Basking Ridge Husband-and-Wife Artists Exhibit Together

Basking Ridge residents Grace and Michael Zambelli, a husband and wife who are both painters, now have a joint exhibit at the Summit Free Public Library, at 75 Maple St. in Summit, that began this month and continues through Jan. 31.

The Summit Free Public Library and the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey announced “People, Places and Things,” an exhibition of the paintings of both Zambellis, will be held in THE GALLERY in the Library.

"Grace and Michael work in unique styles; South Jersey inspires much of their subject matter," according to the announcement, published on the Town Square board of the Basking Ridge Patch.

The show at the Summit library is the couple's first joint "solo" show where the show is devoted to just their paintings, Michael Zambelli added later.

However, he said both he and his wife participate in many juried and members shows at various galleries, museums such as the Noyes Museum of Art, and art centers in New Jersey.

Both to be recognized by fine arts league on Friday

He said that he and his wife on Friday will accept honorable mention awards for paintings in this month's Ocean City Fine Arts League exhibit.

Using acrylics on canvas, Grace Zambelli captures the mood and nuances of everyday life, according to her biography, and the announcement. The unique perspectives in her paintings invite the viewer’s involvement with her subject matter.  Because of her compositions, the viewer may share the viewpoint of an object on the table, another person in the room, or a spectator peering over a ledge. She is a New Jersey Licensed Psychologist and an Art Therapist who has keen interest in art, psychology and helping others. 

Grace Zambelli studied at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Bedminster and the Visual Arts Center in Summit, NJ with Enrique Flores-Galbis, Valerie Larko, Ann Kullaf and Danielle Mick. Her work has been displayed in juried and members show at both centers.  

Her painting “Leonard’s Prize” received an honorable mention at the Visual Arts Center. Among other venues, her work was also featured at the Watchung Arts Center where four of her paintings were accepted in the juried show featuring “People Doing Things.”

Michael Zambelli's paintings capture the emotional aspects of abandoned or overlooked objects, with a focus on old vehicles, products and structures, the announcement said. “The way the sun hits it, the way the rust transforms it or the way its beauty and personality goes unnoticed are what attracts me to a particular subject matter.”

His primary objective is to capture the emotional aspects of these artifacts. Most of his images emphasize the play of light and shadow that help define the object’s form and convey the mystery, history or the sense of sadness that is often missed by the casual observer, according to the announcement, and his biography.

Originally, Zambelli's high school fascination with designing automobiles led him to a career in industrial design. Throughout his 35 plus years of designing products, everything from telephones for AT&T to plumbing fixtures for American Standard, he always maintained his interest in the fine arts.

He also has participated in workshops at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Bedminster and the Visual Arts Center in Summit. He has studied with Enrique Flores-Galbis, Valerie Larko, Stan Sperlak and Anne Kullaf, his biography said.

His paintings have been exhibited at juried and members show at both centers. His painting, “The Monaco”, was accepted in the 2012 annual juried exhibit at The Center for Contemporary Arts, according to his biography.