Hunterdon Art Museum Celebrates 70 Years with New Exhibitions and Terrace Mural Unveiling

Phillip Adams: Leave No Trace (Main Gallery)

In Leave No Trace, Adams explores the intricate relationship between humans and nature. He explores our inherent impulses to control, reshape, and at times, destroy the landscapes we claim to steward. The works in this exhibition present a paradox – the human desire to leave a permanent mark juxtaposed against the pursuit of untouched, idyllic beauty. With overtones addressing the pressing climate crisis, Adams’ art balances the gravity of our rapidly changing environments with whimsical, playful elements.

Drawing inspiration from early theories of the Sublime, the landscapes in this exhibition evoke a sense of awe, beauty, and terror. Adams constructs these compositions based on real places, using photographs from his personal adventures and historical images. The materials chosen, primarily charcoal, graphite, and acrylic on wood panels, resonate with the themes of the exhibition. 

Adams writes, “The use of charcoal and graphite [in my work] links the materiality of carbon to the imagery, further connecting my work in an elemental and fragile way… The work is created meticulously and carefully by building layers of small mark-making that reverberate the care, anxiety, and enormity I feel about the subject matter.”

Phillip Adams, a renowned visual artist and muralist from Philadelphia, has showcased his work in venues like the Woodmere Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art. His recent exhibition at Schmidt Dean Gallery in 2022 received notable acclaim. With over two decades in public art, Adams’ murals are featured from Philadelphia to Montréal, collaborating with clients such as Starbucks and the U.S. Federal Government. An alumnus of the University of Georgia and the University of Pennsylvania, Adams continues to shape the contemporary art scene.

Learn more about Phillip Adams at phillipadams.com.

Marsha Goldberg & Andrew Zimmerman: Taking Shape (First Floor Gallery)

Taking Shape is a two-person exhibition that brings together the distinctive works of Marsha Goldberg and Andrew Zimmerman. While both artists differ in their mediums and techniques, they converge in their exploration of form, color, and space, creating a harmonious dialogue between their pieces.

Marsha Goldberg’s work is deeply influenced by the architecture of the south of France, particularly the imposing Fort St. Jean in Marseille. Her pieces, rooted in the observation of form, light, and color, have evolved to become more intuitive and self-referential over time. Goldberg employs tools and techniques once used by graphic artists, such as circle templates and grids. This connection to once-practical, now obsolete skills gives her work a unique depth, assigning these tools new meaning in the contemporary art world. The meticulous process of completing each circle individually transforms her pieces into a testament to the passage of time, with each shift in color or completed shape marking hours or even days of work. This deliberate approach results in a palpable tension and balance within her art, each piece a reflection of carefully considered choices. Learn more about Marsha Goldberg at marshagoldberg.com.

Andrew Zimmerman’s work delves into the intersection of various dichotomies: painting and sculpture, art and design, hand-made and mass-produced. He thrives on the tension that emerges from positioning his pieces between these categories, aiming to create moments of unexpected discovery within a language of reconstructable forms. Throughout his career, Zimmerman has been drawn to materials that challenge traditional art-making conventions, recently gravitating towards automotive paint and wood. His fabrication process, while utilizing handheld tools, introduces subtle variations in line that emphasize the unique touch of the artist. By repurposing commercial systems, Zimmerman crafts singular modes of expression, highlighting the individuality inherent in each piece. Learn more about Andrew Zimmerman at andrewzimmermanart.com.

Together, Goldberg and Zimmerman’s works in Taking Shape offer viewers a rich exploration of form and color, each piece a testament to the artists’ unique perspectives and processes.

Ahrong Kim: Over the Paper Plane (Second Floor River Gallery)

The ceramic figurative sculptures of Ahrong Kim serve as a diary of emotions, capturing the diverse range of feelings humans experience. Drawing from psychological observations, Kim’s works reveal an abstracted version of her inner self. The ceramic works, created with endurance and transformed by fire, embody the artist’s will and passion. Through her art, Kim seeks to express the myriad of psychological states present in our environment using colors and figurative forms.

Throughout her career, Kim has delved deep into her inner dialogue, crafting figures that levitate, stand upside down, or sometimes appear headless or bodiless. Yet, despite these unconventional forms, there’s an inherent playfulness in her work. Far from being unsettling, her sculptures exude a light-heartedness, perhaps attributed to the vibrant flowered patterns and geometric prints that adorn them.

These patterns are a nod to her rich Korean heritage. The lively multi-colored abstract designs draw inspiration from jogakbo, a traditional Korean patchwork. As a child, she observed her grandmother, a seamstress to the Vice President of South Korea, incorporate this stitch into her creations.

Ahrong Kim, a New York-based artist originally from South Korea, holds a BFA from Kon Kuk University and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her distinguished works have been exhibited at venues such as Kristen Lorello, NY, and George Billis Gallery, NY. Kim has completed notable residencies at Guldagergaard, Denmark, and Harvard University. A former artist-in-residence and instructor at The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, she has received accolades including the Excellence in Clay award from the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Her works grace collections at the RISD Museum and Fuller Craft Museum, among others.

Learn more about Ahrong Kim at ahrongkim.com.