Purchasing artwork this holiday season provides cultural enrichment opportunities while keeping creativity and heritage alive. It also has a local economic impact by supporting arts organizations and artists. Unlike mass-produced items, which often end up in a landfill after a few years, original art can be passed down through the generations. Each piece of art portrays the artist’s vision, their story. Whether you are hanging, wearing, or carrying it, original art offers beauty and reflection, creating a lasting emotional bond.
Award-winning artist Drew Scarpa creates paintings that capture place and time. Similar to his inspirations, such as Constable and Boldini, Scarpa uses atmospheric perspective and tonal shifts to capture the effects of light. “I don’t incorporate fine detail, just the suggestion, forcing the viewer to be more engaged,” says Scarpa. Formally trained at Glassboro State College, Scarpa’s work is an exploration of the push and pull of the surface until forms appear. Whether in the studio or on site, his work is about color, texture, and shapes. Today, Scarpa has been developing a body of work based on the landscape of southern New Jersey.
Sandra Kosinski studied ceramics, glass, and metals at California College of Arts. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Ceramic Science and Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and an MS in Physics and Materials Science from Stevens Institute of Technology. With work in various collections around the globe, Kosinski pushes the boundaries of her materials to convey strong narratives. There is intentionality when it comes to the relationship between form and function with her ceramics.
Living on a small horse farm in Hunterdon County, sculptor Shawn Campbell usually starts her piece from a word. “For example, I draw inspiration from words like baggage and fracture, intuitively working with wet clay, forms appear, and the story develops,” says Campbell. Her passion and love for the interconnection between human form and nature are evident. Campbell’s sculptures are hand-built, primarily using thick coils, and fired two to four times, depending on the color and surface she is trying to achieve. Campbell says, “I approach color on the clay as a painter. I use a combination of oxides, slips, underglazes, glazes, wax, and cold finishes.” It is the form of the piece that informs her how she should approach the surface.
Annette Devitt’s love for fiber arts began early in life and forged a career with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension as a County 4-H Agent. As a member of the Third Star Fiber Artists Guild, Annette practiced her craft and learned to spin wool fiber into yarn. Today, she owns and operates Home Coming Art Studio in Pennsville and is currently creating a series of scarves inspired by nature. Annette shares her passion as an educator, offering various classes in weaving, knitting, and crocheting.
Organizations like the Hammonton Art Center, Medford Arts Center, and Wheaton Arts are places to visit and shop for original gifts this holiday season. Each of these cultural organizations offers handcrafted original pieces. For example, Wheaton’s glass bead necklace is a fine example of intricate beadwork. The contrast between the fire orange and deep red glass beads against the textured silver spacers pays homage to the rich tradition of glass bead-making at Wheaton Arts. These are only a few of the thousands of talented artists who live in New Jersey. This holiday season, I encourage you to support their creativity and discover your passion as a patron of the arts.
