JoEllen Petronzi, left, has been chosen to exhibit at the Salmagundi Club.
The Salmagundi Club recently announced its “Annual Black and White Exhibition” and a Maplewood resident was among the artists selected to exhibit her work.
The show is a juried members’ exhibition of black and white or monochromatic sepia drawings, graphics, photographs, paintings, and sculpture.
Longtime Maplewood resident JoEllen Petronzi had an ink drawing accepted for the show which is open to the public and runs to Jan. 24.
The drawing was of the Duck Pond in Meadowland Park in South Orange. It’s called Duck Pond at South Orange. She created it when they had an open invitation for artists to do some painting in the park.
“I decided to do pen and ink,” she said.
The Salmagundi Club, sometimes referred to as the Salmagundi Art Club, was founded in 1871 in Greenwich Village. Since 1917, it’s been located at 47 Fifth Ave. As of 2021, its membership roster totaled 1,250.
Petronzi is no stranger to having her art showcased at renowned places in the art world. She also had a piece shown at The Metropolitan Museum of Art where she volunteered six years ago. And more locally, she had paintings at the Maplewood Arts Center in 2005.
Petronzi has been an art educator for a great part of her life. She’s worked at Far Brook School in Short Hills; Monmouth University; Columbia High School in Maplewood; Tuscan Elementary School in Maplewood; and The Purnell School in Bernardsville.
Currently she is giving private lessons to students aged 13 to 17, who are preparing portfolios for college.
However, Petronzi is more than a teacher—she’s a doer. She never stops drawing.
“Unless I’m doing my art, I’m not going to be the best art teacher I can be,” said Petronzi.
What makes Petronzi a successful teacher is her unique approach. She said, “I say ‘My way is just one way. You can do it another way.’”
Born in Newark, and living in Maplewood since 1978, Petronzi remembers loving art as far back as kindergarten. Her grandfather was an architect, and she would practice drawing while looking at the architect books. Petronzi also had an aunt who was a painter. “She would sit with me, and we’d paint together,” she said.
In high school Petronzi won the art award for the yearbook. She went to Monmouth College and with the help of a professor, she got a scholarship and transferred to Montclair State University. “The rest is history,” she said.
Petronzi feels that art starts with a personality. “You see things differently when you’re an art person,” she said. “You can’t help it. Attention to detail. That becomes part of your vision. To put it down and make it expressive, it’s something you need to do. It’s not anything you can avoid. You feel anxious if you haven’t done your art for a while. It’s a driving force for most artists.”
Of course, art has its challenges. For Petronzi, it’s getting started.
“That blank canvas is tough,” she said.
With all her artistic successes, Petronzi stays dedicated to her hometown and enjoys giving back. In 2023 she held a fundraiser for the SOMA Adult School by drawing people’s homes. Each drawing cost $500 and five were sold, raising $2500. Petronzi donated all the money to the school.
“The whole town is so united,” she said.
When she’s not creating art or teaching, Petronzi loves to cook and have family around.
“Family is very important,” she said.
The SCNY (Salmagundi Club New York) is located at 47 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. The 148th Annual black and white exhibit and sale will be open to the public until Jan. 24.
For more information, visit: https://salmagundi.org/
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