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Community Corner

West Orange Artist Exhibits in New York City

Local West Orange artist has gallery show in the Village.

A quiet street in New York City’s East Village became a little noisier last week, as a crowd gathered outside a gallery opening featuring the work of 40 photographers, including one of West Orange’s own. 

Heidi Sussman, a resident of West Orange as well as the Chairwoman of the West Orange Arts Council, had her piece, “Italian Home,” on display in the new exhibition at Umbrella Arts.

Sussman is a photographer and also does mixed media art, “My images are not just straight photography - I like to add different media, like watercolor, pastel, or even wax."

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Although her work has been displayed in many shows and galleries in the past, including at the 1978 Maplewood Arts Center and at a solo show this past January, this is her first time presenting a piece in a New York City gallery.

“The competition is different in New York. There was a call for photographers, so I sent in my work, and they accepted it. There were over 1200 entries, and they chose 40 pieces,” said Sussman.

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The theme of the exhibit was “Home,” and Sussman’s piece fit right in. The photo, of a large Italian house, “was taken on a trip to Italy,” she explained.

Sussman took the shot originally in color. To enhance the photo, she digitally turned it to a black and white print, and then re-colored it digitally to finish the piece. 

Extending beyond her personal work, Sussman’s photography also plays a part in the undertakings of the West Orange Arts Council. In particular, the Arts Council organized a photo documentary project in September called “A Day in West Orange.” For a 24-hour period, 17 area photographers, including Sussman, photographed “the places and faces of West Orange”.

The resulting show, composed of 90 selected photos, was on display for a few months at the Jewish Community Center. Currently, the photos can be seen at a few community locations: Kessler, Luna Stage, the West Orange Public Library, Supreme Bakery, and the Pleasantdale Presbyterian Church. At the end of June, all of the photos will be moved to a new gallery location. “Hopefully people in the town liked it; people at work, people at play,” said Sussman of the project.

Upcoming, Sussman’s work will be featured in a portraits show at Studio Montclair from May 18th through August 14th. She is also in the process of self-publishing a photography book.

For more information about Heidi Sussman and her photography, please visit her website atwww.heidisussman.com. To learn more about events from the West Orange Arts Council, please visit www.woartscouncil.org.

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