ON THE GREEN: ART SHOWS THIS WEEKEND

thompson-pk-creative-artsThe annual Student/Instructor show and sale returns to Lincroft’s Thompson Park Saturday and Sunday. Below, one of the “artistically tagged fish” up for auction at Little Silver’s Gallery Jupiter, in a Thursday evening event.

21b9f239-955f-44d9-bc4f-76ee7e31e21cIn visual art news on the Greater Red Bank Green, a couple of openings, and a gift gallery, liven up the coming weekend.

The fish are jumping (and getting a crucial jump on the weekend) in Little Silver this Thursday evening, December 1, when Gallery Jupiter (31 Church Street) invites the public to a silent auction of “a school of artistically tagged fish.” Each one-of-a-kind item is offered as a unique gifting idea, and a portion of the proceeds will be dedicated to the Sandy Hook-based nonprofit American Littoral Society and its ongoing conservational/ educational programs in defense of our regional coastline. Wine and refreshments will be served during the Thursday evening event, going on between the hours of 5 to 8 p.m. — while art lovers have plenty more opportunities to hook that elusive Perfect Gift, by reading on.

karpf2The Art Alliance of Monmouth County hosts the 2016 edition of a recently minted tradition at its space on Monmouth Street in Red Bank: the group show known as 100 Square Inches.

A multi-media showcase for the members of the collective, the exhibit features works that pack a lot of imagination into a rigorously defined space — namely, those titular 100 square inches worth of “live” area within which each entry in the show must fall.

The reception runs between 6 and 8 p.m., and the art remains on view during regular gallery hours: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 12 to 4 p.m.), through December.

Works by Nancy Karpf, who takes inspiration from her travels (among them “Hanoi Old Quarter,” pictured here) to infuse her paintings with light and bold color, will also be on display in the gallery windows during Saturday’s event and remain up through December.

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The waning hours of precious daylight present a prime opportunity to head out to the Creative Arts Center at Lincroft’s Thompson Park, where the flagship facility of the Monmouth County Parks System hosts its annual Student/Instructor Show and Sale.

A showcase for the center’s resident artisans, and a sampler of its many art and craft programs (including pottery, ceramics, painting and jewelry design), the two-day event also represents an opportunity to pick up the perfect gift or home accent piece, with all handmade items in the show available for purchase by cash or check.

Event hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4.

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While in Lincroft, stop in at the Monmouth Museum on the campus of Brookdale Community College, where the building’s Nilson Gallery once again hosts its annual Gift Gallery of one-of-a-kind items, each the handiwork of a New Jersey creative person (many of whom have been featured in the gallery’s ongoing New Jersey Emerging Artists series).

The sale is paired with the Winter Wonders Holiday Exhibition, an exhibit in the main gallery that pairs “visual depictions of frozen scenery, holiday scenes and winter activities” with the museum’s ever-popular and ever-growing Model Train Display.

The holiday-season events continue during museum hours through December 31 (see website for special holiday schedule and admission info)