West Orange Arts Council honors resident artist with pop-up exhibit

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange Arts Council will host a reception on Sunday, Sept. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. for an abstract expressionism exhibit at the West Orange Arts Center, 551 Valley Road.

Gloria Jerome Torrice, who turns 94 this month, is a contemporary of painter Jackson Pollock. Artwork on display comes from Torrice’s personal collection of her works and those of her contemporaries, including many of the lesser-known women artists of abstract expressionism from the 1940s and 1950s.

Filmmaker Andrea Torrice’s documentary, “Art As Action,” will be shown at the reception. It highlights women’s contributions to the abstract expressionism movement in New York City.

“It is a privilege to have my mother live in our West Orange home. The older I get the more I value her part in the New York art scene in the ’40s and ’50s,” said Liana Torrice Dix Volpe, Gloria Torrice’s daughter. “Over the years I have held onto and cherished the artwork that decorated our home. It is with great pleasure that we can share this exciting collection with the public and celebrate my mother’s 94th birthday.”

West Orange Arts Council Chairwoman Patricia Mitrano agrees.

“This exhibit is a unique opportunity to experience an up-close-and-personal glimpse of art history,” she said. “Visitors to the West Orange Arts Center can learn about art, not from a textbook but from their neighbors.”

The exhibit will be on display through Saturday, Sept. 29. Gallery hours are Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. and by appointment.

For more information about the event, visit www.woarts.org or email info@woarts.org.

  West Orange Arts Council and Arts Center