activating vacant spaces with artistic vision
Started in 2013 Artfront Galleries has grown from a loose coalition of working artists centered in Newark to a registered New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation in 2016 recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3). The mission of Artfront Galleries is to promote temporary, not for profit art galleries that serve as a transformative social and educational tool in urban environments.
Artfront Galleries MISSION
begin
begin to revivify blighted business districts through the transformative value of art. Expected outcome – better sales at nearby small businesses as a result of increased pedestrian traffic. More lights on and activity will reduce the instances of petty crime.
give
give under served populations access to enriching cultural experiences. Expected outcome – Local residents will visit the gallery and attend spoken word performances. Curators and interns will interact with visitors to discuss the art displayed.
educate
educate interested local young adults in the business of art. Expected outcome – attract interested high school students to participate as interns. Interns will learn and execute assigned tasks; develop a general understanding of art displayed; and, interact with gallery visitors.
provide
provide new venues for artists to display and sell their work Expected outcome – approximately 10 artists will display at each pop up gallery. 30% of the artists will be from outside the immediate area. The purpose is to attract their customers to the neighborhood so that they can come to see the area as an art destination.
demonstrate
demonstrate a repeatable process that can be exported to other depressed neighborhoods. Expected outcome – Liked minded artists and community groups will replicate the process in other neighborhoods.
Artfront Galleries BOARD MEMBERS
Timothy Dingman
Founder & CFO
]Tim Dingman is the Principal of T. Dingman Photography. Founded in 2000 he works freelance in the areas of commercial, event, and fine art photography. In 2014 was a founding member and became co-curator of Artfront Galleries. Artfront Galleries’ goal is to revivify blighted neighborhoods one space at a time through the transformative value of art.
Tim has been an instructor in photography, lighting, layout, and digitization at the Edward Hopper House, Nyack NY; Rockland County Council for the Arts, Nanuet NY; Marble Jam kids, River Edge NJ and, Old Church Cultural Art Organization, Cresskill NJ..
Tim Dingman has recently shown his work at cWOW Newark and Joan D’Arch in New York City. He was selected as an Artist in Residence at Brick City Live Newark NJ. He has been an artist/participant in Post Cards from the Edge at Luhring Augustine NYC, the Paterson Art Walk, and the “Sanctuary” exhibit that was part of the October 2014 Newark Art Walk.
Jae Quinlan
Board Member and Curator
Utilizing the brilliant hues & textures of her Afro-Cuban-American and West Indian Heritage, Jae Quinlan is setting trends in Newark NJ. Focusing on bringing even the smallest of visual art projects to life, she threads wire into wearable art finery and deconstructs the construct of a large canvas with tempered ease. Currently adding hand painted clothing, sneakers, shoes and accessories to her credit-her care and fashion sense make her work a welcome staple to any wardrobe. Jae is a principal of The Artisans Collective on Halsey St and her fine art work has been shown in all the major creative spaces in Newark.
Currently she is passionately working alongside what she considers a brilliantly assembled group of artists at Artfront Galleries as board member and curator.
Susan O'Rourke
President
Susan O’Rourke joined Artfront Galleries 2014. She became President of the organization upon its incorporation as NJ Nonprofit Corporation with IRS 501(c)(3) recognition in May of 2016. Susan is also the founder and principal of Art Grant Writing which specializes in assisting artists and organizations dedicated to the arts obtain needed funding for their projects.
Prior to joining Artfront Galleries Susan was the Executive Director of North American Procurement for EY LLP one of the big four accounting firms. Despite her intensive business background Susan has always been an active participant in the arts. She has taught piano; sketched her impressions during her many trips abroad; and, is now developing her talents in fine art photography. In her new role Susan’s favorite activity is working with young artists and helping them learn “the business of art”.
Rounding out her rather eclectic background Susan has a BA in Philosophy from New Jersey City University and has been certified as a logistician from the Academy of Advanced Logistics in NYC.
Janet Morgan
Board Member and Curator
Janet Morgan has had a long and varied art career, all with an underlying quest of depicting the energy in beings and places. She depicts energy in color, line and movement. Among her figurative painting series are: a pantheon of 200 deities, Wild Women, musicians and dancers (Middle Eastern and modern) and works from and about the Body’s Energy. She has painted her interpretations of landscape all over the world, from Antarctica to Kyrgyzstan. She has been artist-in-residence Death Valley National Park, Weir Farm National Historic Site, the Babayan Cultural Center in Cappadocia, Turkey, Hanksville Elementary School in Utah, and most recently at the Luminous Bodies Residency in Toronto. She has taught at the Rubin Museum of Art, the Art Students League and the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. For 18 years she was an Expressive Arts Therapist with adult cancer patients at Sloan Ketttering. Her large paintings have been featured on stage at the Omega’s Women and Power Conference in New York City, at Burning Man in Nevada and at the Parliament of World Religions in Toronto, Canada. www.janetmorgan-art.net
Dr. Joseph A. Putrino Jr.
Board Member and Curator
Dr. Joseph Putrino Jr. is an artist who holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership with a background in science and art. Dr. Putrino has worked in the New Jersey public schools for the past 23 years and led as a Principal for the last 16. As a visual communications professor, he taught drawing and graphic design. Putrino has presented at national and international conferences on bullying, equity, and technology. He is the recipient of many awards as well as the focus of articles highlighting his strategies for reaching all students. In 2011, Putrino was recognized as a Star of Essex County for his work for promoting inclusivity and designing safe spaces. His work in education has fueled his artwork.
Dr. Putrino’s first solo exhibit, “It’s All In What’s There,” was in 1999 and in 2002, his work, “Monsters” was selected to travel to thirty galleries across the United States including locations in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Between exhibitions, Putrino focuses on private commissions in painting and video production. He has curated several shows, including “Experiencing Women; The Art of Being” in 2002. Dr. Putrino has participated in four juried shows in 2021 where he featured 13 paintings and 3 children’s books. He is known for his portraiture and introspective dream-like compositions. Dr. Putrino is thrilled to join the Artfront in promoting art as a transformative social and educational tool in urban environments.
Rafael Cuello
Co-founder and Secretary
Rafael Cuello is a Visual Artist from Providence, RI currently residing in Newark NJ.He received a Multimedia Design Degree from New England Institute of Technology and has over 15 years’ experience in the visual arts. His family is originally from Barranquilla, Colombia. As part of his culture he was surrounded by art and music. Naturally this inspired and fueled his passion for the arts. Specializing in print design and photography – He’s developed many creative designs and campaigns for a very diverse group of clients. They include: New Jersey AIDS Walk featured in the Newark Small Business Summit; Newark’s Lincoln Park Music Festival; Music Speaks; and, the New England States Government Finance Officers Association annual conference. Rafael is also one of the original curators of Artfront Galleries, and currently serves as its Secretary As a means to foster and challenge and foster his creativity he began painting – this opened the doors to curating private and public exhibits. Passionate about rebuilding communities through art he’s partnered with leading non-profits and local artists as a means of fundraising and crowd building.
John S. Massi
Board Member
John S. Masi, a Newark native, has spent more than 35 years capturing unique perspectives of everyday life in his
photography. Both a graduate and instructor of the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, John is locally recognized for his work of vintage signage and iconic images of New Jersey. His photography was featured in the exhibit, “Newark, A Day in the City” sponsored by Kodak. A published photographer, he has had solo exhibits at venues throughout New York and New Jersey, as well as photographs housed in corporate and private collections.
See more of his work at www.flickr.com/photos/masi1028
Kymba Nijuck
Board Member and Curator
Kymba Nijuck, who self-identifies as an autistic crone, believes art to be a magical process, reinforcing our ability to reinvent ourselves, change our narrative and shape our worlds.
Kymba paints Goddesses in celebration of the divine feminine, to encourage self-love. She creates tarot, divination, and affirmation decks that celebrate our spectrum of races, body types, ages, and sexual orientations.
She created conceptual projects involving dreams that involved several hundred participants. Her Fluxus scores have been published and performed in several states.
She addresses diverse social justice issues, including a perpetual calendar where each day remembers an act of gun violence with an emphasis on school shootings and hate crimes.
Kymba’s work has been shown in museums and galleries on three continents. She is the author of several books. Her work has been featured on and in books, magazines, and textbooks.
Always a Jersey Girl, the aspiring cult leader, now resides in Mexico. ChurchOf.Art