Gallery will showcase summer-themed works

SPOTSWOOD - Nine artists from an area studio will take part in "Summer Reflections," the second art show to be featured at the Academy of Music on Main Street's art gallery.

The gallery will feature 13 fine art oil and watercolor paintings by artists from Marcel's Art Studio in Milltown. The works reflect on the beauty of water, such as pink reflections of dusk on a calm lake in Maine, the thundering power of ocean waves, or lazy geese on a cool pond.

The opening, which is the second of several exhibits planned for the new gallery, will take place on Sunday at 5 p.m. at 508 Main St. in Spotswood. Artists will make presentations of their work at 5:30 p.m., and light refreshments will be served. Music will be provided by a professional pianist who is also a teacher at the academy.

The art gallery was conceived by Melody Blasenheim, the owner of Academy of Music on Main Street, as a way of supporting local artists.

"People are excited about this gallery," Blasenheim said, noting the public's reception of the Feb. 26 gallery grand opening. "Over 50 people attended, and since then we've sold practically 30 percent of the exhibit. Music and art simply go together, and with 12-foot ceilings and many walls throughout the academy, the gallery creates a beautiful environment for our student body of 600 and staff of 40."

East Brunswick resident Kevan Lunney is curator of the gallery, which features the work of Marcel Franquelin and eight of his students - Vimala Arunachalam, Joses Barros-Neto, Bob Girgis, Carolyn Kashian, Lisa Kelleman, Pat Knight, Adele McCoy and Deborah Anne Nero.

Franquelin, who was born in France, earned two master's degrees in fine arts, art history and art education at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Lille, and the University of Lille, respectively. He has been teaching art and the French language since 1979 in France and in the United States.

Franquelin has created numerous commissions for clients, collectors and corporations, including Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, I.M.O. Industries, and Alba Vineyard. Among the commissions were large murals for several New York schools and reproductions of 19th-century masterpieces from the Napoleonic period. Commercial assignments include a catalog featuring 300 graphite illustrations for Rodier, a French fashion company.

Franquelin is also represented by a wide range of galleries, mostly in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

At his studio in Milltown, and at other New Jersey venues, Franquelin teaches a full schedule of classes in basic drawing, oil painting, airbrush, pen and ink, charcoal and watercolor. Together he and his students have created Les Amis des Arts, an arts association that holds exhibitions at galleries and community locations throughout the year.

Lunney envisions her work with the academy as an ongoing opportunity to create a premier gallery for New Jersey art. She said the works being showcased represent "exceptional art by local artists, and we're pleased to be sharing it with the rest of the community."

The art gallery is accepting applications for future visiting artists working in original two-dimensional media. There will be four shows per year. Those interested can call the academy or e-mail AcademyofArtonMain@verizon.net for a prospectus.