“IT TAKES TWO”: This painting by Cynthia Smith is featured in the Garden State Watercolor Society’s 50th Anniversary Juried Exhibition, “Out of the Wild,” which can be viewed online August 4 through September 30. The exhibit, in partnership with D&R Greenway Land Trust, will be held in conjunction with a virtual artists’ talk and family-friendly scavenger hunt.

The Garden State Watercolor Society (GSWS) is partnering with D&R Greenway Land Trust to mount a wildlife-focused 50th Anniversary Juried Exhibition online August 4 through September 30. A virtual Awards Ceremony will include a special new award on occasion of GSWS’ 50^th Anniversary, the D&R Greenway James Fiorentino Nature Art Award. Opportunities to experience the exhibit include a virtual gallery, a virtual talk with featured artists, and a family-friendly scavenger hunt.

Garden State Watercolor’s exhibit “Out of the Wild” portrays human relationships with the wild landscape, flora, and fauna with creative imagination. Artists illustrate natural beauty, as well as the disconnect felt when civilization and nature are out of balance. Whether the trauma of suburban or industrial encroachment or the restorative bliss of land reclaimed to wildflower meadows, this deeply contemplative exhibit will showcase what “Out of the Wild” signifies to each of us.

This exhibit was juried by Steve Zazenski, AWS, who is known for his colorful landscapes depicting coastal New England, Europe, and the Caribbean. Art is available for sale online, with part of each purchase a donation to support D&R Greenway’s charitable mission of preserving and caring for land, and inspiring a conservation ethic.

“It has been difficult not to come together in person for this important 50^th Anniversary milestone exhibit,” said Tess Fields, president of GSWS. “But we have risen to the challenge and are proud to present our juried exhibit virtually for the first time. We are very excited to put out, quite literally, the ‘Beautiful Creatures’ Scavenger Hunt later in August. These little creatures are sure to engage and delight.”

Speaking of the partnership with D&R Greenway that began at its Johnson Education Center art gallery, Fields continued, “I want to thank Linda Mead and her wonderful staff for working with us on these projects. I think we make a great team!”

“Every day, D&R Greenway receives notes from people who tell us how much our preserved lands mean to them during this challenging time,” said Linda Mead, D&R Greenway president and CEO. “Getting outdoors and looking at art are both activities that calm our mind and provide respite in an uncertain world. Combining those with the unique opportunity to discover art in our community with a scavenger hunt is my favorite aspect of this exhibit.”

 Featured in the outdoor scavenger hunt is the second annual mini-art exhibit “Beautiful Creatures” that includes 90 5”x7” images of earth’s creatures created by 47 artists. Artists were challenged to paint using only secondary colors of orange, green, and purple. This special exhibit follows the 2019 challenge that focused on primary colors of red, yellow, and blue.

The community is invited to wear a mask to seek and find this year’s “Beautiful Creatures” as laminated art placed throughout the town of Princeton and at D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center campus that includes Greenway Meadows on Rosedale Road. This unique and fun way to learn interesting facts and enjoy depictions of wild creatures provides an educational activity for school-age children and a socially-distanced outdoor excursion for art and wildlife lovers of all ages.

Start and end dates for the scavenger hunt, along with special instructions and clues, as well as the online exhibit, can be found on the organizations’ websites at www.gswcs.com and www.drgreenway.org.