Newsletter of the Watchung Arts Center Cultural Center of Central New Jersey Art Galleries Features Nina Kedzierska & Jim Hons Tapestries, March 2004

Reception held Sunday, March 7th at 1-4pm Exhibit Dates: March 1st- March 29th 

Nina Kedzierska is a tapestry artist famous and highly esteemed not only in Poland, but also in the world. She was born and raised in Gdansk, a city saturated with atmosphere of art and history. As early as grammar school, she was spending a great deal of time taking art lessons in the studio of an eminent local painter Ignacy Kulkowski, a follower of the Parisian school of impressionism. Her further education proceeded in the so called "Sopot School” where she was influenced by the works of Professor Jacek Zulawski ("the world pre- sented by the artist is not a concrete reflection of the outside reality by the effort of her subjective seeing, her vision of our world. She transforms the inspiration coming from the outside world onto surface composition of her tapestry and makes it such a way to express a formal order, aesthetic harmony and her own. expression. Ms. Kedzierska manages to limit showing her emotions while consenting to dec- orativeness and clear simplicity," says Adam Pawlak. 

Jim Hons recently became serious about 35mm photography, which has been a hobby of his for more than 20 years. His collection includes scenery and cityscapes from both Europe and the United States. His recent travels to Germany and Poland resulted in many photos and slides of Bremeehaven, Bremen, Cologne, Gdansk and Krakow. His experiences left him with a strong urge to return again to the latter two cities, which he found to be charming and uplifting. Originally from Pennsylvania he attained a Master of Arts degree in administration of Justice from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985. His American ancestry includes both Pennsylvania Dutch and Native American. Hons moved to New Jersey in 1989. 

In 2003 the Watchung Arts Center celebrated its 25th anniversary, honoring a quarter-century of nurturing local performing and visual arts. Throughout the anniversary year Nina Hons was an active participant, bringing hands-on craft, demonstrations, and original works to WAC’s audiences.

Her involvement included weaving demonstration, exhibiting her own tapestries, and through a special commemorative weaving created in tribute to the Watchung Arts Center In 2003 the Watchung Arts Center celebrated its 25th anniversary, honoring a quarter-century of nurturing local performing and visual arts.

Hons’s presence during the anniversary year underscored the Center’s mission: to connect community, history, and creative practice. Her demonstrations fostered direct engagement with craft; her exhibits provided contemplative encounters with material and form; and her commemorative weaving offered a handwoven memory of a building that has housed learning and art for generations. Inspired by the building’s 1859 origin-as the village schoolhouse, the piece interpreted architectural lines, weathered materials, and the layered history of the site into a tactile, visually layered work.

The Voice Newspaper, London, February 21, 2002, vol XViii, p. 4

Art Nights at the Europa Club, presented by New York Dance & Arts Innovations on February 16, 2002, staged a memorable tribute to the great Duke Ellington, celebrating his enduring influence on jazz and the arts. The evening opened with a Tapestry Exhibition featuring the work of Nina Kendzierska (Hons), linked with a performance led by pianist Aaron Bell and The All Star Art Baron Quartet, evoking the sound and spirit of Ellington’s late-1960s era.

Kendzierska’s tapestries provided a visual counterpoint to the music — handwoven, richly textured wall pieces that drew on natural fibers and mixed media. Her self-dyed sisal weavings echoed the layered harmonies and lush tonalities characteristic of Ellington’s compositions, while their tactile surfaces and unexpected materials suggested both improvisation and structure. The works captured a poetic interplay between organic form and crafted discipline, much like the balance between soloists and ensemble in a great jazz performance.

Polish Art Club of Chicago,June 7-8, 2002 Weekend Edition, p.9

(condensed translation) DZIENNIK ZWIAZKOWY, PIATEK-NIEDZIELA

In this year, 2002, the 68th art exhibit of the Polish Art Club of Chicago was a very important event in our art society. Last Sunday, 2 July, was the opening ceremony of this interesting exhibition.

The Chicago Art Club started in1927, 75 years ago. In 2002, this best and golden year, 55 artists attended and showed 96 works.  The exhibit director was Konrad Miczko. 

Very beautifully arranged, the level of all the presented art was very high which made it very difficult for the jury committee to choose a winner.   The Jury Committee members included: Barbara Mirecki, Exhibit Coordinator, from the Art Institute of Chicago; Gregory G. Knight, Director of Visual Arts - Chicago Cultural Center; Dr. Mirostaw Rogala, artist & Professor - Columbia College; and Bogdan Gorcznski, Curator – Polish Muzeum in America.

1st Prize was decided for “Four Seasons” by Nina Kedzierska. The artist presented four large tapestries with very beautiful colours and forms. They were absolutely the biggest attraction of this year’s exhibit. Four Seasons was a 4 parts panel, each measuring 1 x 3 meters in height and width. The artist used very heavy materials, including dyed sisals and pieces of metal, but the composition looked very light with a beautiful colors palette  that appeared as a vitrage between shades of green and brown, with provocated  red, cobalt, and yellow hues.   Little triangle pieces, some of brass metal, joined with dyed sisal fabric, reminded us of the world of Paul Klee pictures. Nina K. also presented 2 other original works, “Jazz” and “Clown,”  making herself known as an experimental artist of colour and form.ription goes here

Nowy Dziennik Polish Weekly News, January 2000, p.18

In January of this Year (2000), we can see a great tapestry made by artist, Nina Kedzierska from Gdansk, Poland. Nina’s first exhibit in Oslo, Norway, in 1986, was her largest to date. Her tapestries can be found throughout public and private collections, showing a connection to Norwegian folklore. Her pieces were soon hanging in Oslo, Turkey, Hamburg, New York, Amsterdam, Australia, New Zealand, and RPA (Republic of Africa). Kedzierska showed 18 tapestries at the PII Gallery in Philadelphia. The tapestry “Winter Moon” was so picturesque that it was difficult to believe it was a tapestry. “Winter Has Come,” “4 Seasons,” and “A Spell” were also presented. The Artist made a surprise when she demonstrated her work. The Historic gallery was full of arriving guests and a chorus performance of Paderewski enriched the evening.

Translation (excerpt) taken from article in Nowy Dziennik Polsih Weekly News, January 2000, Philadelphia, p.18

Echo Pruszcz Gobeliny Niny na wernisazu Dziennik Baltycki 

After a few months living in the United States, and being features at "Amber" Polish-American Cultural Center in Washington, DC, Nina Kedzierska returns to Gdansk to present her tapestries in the Gothic Church, Francis Center of Culture, Gdansk. The exhibit took place on Saturday, October 23, 1999, in the huge Gothic Church Swi Trojca. More than 300 people attended, most were artists, including the famous Professor ASP Czestlaw Tumielewicz.. Nina's tapestries looked very interesting on the brightly lit, raw white walls. People tried to find the motivations for her imagination. Nina looked very tiny in her black dress, carrying tons of flowers and gracefully accepting congratulations and compliments.. Among guests, the new German General Consul arrived incognito. 

Director of Francis Culture Center, Mark Wysoczynski, opened the event. Then Professor Tumielewicz made a short oration. Soloist of the Baltic Opera, Joanna Sperska sang a song by Stanistow Moniuszko, "Przasnica" (The Spinner).This song isa classic Polish song about a girl spinning yarn. Marcin Koziot accompanied her on the piano.. After the exhibit, some of those attending, along with friends of Nina and her husband. Andrez went to her old historic house in Rozyny to continue the celebration.