Art fever: Creativity booms in Allentown
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

Allentown is under the influence of an art rush.Noting that the joy of creation is addictive, Elizabeth Roselius explained that there is now a catalyst for local artists to interact with one another and feed off each other's creative energy. It's called the Allentown Art Guild.

Roselius, Jeff Martin and Ericka O'Rourke, all of Allentown, and Shan Hoffmann, of Hamilton Township, formed the guild in the spring of 2006. The founding members felt the need to provide an independent association for creative professionals and friends of the arts that would aim to get more local community members hooked on their passions. And, they already think it's working.

"When artists get out of the school atmosphere and start work, it is tough to connect to other artists," Roselius said.

"Our purpose," O'Rourke said, "is to promote local artists and art awareness in the area, as well as to provide a venue for art education and networking."

The purpose of the guild is to cultivate friendly cooperation among the artists in the community; to promote, exchange and sell art; and to provide members and aspiring artists with educational opportunities that further inspire their artistic abilities.

Roselius said the guild already consists of artists from the area who represent a wide range of artistic disciplines. She said the areas in which the artists work include watercolors, quilting, jewelry making, pastels, photography, pencil drawing, oils, paper and textiles.

The guild currently has 15 members from Allentown and surrounding municipalities such as Millstone Township, Upper Freehold Township, Hamilton Township and the New Egypt section of Plumsted.

"It's interesting to see the diverse talents of all of the members," O'Rourke said. "A lot of creative people are drawn to this area. It is sort of known for that."

Since Allentown is one of the most beautiful places in Monmouth County, O'Rourke said, it's not surprising that many people of artistic temperament live there. The guild plans to tap into that creativity as a life source for promoting local artists and art awareness.

"We do have some ideas for the guild in the works," Roselius said. "But we are still in the beginning stages so we want to feel out our membership and find out what they want."

The guild has already held two meetings. The group gathers every third Friday of the month from 7-9 p.m. at the barn studio of Jeff Martin Photography, located at 78 N. Main St. in Allentown.

Meeting topics are diverse, according to Martin, ranging from demonstrations of various mediums to workshops conducted by guest speakers and field trips.

Roselius said workshops have also covered topics such as sketchbook keeping. Upcoming workshops, she said, will include demonstrations on photographing artwork, pen and ink techniques, Raku pottery and painting.

"Not all of the artists in the guild do Raku pottery, but we are all interested in seeing other artists create their art," Roselius said.

Roselius said she enjoys the guild because she likes to pick up ideas from other artists and their mediums and incorporate them into her own work.

"It's interesting to see how an artist may handle a design in a certain way or to see how someone will juxtapose textures against one another," Roselius said. "Then, I can relate it to my own work."

For the founding members of the guild, art has always been a lifelong pursuit.

Hoffmann's interest in art as a child led her to take private lessons after school to pursue her passion. She graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City with a fine arts degree and a concentration in painting. Some of her collegiate works have been published in art books, she said, and professors still use slides of her pieces as examples for class.

She has worked as a graphic designer and also assists her husband at Hoffmann's Bake Shoppe in Allentown. In the near future, she will pursue her work as a full-time artist concentrating in illustration, painting and illustrated manuscript work.

After studying photography at the School of Visual Arts and the New School of Social Research, both of New York City, Martin opened his first commercial photography studio in Red Bank in 1976. In 1997, he relocated to Allentown and renovated a 100-year-old barn so it could serve as his studio.

Martin has worked in both commercial photography and photojournalism. He has exhibited in 18 states and in the Permanent Collection at the School of Visual Arts.

O'Rourke studied art outside of school continually from the time she was 7 years old, and was recognized on a state level for her achievements in the arts by age 15. She received her first national award, and consequential first corporate sale, when she was 17. In 1990, she received the distinguished N.J. Governor's Award in Arts Education.

O'Rourke received a bachelors of fine arts degree from Mason Gross School of the Arts in New Brunswick, Rutgers University's arts conservatory. In 1994, she started working in the corporate sector as a designer. She ultimately decided to pursue her art and illustration full time through freelancing from her home studio in Allentown. To date, she has illustrated more than 50 book covers.

Roselius has worked as a freelance medical illustrator for 35 years. She has a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree from the University of Michigan in medical and biological illustration. Her work has appeared in pharmaceutical ads and in medical brochures and journal articles, and on training CDs and Web sites, as well as in the 20 books she has illustrated. She also creates computer-enhanced house portraits and mixed-media flora and fauna illustrations.

Intimately knowing how artists often struggle to find those limited opportunities to display and sell their art, the founding members also want the guild to provide a venue for member exhibits, sales and promotion through the guild's Web site, which has an online gallery and store.

In the fall, the guild plans to hold its first art show in the barn studio the weekend of Allentown's Harvest Festival, which is scheduled for Oct. 14-15.

"We will be setting up a gallery inside the studio," O'Rourke said, "and we will have artists demonstrating how they make their art outside.

"Art pieces will be available for purchase," she added.

The Allentown Art Guild is open to all. First-year initiation dues is $85, with subsequent yearly dues of $40. Nonmembers must pay $20 plus any assessed fee for workshops and outside speakers.

For more information, visit www. allentownartguild.org.