Art Galleries

March 3, 2026 – March 15, 2026
Winners Announced/ Student Artists Reception: Tuesday, March 3rd 6:30 – 8:30PM

Over 100 students from areas schools participated in MPAC’s annual Cover Art contest. Students were challenged with theme, Imagine! Discover! Create! “Celebrate the Arts,” and to create a cover design that represented these ideas.

The winning entry will be used as a cover of a future MPAC program book, distributed at MPAC events.

An exhibit of all of the students’ work will be displayed in MPAC’s Art Upstairs Gallery though March 15.

The Art Upstairs Gallery is a gift of the John and Margaret Post Foundation.

March 3, 2026 – April 14, 2026
Reception: Monday, March 23, 2026 from 5:00 – 7:00

Collective Narratives is an art exhibition in which original works by New Jersey artists literally come to life on the viewer’s phone. When visitors scan a QR code besides each piece, an AI-generated animation unfolds, extending the brushstrokes, textures, and moods of the physical artwork into motion while remaining authentic to the artist’s original vision. The result is a multi-layered experience: you see the painting, then watch its inner story unfold, breathe, and evolve before you.

In this exhibition, the artists call this process “Regenerative Art”: the original work is not replaced but regenerated into a new dimension that still honors its core composition, color palette, and emotional tone. Each animation is carefully crafted so that the bird’s wings beat the way the artist painted their feathers, water ripples in harmony with the original strokes, and dancers move in ways that feel true to their painted pose, extending what is already present instead of imposing something new. This regenerative layer invites viewers to linger longer, notice details they might otherwise miss, and feel as if they’ve stepped inside the artwork’s narrative arc. Regenerative art also transforms how audiences relate to galleries and public spaces. By blending physical media, AI, and QR technology, the exhibition creates a visually enhanced experience in which analog and digital storytelling work together instead of competing.

At its heart, Collective Narratives is also about artists supporting artists. A diverse group of New Jersey creators have come together to share the best of their work, to experiment with new forms, and to introduce one another’s audience to different styles and stories in one cohesive experience. By pooling their talents across painting, mixed media, wildlife art, figurative work, and more, they amplify each other’s voices and present a unified invitation to the community: come see what happens when imagination, technology, and collaboration converge.

Meet the Artists:

Sue Siva: Sue is the visionary and creator of “Regenerative Art” that brings physical art to life through QR codes.  She is a technologist and a contemporary artist who was born in Sri Lanka, where she witnessed ethnic violence firsthand that shaped her lifelong passion for tolerance, empathy, and shared humanity. Her work centers on resilience, compassion, and human and animal welfare, often blending traditional media with digital techniques to create emotionally rich narratives. Through portraiture and thematic series such as her Women & Resilience collection, she celebrates strength in adversity and gives voice to those who endure conflict, discrimination, and loss. She also donates a portion of her proceeds to causes including breast cancer research and human welfare organizations, reflecting her belief that art can be a vehicle for healing, dialogue, and social impact.

Jack Quinn: Jack is a nationally recognized watercolorist and award‑winning wood sculptor whose work bridges painting, carving, and construction into distinctive dimensional pieces. Always drawn to drawing, painting, and building, he now combines these lifelong passions by working on wood panels and sculptural forms that use the wood’s natural grain as an integral design element. His original reliefs and freestanding sculptures are known for their meticulous craftsmanship and unique surfaces, inviting viewers to experience both image and object in a single, unified work.

Paula Pearl: Paula is a New Jersey artist whose work reflects a deep sensitivity to nature, atmosphere, and quiet moments of everyday life. Drawing on years of observation and practice, she creates paintings that balance realism with a poetic, almost meditative sense of light and color. Her art invites viewers to slow down, notice subtle shifts in mood and season, and connect emotionally with familiar places and scenes.

Jax Kwok: Jax Kwok is a Morristown‑based acrylic artist whose paintings radiate joy, color, and optimism. He focuses on subjects that make him feel joyful: lush flowers, nature scenes, and culturally themed imagery. Originally from Malaysia and of Malaysian Chinese heritage, Jax studied communications and later earned an MBA, and he channels his love of his homeland’s landscapes and plants into expressive interpretations that turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. His work weaves together the beauty of nature with memories of his cultural roots, offering comfort, warmth, and hope, and has been recognized with multiple awards in New Jersey and international exhibitions in London and Paris.

Denise Cocchiaro: Denise is a New Jersey mixed‑media and watercolor artist whose work is rooted in a deep love of the natural world, especially the landscapes and wildlife of the NJ Highlands and the Great Swamp. She came to art later in life as part of a personal journey of self‑discovery, embracing painting as a way to reconnect with creativity and “just be” herself in a new chapter. Much of her imagery grows out of her frequent walks, hikes, and time outdoors, where she observes light, color, and atmosphere and then translates those impressions into vibrant, abstract‑realist compositions. Working in fluid acrylics and other mixed media, she favors rich, saturated color and expressive mark‑making that convey both calm and awe, inviting viewers to experience the same sense of renewal she finds in nature. An active member and volunteer with local arts organizations, including the Morris County Art Association, she regularly exhibits in regional galleries, public spaces, and environmental centers, sharing her belief that everyone carries a creative spark that can be rekindled at any stage of life.

The Starlight Gallery is a gift of Wendy and Jay Birnbaum

The New Jersey Art Association is one of the oldest art organizations in the state. Originally formed as the Millburn-Short Hills Art Center, we’ve been a non-profit dedicated to the arts since 1940. Most of our members are visual artists, both amateur and professional. Our common trait is a love of art and a desire to participate in the joys of artistic expression.

The Art Upstairs Gallery is located in the balcony lobby of Mayo Performing Arts Center. Exhibits are varied and showcase visual artists from a variety of mediums including watercolor, oil, photography, sculpture and more. Each year, the works of over 200 artists are showcased in group exhibits. Recent groups that have been showcased include the Essex Watercolor Club, New Jersey Photography Forum, Art in the Atrium and the Pastel Society of New Jersey. The Art Upstairs Gallery is a gift of the John and Margaret Post Foundation.

The Starlight Gallery is adjacent to our Starlight Room, MPAC’s donor lounge.  Exhibits feature individual exhibits by accomplished local artists. The Starlight Gallery is a gift of Wendy and Jay Birnbaum.

The galleries provide a unique opportunity to marry the visual and performing arts, and provide exposure to artists with an audience that may not normally frequent an art gallery. All artwork is available for purchase.

The Galleries are open to ticket holders prior to shows, during intermission, by appointment and every Tuesday afternoon from 12:00 -2:00.  For more information, please contact Charles Miller at cmiller1@mayoarts.org or Lee Kaloidis at 973-539-0345 x6587.