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Can environmental awareness be a work of art? In the case of two local environmental groups, the answer could be yes.

Skylands CLEAN, which stands for Citizens for the Land, Environment and Neighborhoods, held its first open membership meeting and art show “Plein Air and Preservation: Landscape Paintings of the New Jersey Highlands” on Sunday, April 6. This event was Skylands CLEAN’s first joint fundraiser with Plain Air Painters of the NJ Highlands, where half of the artworks proceeds go to Skylands CLEAN.

Founded in 1987 by a group of residents, Skylands CLEAN pushes to maintain the Highlands in its natural state free from new development, since the region houses drinking water sources for more than 2 million people across the state.

Founding members William Brown and Diana Gibson-Brown launched the Plein Air Painters in 2005. Plein Air is a French term for “outside.” And the group’s members live up to that term by painting outside, on locations through the various areas of the Highlands, including Ringwood  and West Milford. 

Cheryl Kiviat, a Skylands CLEAN task force member, came up with the organizations’ joint art show event because the two groups share the goal of maintaining the Highlands beauty.

“The Plein Air artists paint their wonderful landscapes, and Skylands CLEAN works awfully hard to protect and preserve t he Highlands,” she said. “We put together these two groups that love the Highlands enough to preserve its character.”

Wine in the Woods in West Milford holds much significance as the fundraiser’s venue, according to Skylands CLEAN Executive Director Robin O’Hearn. She explained there were once plans to build a 288 townhouse community next door to the wine tavern, but Skylands CLEAN stepped in to halt the housing development. To meet this end, the organization hired a hydro-geologist, whose findings convinced the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) there wasn’t enough water in that area to support the existing households and the 288 townhouses. As a result, the DEP denied developers the water permit necessary to get the project rolling. 

But it’s not only locals who turned out for this event. People came from as far away as Teaneck – in Bergen County – to check out the event.“It’s bringing different kinds of people into the fold. People want to connect to what they can enjoy,” O’Hearn said.

 The Plein Air artists prefer the on-location painting to photographs because the camera’s eye doesn’t pick up as much detail as the human eye does. “We strive to get an atmospheric painting that you can’t get from a photograph…we also try to get a light  effect on the landscape,” Brown said. 

Brown said that the Highlands aren’t as well associated with New Jersey as the state’s other attributes. He ad Gibson moved to Ringwood from Hackensack seven years ago because of the Highlands Region’s beauty. “When most people think about New Jersey, they think about the Turnpike,” he said. ”When I tell people I’m 35 miles from the George Washington Bridge and I get bears in my backyard, they find it hard to believe.”

Residents also support the organizations’ cause and recognize the Highlands’ beauty through the artworks.

“They’re very individual, certainly very evocative of more natural surroundings where we live,” Anita Yarossi of Ringwood, a Skylands CLEAN member, said about the displayed paintings. She ended up purchasing Brown’s “Winter Interior” artwork.

Fabiola and Frank Catalano of Ringwood purchased “Winter Woods” by Diana Gibson because the winter scene appealed to Mrs. Catalano. “It (the Highlands) is a gem –it’s important to preserve it,” she said.

Although five paintings were sold by around 6 pm, Kiviat said people were still looking and might buy more.

Linda Ward of West Milford, a Wine in the Woods employee, dropped by the event because she wanted to get a picture of the local area, particularly from West Milford. She had her eye on purchasing “First Sign of Spring” by William Brown. “this jumps out because it’s very vivid,” she said. Although she admires what she calls the generally “scenic” artworks, she said that Plein Air should do more autumns because of the season’s rich colors.

Teresa Edmond’s email address is Edmond@northjersey.com

 

© 2008 Skylands CLEAN, Inc. • Background photo courtesy Dwight Hiscano, 908-273-5666