Arts Program at Rutgers NJMS creates a Greater Sense of Community on the Newark Campus

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is the first medical school to host The National Arts Program®

Featured in Rutgers Civic Engagement Magazine Spring 2015

A pelican was too busy gorging on fish to notice Barry Wise taking pictures 10 feet away on a beach in Cancun.

He almost missed the chance to capture the pelican’s image. Initially, they played a game of chase. Each day, Wise would run to get his camera and the pelican would fly away. On the fourth day of vacation, when the game was over, Wise felt like he had something special.

He was right. His picture, titled “Beach Challenge,” received the Honorable Mention award during The National Arts Program® (NAP) annual reception at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) earlier this year. Wise, a User Support Specialist II in Information Technology at NJMS, was one of 109 artists whose creations were featured.

According to Curator Noreen Gomez, this year marks the 16th year that exhibits have been held at NJMS. Artwork lines the walls and fills display cabinets in high traffic areas at the medical school. The creativity varies: colorful paintings, sculptures, framed photos, quilts and sketches.

“The Fall Arts Festival was a takeoff from the Spring Arts Festival, which started in 1999 with Dr. Ernesto Amaranto. That was a one week exhibit,” Gomez said. “Then, Dr. Joseph Benevenia led the arts program in 2004. Two years later I took over. At that time, we increased the number to three art shows. I have had the opportunity to work on the shows since 2000. In 2010, the program took on a new life when The National Arts Program® was introduced at NJMS.”

The NAP exhibit, competition and reception are coordinated by Gomez, a facilities program specialist in the Office of the Dean at NJMS. The competition attracts artists who are eligible for prizes in the areas of best of show, amateur, intermediate, professional, teen, and youth.

Dr. Robert L. Johnson, the Sharon and Joseph L. Muscarelle Endowed Dean of New Jersey Medical School, said, “We are pleased to host the National Arts Program® activities at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. The program gives our students, faculty, staff, and family members an opportunity to showcase their artistic gifts and come together during a reception that honors their talents. The program is intended to help create a greater sense of community on the Newark campus at Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences.”

Barry Wise (left), User Support Specialist II in Information Technology at Rutgers NJMS, took the picture (above) called “Beach Challenge” (Honorable Mention).

Gomez said, “The National Arts Program® was the first art exhibit we’ve had where artists are acknowledged with awards during a reception. Support from the National Arts Program® goes a long way toward making this a special occasion for our participants.” Although the national program requires sites to display art for at least two weeks, Gomez displays the exhibit for four-months. NJMS holds two other exhibits annually. She said, “It’s a joy watching people view and talk about the artwork that was created. The program is not just for adults, teens and children participate too.”

According to the NAP Director of Programs Robyn McGinley, 82 venues host shows in 38 states annually. She said, “Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is actually the first medical school to host our program. We do have a couple of hospitals and one other university hosting programs.”

McGinley said, in 2014, “The National Arts Program® had 5,177 people participate in our program across the country, with 7,568 pieces of art actually displayed. This is a 12 percent increase from 2013 in the average number of pieces exhibited at our venues annually.”

Located in Malvern, Pa., this private foundation was established in 1982. Their first show was held three years later. Since then, organizations comprising at least 3,000 individuals are eligible for the honoraria that help offset costs related to awards, the reception, and hanging the art. One on-site coordinator must be designated to identify professional judges, to receive and display submissions and host a reception for at least 100 artists and their families.

“It’s a beautiful program. It’s something we definitely needed here,” Wise said, who enjoys taking pictures of nature. “The art program brings us a bit closer together. For years, I’ve seen Dr. Debra Heller on campus and I’ve seen her quilts on display at NJMS. It wasn’t until the NAP reception that I knew who created the quilts.”

Gomez is passionate about art and her pivotal role that brings people together. “It’s fun,” she said. “During the reception, I like seeing a bit of healthy competition. Even if they don’t win the top prize, each year after we present the awards I hear people say, they plan to place next year. We have many returning artists.”

Wise is one of them. He plans to make a third submission when the competition returns in the winter. In the meantime, he and his wife Sandra, a Program Assistant in the Comparative Medical Resources Department at NJMS, look forward to their next vacation. Wherever they go, we know he will bring his camera.