visit than their wired brothers and sisters. In fact, the harder it is to discover a gallery, the more special the visit. 

Visit the Google Maps page and pop in a zip code or address. On the left side of the screen, underneath the location search results, click on “search nearby,” type in “art galleries,” and hit “Enter.” Voila! Google provides a comprehensive list of art galleries in the area, whether or not they have a website. 

It was in exactly in this way that I stumbled upon Aaron Levin Galleries, located in Hainesport, New Jersey. At this time, its only presence on the internet consists of a few (positive) reviews from satisfied visitors. Luckily, the gallery is housed in a giant farmhouse building on the side of the highway, with a gigantic sign out front touting its framing services. This gallery is a real treat.

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(The Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day, Canaletto, 1745. Philadelphia Museum of Art)

It goes without saying that quite a bit can happen in 350 years. And, along with that, quite a bit of art can happen in 350 years. In its collection of European Art from 1500-1850, the Philadelphia Museum of Art showcases artwork and movements starting with the pivotal Renaissance and continuing almost until the art world entered into modern times. It’s an extensive collection and an ambitious project, and it is alot to take in. But it’s a stellar collection, an absolute must-see, as long as you have a few hours set aside. The Art Museum is filled with treasures that can’t be found anywhere else.

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On the first Friday of every month, the epicenter of the Philadelphia art scene in Old City plays host to “First Friday”. Many of the superb little galleries in Old City (Philadelphia’s historic section) keep their doors open until 9 PM, welcoming crowds inside for special art exhibits (and maybe even some wine and snacks!).

During the event, the neighborhood abounds with visitors of all ages and types, particularly during the summer months. First Friday is a year-round event, rain or shine, and even though the First Friday in March was a little chilly this year, the crowds came out in full force to experience all kinds of world-class, contemporary art.

Old City, with its stone streets, brick houses, and plentiful historic sites, is unique in its own right. It manages to fuse the old and the new with a dash of swanky nightlife, making the neighborhood quintessentially hip. It’s the perfect place to explore art, and the perfect setting for Old City Jewish Art Center.

This blog entry will be a little unique, because, unlike my previous entries, I have no photographs of the gallery. In the Jewish religion, Friday night starts Shabbat, a day of rest. During Shabbat, cameras (and other technolgy) are forbidden. But that’s alright; you can use your imagination! The gallery was so unique and afforded such an incredible experience that it deserves an entry. Also, it is in dire need of funds to stay open; any publicity it can get, the better. This gallery needs to remain open. Although this entry will be devoid of pictures, please take my word that this gallery is so full of energy, light, and life that a still photograph could never do it justice.

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By chance, my visit to the Wilmer Jennings Gallery coincided with the very last day of an exhibition by the artist Richard Yarde: Richard Yarde: Blues. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to visit this unique and captivating exhibit before I closed!

The very first thing I noticed upon my visit to the East Village, Manhattan gallery was its size. Relative to the other galleries I’ve visited in the East Village, Wilmer Jenning is quite spacious. The gallery is comprised of three large rooms that seem to take up area of two retail stores. The extra breathing room was a welcome change. Inside the gallery, its classic wooden floors and open space created a pleasantly warm ambience. It’s clean, spacious, and well-lit. There were a handful of visitors milling around on a cool Saturday afternoon.

Themes of dance, ritual, circular movement, and community shine through almost every piece of art in the Mr. Yarde’s exhibit. Though subjects and designs may different in individual pieces, themes carry over into art in each of the three rooms.

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Vickie Mathas, a featured artist at Home Fine Art Gallery in Mount Holly (profiled a few weeks ago), shared some information about an upcoming exhibit featuring her work at the Gallery. If you are around Burlington County in May, I’d definitely recommend you pay a visit to “Three Visions;” the exhibit seems like a cool concept featuring three unique local artists:

“Three Visions” 
Description: Three friends collaborate together with three visions on common themes in expressive mediums.
Featuring: Vickie Mathas- fiber art, Paul Mathas- Photography, Carol Nagao- colored pencil painting
Exhibition Dates: May 3 to 30 with a reception on May 14 from 6-8 Come and meet the artists.
Reception: May 14 from 6pm-8pm. Come meet the artists!

Home Fine Art Gallery on the web: http://www.homefineart.org/

Example of Vickie Mathas’s fiber art.