SPRING SEMESTER BEGINNING!
December is FLUSH with Holiday Workshops, Shows, Open Studio's and Registration for Spring Semester. We invite you to join in on the holiday festivities and workshops.
Art Show
& Sale Opening
Reception
Monday Nov 5 Updated Storm Information: Though duCret lost several sentient tree beings, the buildings were gracefully left untouched and power has been restored to duCret. The school is officially open as of Mon., Nov. 5th. However, due to Plainfield's 7pm Curfew Law that is in effect, and with darkened streets and numerous downed trees making night driving hazzardous, please take note of this week's class and night activities cancellations: |
| Superbowl Painting by Mike Kupka |
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| Painting by Mark Romanoski |
PETER CARAS
LESLIE DELGYER 
MICHAEL DONATO 
MARK ROMANOSKI |
| Featured Artist Vivian Bedoya |
Whether you are a High School Junior or Senior seeking to amp up your graphic abilities or are an adult seeking a midlife career change, this September and October you can take an 8 week course in either Graphic Design or Interior Design. Polish your graphic skills or learn about the possibilities of an Interior Design Career in a series of concise and to-the-point workshops. Both workshops offer a weekday evening or a Saturday morning class AND better yet, you're not stuck taking the whole workshop series if you are only interested in one or two facets of the series. Individuals (16+yrs) can sign up for a class at a time or for the whole series. Registration is currently open for both workshops. First come first serve, so register early to assure your seat. Call duCret School of Art at 908-757-7171 or walk in to tour the school and register between 9am - 4pm, Monday - Friday.
What does it take to be an artist in today's world? Can the artistically gifted find stability and success doing exactly what they love to do? The answer is a resounding: YES! 
Sometimes life comes into play in a way that seems to hold back the human spirit. Though we never know why the timing isn’t right for something to happen, usually we do recognize when it is right because things then just begin to automatically flow. That’s how the art career of Megan Cocho initially began; with a start and stop and a start. But once on the right track and on the train of forward moving opportunity, this artist has never looked back. In 2005 Megan applied to the duCret School of Art, but circumstances would cause her to have to hold off on her art career for yet a few more years. In 2010, Megan was back and with her came an unusual ferocity to succeed; energy rarely found in today’s youth. In an age of instant gratification via digital madness and Reality TV mania, the characteristic of self-determined focus has become practically obsolete. But Megan brought chutzpa and a lazer-like intent with her to school and for the past two years, she has raised the bar on what it is to be an emerging artist.
In her first year at duCret, she spearheaded the Student Council, orchestrated and designed the school's yearbook, and volunteered or assisted in every art show or gallery event run by the school. In that year, she also produced a serious array of marketable artwork, selling her paintings, photography, stained glass, tattoo designs, and illustration at school art shows... and built her website to boot. She entered local shows as well and began winning several art awards. Thus, people began to commission her for her portrait work in oil. Straight through the summer of her first year, rather than take off and hit the beach like most students would, she convinced the Director of the school to let her work on premises. In her spare time, she painted, entered state run gallery shows and even crafted a shop sign for a retail store. This year, after concentrating on a solid year of portrait painting and drawing, she's developed her skills so much so, that her artwork is now comparable to many professional artists on the market. In fact, Megan was one of few top duCret student artists invited to participate in duCret’s 85th Anniversary Faculty and Board Member art show. 
Having impressed several faculty members and other notable professional NJ artists associated with duCret, she recently traveled to NYC, referrals in hand, to interview for a scholarship at the Salmagundi Club in NYC. The club, which is a prestigious and very old artist’s haven, is exclusive in its choices to accept new members, which must be brought in by referral. In June she spearheaded a group booth at the month-long running Junebug Festival in Metuchen, NJ. In July her award winning artwork was highlighted at an Opening Reception at the iconic Swain Galleries, in Plainfield NJ. Swain’s is NJ’s oldest and most notable retail art gallery – which houses hundreds of art pieces by accomplished NJ artists. 
You won't find Ann Swain swinging from a chandelier shouting to the world that she's manning one of NJ's most precious landmarks. But those who have found their way to her funky-kool, purple-ish pink colored victorian style art gallery here in the heart of Plainfield City, it's the literal goldmine of the century. The wooden sign, "Philip Swain, Practical Gilder" still hangs proudly over the desk at Swain Galleries on Watchung Avenue. It is the original shingle which hung in front of a business that began 144 years ago. When Philip Swain first arrived at North Avenue station in 1868, he immediately found a vacant store on West Front Street that he opened as a frame maker and practical gilder. At that time there were only two brick buildings in Plainfield, so Philip had to make do in a small wooden shop lit by lanterns on a main street that was still just a dirt road. The Scottish immigrant survived the early hardships and his business thrived in this wealthy community where art was greatly appreciated. [Above Photo: Ann Swain & famous endangered species pastel artist, Leslie Delgyer]
Philip's son Walter took over the business around the turn of the century, and he managed to keep the business going through the two world wars and the depression, despite a severe shortage in supplies and artists materials. Walter P. Swain, Jr. took over for his father in 1949 and the firm prospered and grew. He expanded the gallery's horizons by going out into the corporate world providing artwork and framing services to firms such as Merck & Company, Johnson & Johnson and Midlantic Bank, to name a few. The gallery's reputation spread and its influence on the area's art community widened. In the early 1980's Walter Swain, Jr. brought the gallery to its present location, in an elegant Victorian house, in Plainfield's Historic Crescent District, that beautifully houses the collection of original artwork, lithographs, prints and posters; fine china, and wonderful decorative items; as well as the comprehensive framing and restoration services for which Swain's is so well know.
Ann is the fourth generation of Swain's to run the business, and she proudly continues the family tradition with one simple goal, "To continue with the same quality as my great-grandfather, grandfather, and father did." What Ann won't tell you is that for years, she has accepted Award Winning Art from duCret School of Art students, allowing them to experience an Open Reception and enabling their work to be shown for a month following. This long standing union between duCret and Swain's has upheld an iconic community presence for Central NJ arts. One need not travel to Philadelphia or New York to tap into a treasure trove of art history and education. It's all right here in Central NJ! This Saturday, July 14th from 5 - 7pm, Swain Galleries presents 'Selected Works 2012'. Visitors (families with children welcome) are encouraged to tour the 3 story house of art and meet and mingle with Award Winning Artists, including artists who are represented by her gallery. Within such an ecclectic array of styles and mediums from some of NJ's most accomplished artists, you never know who you might bump into! Call 908-756-1707 for more info on the show or visit www.duCret.edu. 
Every Friday in the month of June, the township of Metuchen hosts an arts and crafts festival. The streets remain open to traffic, yet the sidewalks are filled with vendors of all different types. The store owners take part and accept artwork into their storefront windows and a wonderful camaraderie between visitor, retail proprietors and artists takes place. What makes this festival unusual is that instead of just being scheduled as a one weekend festival, as most festivals are, the Junebug Festival has been stretched out to take place every Friday night for the whole month. Vendors and artists have four Friday night shots to sell their wares to local patrons and this gives them a chance to really make their artwork known to the residents, as the fair often draws repeat visitors. What better thing could there be than to take the family for a Friday night stroll through a wonderful festival-like atmosphere all during the month of June? The vendors come in from everywhere, so it's quite a mix of mediums and visual stimuli to experience. It's also yet another opportunity for duCret students to hone their marketing skills, while in the presence of some of their mentors and teachers; some of whom have been taking part in the festival for years. For instance, Lauren Rabinowitz, a duCret web instructor has been managing the Junebug Festival web info for years. Ed Wetzel, a duCret instructor, artist and a Metuchen resident, has been helping the students with managing and marketing their spaces. Eva Sienkiewicz, duCret's ceramics instructor has also taken part, managing a jewelry table as well. This year, duCret graduates and mid-year students Zoltan Sisko, DaMille King, Rae Cauley, Samantha Abate, Elizabeth Jones, Megan Cocho, and Oliver Haran worked together in support of one another and managed several more sidewalk tables. For those interested in the art field, whether as a career or a hobby, duCret is currently running a series of Summer Art Workshops for Adults, including a Summer Art Camp for Kids and Teens. Photo above provided by Zoltan Sisko.
It's not a common avenue to pursue a career in mixed-media collage to begin with, yet one duCret Instructor, Kat Block has managed to carve out a very special niche in the art world with her Bonsai-themed mixed-media collage series pieces. This season, she accepted her 20th award from The Milburn-Short Hills Art Center, who featured her work in their June Art Show, which was recently held at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown. Kat received the 'Award of Merit' at the Opening Reception. Her work will remain on display at the Mayo Art Center until July 16th, 2012.
About The Work - Kat's primary inspiration is nature and her pieces are complex, mixed media collages that integrate various papers, watercolors, photography, and graphite. She unifies these disparate elements by painstakingly arranging them, often using small fragments of patterns to tie them together. Literally hundreds of pieces of paper will slowly come together to become one unified image upon completion. They are mounted on canvas and varnished repeatedly with a UV protective varnish. Although rich in color, design and pattern, the finished collages remain luminous and serene. They manage to look completely effortless and yet are unimaginably complex in the same viewing. Every time one studies them, there is something new to notice. Her excitement and intensity is evident in her work. She is constantly challenging herself to discover a new and unexpected way to communicate her vision. Quoting her, 'Art is my sanctuary. Art is my enthusiasm. Art is my immune system. I live to share my visual response to this world.' And the mesmerizing works produced are a clear reflection of Kat's reason for being. While she has exibited in countless group and solo exhibitions throughout NJ, her artwork can also currently be viewed at Swain's Galleries, Plainfield NJ. In addition to creating these unusual collages and teaching at duCret school of Art, Kat is also the published illustrator of a children's book, "Little Mouse" and has designed posters for the Union County Jazzfests. She has taught workshops throughout the region and has juried several art shows. Additionally, her work was featured in the 2010 release, "Remember Me", starring Pierce Brosnan and Robert Pattinson.
Island artist and workshop coordinator Jerry Cable has been painting on Monhegan Island for more than a decade. He will share his knowledge as a professional artist for more than twenty-five years and his insights of the island. His island studio will be the gathering place for evening discussions and workshop critiques. Topics will include marketing and promotion for professional artists and a look at the island art colony past and present as well as visits to other island studios. 
duCret Instructor Susan Meyer is a seasoned working professional photographer with over 30 years experience, including 10 years as a Photoshop retoucher. She has opened a duCret meetup group called 'The Art of Photography and Photoshop' and would like to share her years of experience and knowledge of photography with visual image lovers and photographers of the local area. The meetup group is open to all levels, but is geared especially for those who are just starting out or are at the intermediate stage and seek more in-depth instruction. In a series of several continuous workshops, individuals can begin to get a feel for a career or hobby in photography and test the waters before taking a lengthier and more in-depth course in photography. Those inspired at these mini workshops can then take full photography and photoshop courses offered at duCret. 
More advanced photographers will have the opportunity to do advanced shoots and projects with this group involving live models. The group meets at The duCret School of Art in Plainfield, NJ where Susan has taught for over 16 years. 'We are very fortunate to have this wonderful facility to hold our Meetup events', states Susan. It affords the Meetup Group the luxury to have at its disposal a well equipped photography studio and prop room, as well as a state of the art Mac computer lab for our photoshop events. We are always looking for Models and Hair and Makeup artists who are looking to build their portfolios and are willing to pose or provide hair and makeup services on the models for digital images from our membership. This is a very active meetup group with something going on almost every week. The group took hold immediately once launched to the internet several months ago, as there is little or no instruction of this type available in central NJ. Students can learn all aspects of photography including portrait, landscape, shooting stills for the commercial field, action and figure and event photography. 
They learn all aspects of their camera, including studio lighting and lighting in more challenging environments such as events or sporting activities. Serious students are invited on occasion to intern on real jobs. All one has to do is RSVP to any workshop that's listed online. Though the summer season is lighter, there are many repeating workshops for those with tough schedules, thus enabling individuals to learn at their own pace. For those serious about a career in photography, duCret School of Art is currently accepting registration for Fall 2012 Semester, whereas there are several photography and photoshop classes available.
Eighteen student artists who have
completed their 3 Year Accredited Art Career Program at duCret School of Art graduated
on Thursday, May 17, 2012. The ceremony featured a speech
by Valedictorian, Hanna Bramowicz, a
song performed by Faculty Member Peter Ambush, who sang ‘The Impossible Dream’
and a commencement address by duCret Alumni and Artist, Vincent Natale. This year’s graduates in Fine Art are:
Hanna Alexandra Bramowicz of Carteret, NJ, Rae Cauley of Westfield, NJ, Lauren
Darabant of Manville, NJ, Brandon D. Drake of Plainfield, NJ, Kristina Marie
Walker of Woodbridge, NJ, Dwayne R. Watson of Englewood, NJ. Graduates in Graphic Design are: Charles
R.M. English of Elizabeth, NJ, Christopher Peel of S. Plainfield, NJ,
Christopher Anthony Petronzio of Avenel, NJ, Robert William Schimmel of Rahway,
NJ, Laura Smith of Bergenfield, NJ. Graduates
in Illustration are: Samantha Abate of Mountainside, NJ, Symone Cherry
Banks of Highland Park, NJ, Steven Marc Decter of Springfield, NJ, Tomas Felipe
Hurtado of Clark, NJ, Liam Kaiser-Sheridan of Scotch Plains, NJ, Gilberto
Saucedo of Elizabeth, NJ and Roberto F. Vidal of Linden, NJ.
Vincent Natale, commencement speaker, is a 1985 duCret School of Art
graduate and an Artist-Illustrator. He additionally attended
the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His works range from magazine
editorials to book covers to fine art and spans the genres of romance, horror,
Fantasy/science fiction, portraiture, and military subjects. Vince has also
created numerous illustrations for advertising clients in fashion and pharmaceuticals.
He has received numerous awards for both his commercial and fine art work, and
has been represented in several annual exhibitions of the Society of
Illustrators in New York and Los Angeles. Vince's works also appears regularly
in the Spectrum annual book of The Best in Fantastic Art. As well as having
produced work for private commissions, his personal/gallery work has found
homes in many private collections. Vince is also an instructor at the Woodstock School
of Art.
Peter Ambush, a published illustrator of children's books and who sang the graduation theme song with the voice of an angel, received his BA in Graphic Design and Illustration from the Maryland institute of Art. He also studied with Peter Caras for three years at duCret, and was the NJ Star Ledger cover artists for the Scanner TV Guide, where he created over 400 cover illustrations. Widely acclaimed for his work in airbrush, Peter is a member of the Wired Gallery in Bethlehem, PA and a member of the Pocono & Lehigh Valley Arts Center. For more information on duCret's 3 Year Art Career Program visit www.ducret.edu or call 908-757-7171 between 9am - 4pm on Monday - Friday for a school tour and career consultation.
Each year in Spring, the duCret student body present their artwork to the public, enabling families and local residents a close-up view of their year-long duCret creative activities. As a result, the students have an opportunity to market their original wares and the public gets the chance to tour the school grounds and meet the artists. Additionally, each year the Swain Galleries located on Watchung Ave in Plainfield, NJ, will feature the show's winning artwork for a month's debut in the summer. This enables first, second and third year students to learn how to present their materials and their vision to the public and to gain live art gallery experience. This year the Opening Reception at Swain's is on July 14th from 5pm - 7pm and the artwork will be on display until August 24th. Ranging from mixed media, ceramics, digital, oil, acrylic, pastel and water color paintings to airbrush, jewelry and photography - the artwork is a vast array of mediums, making for an ecclectic and visually stimulating exhibit.
This year's show winners are: 1st Place; Tomas Hurtado, Bahiyyah Sing, Steven Decter, Rae Cauley, Laura Smith, Dwayne Watson, Brandon Drake, Jane Rocca Hecht, Celina Berry, Justin Ruzol, and Asia Jackson. 2nd Place: Ellery Jane Ring, Elizabeth Perez Diner, Megan Cocho, Rae Cauley, Dwayne Watson, Lauren Darabant, Samantha Ortiz, Liam Kaiser-Sheridan, and Ernst Labady. 3rd Place: Regina Bunger, Robert Schimmel, Alex Sisko, Laura Smith, Brandon D. Drake, Elizabeth Jones, Roberto Vidal, Liam Kaiser-Sheridan, and Steven Decter. Honorable Mention: Rae Cauley, Samantha Abbate, Laura Smith, Kristina Walker, Gilberto Saucedo, and Roberto Vidal.
There is a special breed of humans who are known as artists,
musicians, performers and entertainers and this world of creative souls is a vast
and vibrant one. In Central New Jersey there is an artist haven, the duCret School of Art that cultivates those who know innately and by instinct – that they
must do what they must do…no matter what. Though duCret is known as a visual arts school, it is not
uncommon for its talented students to be multi-dimensional in their gifting.
Take Rae Cauley of Westfield, NJ for instance. Oftentimes, over the three years
that she has attended the school, one could find her camped out in the school
cafeteria beyond class time, sketching out her very unusual and part psychedelic,
part metaphysical interpretations of human consciousness in black and white
ink. In time, some of those renderings would take on hits of brilliant color
which always made for eye popping visual art pieces, when completed. One could spend a serious amount of time meditating on the hundreds of images that arise in each piece. And as art often unfolds before one's very own eyes, over the past few years a consistent body of work has begun to emerge.
Somewhere
in the last year or so, Rae got the idea to put her designs on clothing wear,
which is not only the sign of a ‘big thinker’ in the making, but also the
designs made for really cool-styled high heels, t-shirts and sneakers. But what
many people haven’t known until recently is that perhaps Rae’s ‘first love’ is
not visual art at all, but it is in performing art, for in the last year – she has
taken vocal coaching and has written and recorded five songs in a local recording
studio in her spare time. Working toward her album, her clothing line and her visual
art line has become a full time lifestyle and there is no mistaking that, with a
little bit more time on her side – success in one or all endeavors is bound to
happen. 
When you ask him how as a policeman he got started in art, Charlie will politely correct your perception. "It's the other way around. I am an artist first and then a policeman," he states with a refreshing mix of artistic exuberance and sensibility that emits only from those who are clearly established 'in their element'. Actually, artist Charlie is a police sergeant, an art theft investigator and art loss consultant as well, formally speaking. Even though he's worked on some of the largest art theft cases in human history, which is an unusual offshoot of the crime solving industry to begin with, leave it to an artist to take things to a whole new level. And this particular art theft consultant has done just that. On May 16th at 8pm Charles Sabba will seamlessly blend both careers and present to the public some behind-the-scenes insight on the search for the thieves via The Gardner Museum Heist Exhibition-lecture at the Salmagundi Club in NYC. 
Accompanying Charles at his lecture will be an 8' x 10' Isabella Steward Gardner Heist freshly painted depiction, which includes many of the prominent figures that were and are involved in the 22 year old 'unsolved' case. If ever there were a way to artfully document this fascinating study of human behavior at it's worst and best - it is through Mr. Sabba, who paints with the unusual edge of an insider's eye. The estimated heist price was $500 million and included works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Degas and Manet. It connected an heiress, mobsters and politicians, and a host of prominent business men and women spanning over a few decades and continents. The incredible irony of this long-running hi-end drama and the upcoming unveiling in May is that the original criminals actually kicked off the heist - dressed in police uniforms. 
Mr. Sabba, who can often be found in his art loft at The duCret School of Art, located in Plainfield NJ, is a typical artist only in that - as artists often do - he has managed to put a whole new and rather lighthearted twist on the redundant theme of 'humans stealing from other humans'. It temporarily lifts a soul's focus away from the similarily unsolvable political and banking industry foibles of recent years. Perhaps in the very near future, someone might even be savvy enough to commission Mr. Sabba to paint the connected-iconic figures involved in creating and proliferating the 'disappearing money syndrome' that became a devastated world economy! Both the upcoming lecture and exhibition at the Salmagundi Club are open to the public and the admission is free. In the name of the world's largest 'whodunit' art theft case, this should be one very interesting crowd to mingle amongst. A reception party will begin at 6:30pm and the lecture will begin at 8pm. The Salmagundi Dining Room and bar will be open to the public during the exhibition. For dinner reservations, call(212) 255-7740. Dinner is served Tues - Fri, 6 - 9pm with the bar open Mon - Fri, 5:00 - 10:30pm. The Salmagundi Club is located at Forty-Seven Fifth Avenue | New York, NY 10003. For more information regarding Charles Sabba, contact duCret school of Art at 908-757-7171 between 9am - 4pm or visit www.ducret.edu.
