Eighteen Years and Still Going Strong in Union County

We are grateful to have so many long running National Arts Program Exhibits across the country and Union County, New Jersey is one of them. Not only has the show been occurring annually for eighteen years but coordinator Libby Reid has been there from the start. When an art exhibit that includes artists of all ages and levels of experience goes on for so many consecutive years you get the benefit of watching artists and their families grow and change. Libby says she take great pleasure in seeing the progress of both the youth and adult artists.

This year Libby hung a total of 149 artworks in Liberty Hall Center. The exhibiting artists represented twenty-five departments and offices. They also invited volunteers of county programs along with retirees and their families and had thirty people enter the show from programs such as the Medical Reserve Corp, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Trail Steward and Pearl Street Gallery.

The awards reception was held on May 1st and included refreshments, a four-member band and they had a photographer on hand to document the event. Everyone chatted and took in the art while appreciating the talents of the jazz band. Libby said that she always hears from the artists, adults and children, how much they enjoy this event and how they look forward to the show every year and enjoy planning their next entries.

When the exhibit closed on May 21st Libby then took all the first through third place winning artworks and displayed them in the Freeholders Gallery for a May 23- July 9 exhibit. Union County is one of our shows where the coordinator goes above and beyond and involves herself in every detail of the process. The best part is that after the show ends she takes the time to share all the lovely details with us too! When a relationship is still going strong after eighteen years, we like to think we all must be doing something right!