Different Arts Exhibits With Different Themes Brighten Winter

Each week, we’ll tell you about one great idea to give you a much deserved break, and make your life a little easier, maybe a whole lot more enjoyable.

Did anyone resolve to add a little culture to their everyday lives this new year? Well, then start off this first full weekend of 2012 right by heading over to see two new exhibitions at the Watchung Arts Center, or Friday's reception to launch a landscape painting exhibition at The Center For Contemporary Art in Bedminster.

The center in Bedminster, located at 2020 Burnt Mills Road in that township, will hold a reception and artist talk from 6 to 9 p.m. this Friday. The exhibit includes landscape paintings by Wes Sherman, and is scheduled to continue through Feb. 25. More information is available at the center's website.

The new exhibitions at the Watchung Arts Center , according to a release from the center, will begin with an opening artist reception Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with the exhibits staying open through Jan. 28.

The first exhibit, according to the release, is in the Upper Gallery, which features artists Pasquale Cuppari, Joe Freeman, Jr., Patti Jordan and Wayne Charles Roth in "Pictorial Constructions." The gallery—with the artists, three of whom are from New Jersey and one from Rhode Island—contain pieces that use a variety of media to create probing compositions through the creation of different worlds and structures, the release said.

The Lower Gallery, according to the release, features the art of Jersey City artist Kelly Vetter, who creates works through wood, paper and other pieces. Her art includes showcases of folklore, American icons and personal narratives through her exhibit, called "Sugar Spice."

This exhibit, the release said, explores love, loss and memory through vintage photographs and everyday objects.

The Watchung Arts Center is located at 18 Stirling Road in Watchung, and reservations can be made by calling 908-753-0190.

For more information, visit the center's website.