Press release from St. George’s Episcopal Church
Presenting its fifth anniversary edition in 2016, the annual Canterbury Art Show…a Tapestry of the Arts returns to St. George’s by the River Episcopal Church for a premier local exhibition and sale of juried and non-juried artwork.
The three-day event will take place Labor Day Weekend at the historic church property, located at 7 Lincoln Avenue in Rumson. Event dates are Friday through Sunday, September 2-4, with a preview and Meet the Artists reception on Thursday, September 1 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Hundreds of attendees and art patrons have enjoyed the Canterbury Art show since its inception in 2011. Each year, over 600 works by artists from all over New Jersey and beyond (including Fair Haven favorite Mike Quon, whose “Sailing Out to Sea” is pictured here) are featured, with 38 new artists participating for the first time this year, according to event chair Coni Lefferts. Proceeds from the sale directly benefit St. George’s-by-the-River and its outreach grants to more than 30 local agencies serving the needy of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
“It’s our hope that the Canterbury Art Show continues to be a beloved venue for local artists to show off their God-given gifts for the rest of us to enjoy,” said St. George’s Rector Ophelia Laughlin. “St. George’s very building is itself a masterpiece of art and 19th century architecture. We welcome our community to enjoy it!”
Among the local causes and agencies designated as beneficiaries for the event are:
Hunger: Bayshore Lunch Program, Keyport; Center for Community Renewal, Keansburg; Saturday Soup at Trinity Episcopal Church, Asbury Park; Lunch Break, Red Bank.
Homeless: Family Promise; HABCore, Red Bank; Project Paul, Keansburg; Epiphany House, Asbury Park; Manna House, Keyport.
Domestic Violence Victims: 180 Turning Lives Around, Hazlet.
The Medically Fragile: AIDS Resource for Children (Twilight Concert); CPC Behavorial Healthcare, Red Bank; Parker Family Health Center, Red Bank.
Scholarship Recipients: Aslan Youth Ministries, Red Bank; The Community YMCA; Horizons Summer Camp, Rumson; Collier Youth Services, Wickatunk; Mercy Center, Asbury Park.
The Environment: Clean Ocean Action, Sandy Hook.
This year’s Jury will include well-known local artists and gallery owners. Erik Johansen has been a member of the Brookdale Community College faculty over 25 years. He is a multi-media artist and award-winning exhibitor. Cheryl Griesbach is a local teacher and artist who has been the Best in Show at the Canterbury Art Show for the last three consecutive years. Carol Lynn Chetkin is the co-owner of Red Bank’s Chetkin Gallery. She and her husband Donald established the gallery in 1987 with the hope of creating an international fine art gallery with a special emphasis on contemporary European painters.
Last year’s Best in Show winner for photography was Vince Matulewich for “Orchids (Phalaenopsis)” and Best in Show for oil was Cheryl Griesbach for her “Still Life With Red Squirrel.” The Award in Excellence was given to Michael Scherfen for his watercolor “The Street Musician.” Other winning artists were Blake Reuter, Felicia Hannick, Lee Jamieson, Kathy Watson, Bonnie Smith, Mike Quon and Annette Mastrolia-Tynan.
Tickets to Canterbury Art Show…a Tapestry of the Arts can be purchased in advance here or at the door each day. Daytime show tickets are $10 each and are good for all days of the show. Tickets to the September 1 Meet the Artists reception are $40 in advance ($50 at the door) and include wine and hors d’doeuvres. The purchase of a reception ticket provides the purchaser with free entry to the show every day.
Weekend event hours are Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. For more information, email [email protected].
