For the month of September, The Gallery and The Friends of The Glen Rock Public Library are proud to present the artworks of Jamie Lee Wandel.  Jamie is a New Jersey–based painter and educator currently pursuing her MFA at William Paterson University (Class of 2028).

Working primarily in large-scale oil paintings and multi-panel formats, her practice investigates aesthetic experience through the human figure, compositional structure, and embodied perception.  Rather than constructing paintings to illustrate narratives or communicate fixed meanings, Jamie approaches painting as an encounter. Through visual weight, spatial intervals, rhythmic repetition, scale, and directional tension, she creates compositions that privilege perception over interpretation. Figures often function less as characters than as formal elements within a larger system of forces, operating like levers that distribute pressure, balance, and movement across the picture plane. Her work invites sustained looking, exploring how relationships between forms generate aesthetic experience before language, narrative, or explanation emerge. 

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For the month of February, The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library Gallery will feature the paintings of artist Julia Chiang.  Julia is a self-taught abstract expressionist whose vivid acrylic and multimedia paintings channel emotions, moments, connections, and stories through a dynamic interplay of color and texture. Based in North Jersey, Julia's journey as an artist has been as colorful and layered as her work. From her beginnings in Raleigh, NC, as the daughter of immigrant parents, to a career path that transitioned from pharmacy to web design and graphic art, Julia has embraced reinvention and creative exploration. Now, she devotes herself fully to her passion for painting.

Julia's work is deeply inspired by literature, history, female empowerment, and the natural world. Her paintings tell a story-an abstract narrative woven from deliberate color choices and expressive brushstrokes. Her art evokes the unique personalities and emotions of people, places, and environments, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and uncover the stories and inspiration hidden behind each piece.

Julia's dedication to her craft stems from her belief that art is a way to communicate the intangible-feelings, memories, dreams, and stories-and to bring beauty and purpose into the world. Her work reflects a life of curiosity, resilience, and an ever-evolving relationship with the transformative power of art.

For the month of January, The Gallery at the Glen Rock Public Library will be showcasing the artworks of local artist Rick Wieser.  Rick is a semi-retired engineer who has been have been working with wood for 50 years, making furniture and home renovations.

Rick’s artistic talents have grown from practice and a passion for the art he creates. Inspired by travel and American Folk Art, Rick enjoys carving and sculpting a variety of shapes-  including whales, tropical fish, lighthouses and other

imaginative structures and realistic building replicas. Rick’s creative process brings out the deep rich grain of the wood, thus the name

“Driftwoood Fish Co”.  Carvings are made of wood from leftover beams from home construction, wine crates, old fences and neighbors’ cut trees.  Each carving can take anywhere from six to 40 hours to complete.

The pen and ink drawings in the show are also all originals, using quill and ink.

Rick has made about 700 pieces to date and have sold them in LBI, Cape Cod, Mystic, New Hope Pa, Intercourse Pa, Lamington NJ, Chester NJ, Midland Park NJ, Eisele’s Nursery, Paramus, Galaxy Gardens, Woodcliff Lakes and Williams Nursery in Westfield.

Together we give! For the month of December, The Gallery at the Glen Rock Public Library will be showcasing the giftable artworks of local artists and artisans including Jackie Kruk of Wood and Watercolors, Pat Smythe, Darby Corna Vinciguerra, Lauren Haskell, Karol Rubio, Alison Song, Peg Trikoupis, Pauline Ma, KJ Kang, Sean Noble, Alex Abova, Yuliya Abova, Yerim Hu, Anna-Kari Lejon, and Lori Weisbart-Polson of LoriWeisbartArt.com. 

All artworks in The Gallery are for sale, under $100 and 20% of every sale benefits The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library, who underwrite many of the library’s activities. 

Follow these artists on social media for more information and more wonderful giving opportunities!

Visit www.friendsglenrocklibrary.com to become a Friend of The Glen Rock Public Library today!

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Pop by the Art Walk in front of the Glen Rock Library! Take a picture of your own little masterpiece and enjoy art and poetry in the adaptation of Love (Peek-A-Boo Art).  This beautiful book by Amy Guglielmo and Julie Appel introduces famous artworks to children in a "peek-through" format. Soothing text and vibrant colors help the reader explore themes of love and togetherness, featuring art from many famous Artists.  

Thank you to Scholastic for permission and The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library for making art accessible for all while The Gallery is temporarily limited due to construction!

For the month of November The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library present a limited collection of work by Artist Darby Corna Vinciguerra.  The Artist is also generously offering her painting Friends for silent auction, opening bid $50.  All proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated back to The Friends in honor of National Friends of the Library week.  To bid, please email Gallery@friendsglenrocklibrary.org.

Darby developed her love for art and design growing up in her mother's art studio and on her father’s architectural sites in postindustrial Cleveland. Darby has a degree from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study with concentrations in studio art and fashion.

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May Gallery Exhibition, ‘Exposure: GRHS Photography Showcase & Honors Spotlight’

For the month of May, The Friends of the Glen Rock Public Library Gallery will feature the photography of Glen Rock High School students, led by teacher Mara Siegel. 

The show includes an Honors Photography Portfolio Showcase featuring Artists: Maya Bickel, Callie Roberts, Rose McGoey, Isadora Goncalves Messuti, Olivia Rodriguez, Lindsay Schassberger and Eli Bashan.  In the words of Photography teacher Mara Siegel, “Each Honors Photography student has developed a personal portfolio, curating images that reflect their unique interests, artistic voices, and evolving technical skills. From conceptual storytelling to refined visual studies, these photographs are the result of sustained inquiry and creative risk-taking. Students were challenged to think deeply about what they wanted to say, and how best to say it through the lens. The resulting portfolios offer a diverse and compelling range of perspectives, united by a shared commitment to craft and expression.”

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