Contemporary artists who want to share their creations with New York-area aficionados and purchasers have a new location - One River Gallery in Englewood, NJ - that is eager to promote, present, and support their work.
Yes, you read it right. Progressive, contemporary art in Englewood. In Bergen County. In New Jersey.
Unfortunately, when people across the country think of northern New Jersey, the first impressions that spring to mind are not exactly art galleries. They are typically caricatures of the state from "The Sopranos" or "Real Housewives of New Jersey" or "Jersey Shore". But Bergen County is home to over one million people, it has similar income demographics to Beverly Hills, and it's minutes away from Manhattan. From a location point of view, opening up One River Gallery in Englewood makes total sense, and my plan is to present the most exciting contemporary art exhibits west of New York City from important artists who are distinguishing themselves in the North American and global art world.
One River Gallery is located on North Dean Street, a bustling yet charming boulevard that's populated by high end shops, boutiques, and restaurants. It's 8 minutes from the George Washington Bridge and 7 minutes down the road from the world headquarters of CNBC and the North American headquarters of Unilever, LG, Ferrari, and Maserati. The city of Englewood is also home to the prestigious Dwight-Englewood School, a private preparatory academy that boasts such notable alumni as Mira Sorvino, Brooke Shields, Anthony Bourdain, and Daphne Oz.
Our inaugural exhibition debuted in September 2012 and was entitled "Two River". The show celebrated the work of artists who work and live in Brooklyn, NY. Brooklyn is arguably the art-making capital of the world today, and since I'm trying to connect New Jersey to what's current and noteworthy, I figured that I'd need to jump "two rivers" away to where all of the excitement is happening. The show featured important mid-career artists like Dawn Clements (featured in the 2010 Whitney Biennial) and Deborah Brown, along with a grouping of emerging artists.
Englewood's response to "Two River", and to the gallery itself, has been a mixture of joy and disbelief. Residents and visitors to the area love the fact that a gallery with such impressive offerings in a New York-style space is so accessible, but at the same time, they can't quite believe that a gallery with such impressive offerings in a New York-style space is so accessible!
The Gallery's upcoming group exhibition is entitled '"Love", which opens November 11th and runs thru December 21, 2012. "Love" features abstract paintings by eleven artists, and is presented by Art Blog Art Blog and curated by Stephen Truax. I am excited to have Art Blog Art Blog involved with One River Gallery. It's my vision to break barriers and build a real contemporary art space by presenting the works of pioneers like Chris Martin and Mark Handelman, who will be featured in "Love", and I'm on my way to achieving that goal.
Given One River Gallery's New Jersey address, I was recently asked if I'd consider showing the works of "Jersey Shore" star Jenni "JWOWW" Farley, who was an art major at New York Institute of Technology and received a "not half bad" review from the popular gossip site Gawker. While Ms. Farley's mixed media oeuvre is passionate and colorful, its essence is more 732 (Seaside Heights' area code) than 201 (Englewood's area code) - though her creative efforts are highly commendable.
Yes, you read it right. Progressive, contemporary art in Englewood. In Bergen County. In New Jersey.
Unfortunately, when people across the country think of northern New Jersey, the first impressions that spring to mind are not exactly art galleries. They are typically caricatures of the state from "The Sopranos" or "Real Housewives of New Jersey" or "Jersey Shore". But Bergen County is home to over one million people, it has similar income demographics to Beverly Hills, and it's minutes away from Manhattan. From a location point of view, opening up One River Gallery in Englewood makes total sense, and my plan is to present the most exciting contemporary art exhibits west of New York City from important artists who are distinguishing themselves in the North American and global art world.
One River Gallery is located on North Dean Street, a bustling yet charming boulevard that's populated by high end shops, boutiques, and restaurants. It's 8 minutes from the George Washington Bridge and 7 minutes down the road from the world headquarters of CNBC and the North American headquarters of Unilever, LG, Ferrari, and Maserati. The city of Englewood is also home to the prestigious Dwight-Englewood School, a private preparatory academy that boasts such notable alumni as Mira Sorvino, Brooke Shields, Anthony Bourdain, and Daphne Oz.
Our inaugural exhibition debuted in September 2012 and was entitled "Two River". The show celebrated the work of artists who work and live in Brooklyn, NY. Brooklyn is arguably the art-making capital of the world today, and since I'm trying to connect New Jersey to what's current and noteworthy, I figured that I'd need to jump "two rivers" away to where all of the excitement is happening. The show featured important mid-career artists like Dawn Clements (featured in the 2010 Whitney Biennial) and Deborah Brown, along with a grouping of emerging artists.
Englewood's response to "Two River", and to the gallery itself, has been a mixture of joy and disbelief. Residents and visitors to the area love the fact that a gallery with such impressive offerings in a New York-style space is so accessible, but at the same time, they can't quite believe that a gallery with such impressive offerings in a New York-style space is so accessible!
The Gallery's upcoming group exhibition is entitled '"Love", which opens November 11th and runs thru December 21, 2012. "Love" features abstract paintings by eleven artists, and is presented by Art Blog Art Blog and curated by Stephen Truax. I am excited to have Art Blog Art Blog involved with One River Gallery. It's my vision to break barriers and build a real contemporary art space by presenting the works of pioneers like Chris Martin and Mark Handelman, who will be featured in "Love", and I'm on my way to achieving that goal.
Given One River Gallery's New Jersey address, I was recently asked if I'd consider showing the works of "Jersey Shore" star Jenni "JWOWW" Farley, who was an art major at New York Institute of Technology and received a "not half bad" review from the popular gossip site Gawker. While Ms. Farley's mixed media oeuvre is passionate and colorful, its essence is more 732 (Seaside Heights' area code) than 201 (Englewood's area code) - though her creative efforts are highly commendable.
About the Author:
Matt Ross is the founder of One River Gallery and One River School of Art and Design in Englewood, NJ. He's also the COO of SAE Institute USA, a chain of colleges that teach
creative media, and operates Turning Point Media, a holding company that invests
in art and creative education businesses. Ross was the founding CEO of School
of Rock, the largest music education company in the world.
creative media, and operates Turning Point Media, a holding company that invests
in art and creative education businesses. Ross was the founding CEO of School
of Rock, the largest music education company in the world.
