PRESS CENTER

40th Anniversary Monmouth Festival of the Arts - April 17-21, 2010

August 24, 2009

Monmouth Festival of the Arts Celebrates its 40th Anniversary

Tinton Falls: This year celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Monmouth Festival of Arts (MFA) as one of the most popular and professional juried art shows in the area supporting artists as well as art education. The festival offers a premier art exhibit by local and regional artists selected through its jurying process which will take place in January of 2010. Contact the Festival at 732-747-8278 or festival@monmouthfestivalofthearts.com for information about advertising, patron opportunities and jurying dates for artists.

The show kicks-off with its Opening Gala, ruby-studded (in honor of the 40th anniversary) evening reception on April 17, 2010, at the Monmouth Reform Temple on Hance Avenue in Tinton Falls. Sunday, April 18th, is Family Day featuring children's craft workshops and entertainment for children ages 5 to 11. During the week, until April 21, area art lovers can enjoy the variety of art on display and for sale from more than 200 artists who hail from all over the Northeast. (Large groups are welcome and should contact the Festival for assistance.) Patrons can also attend several workshops given by the artists on the technique of their craft as well as an Evening Lecture Series. The MFA also offers an educational symposium for teachers to earn continuing education credits in support of art education, A special student-artist display heralds the artwork of 11th grade students who will compete for awards in the early part of the year at a Festival sponsored High School Junior Student Art Competition and workshops.

This year's show designer, Daniel Reiser of Brooklyn, New York, promises to create a fresh look and perspective to the art festival. Mr. Reiser has served as the exhibition design coordinator and technical consultant to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City as well as its satellite branches in Berlin, Germany, Venice, Italy, and Bilbao, Spain. Mr. Reiser has been affiliated with architectural projects in major cities throughout the United States and the world. He brings a broad range of experience in the contemporary art world working with museums, engineers and architects for both large and small scale exhibitions.

MFA Co-chair Marilyn Michaels states of Mr. Reiser's work, "He has some great new ways of dealing with lighting, space, material and color. We are really excited to have him working on our show for this special 40th anniversary."

The Monmouth Festival of the Arts is hosted by Monmouth Reform Temple and is made possible, in part, by the Monmouth County Arts Council through funding from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the County Historical Commission, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State a Partner Agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.