Tamara Woronczuk of Plainsboro has a collection of her acrylics, watercolors, and mixed media works on display through December 28 at Plainsboro Public Library. A reception will be held on Sunday, December 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. The artist will be on hand to discuss her work.
Woronczuk, an art teacher for close to 40 years, recently retired from the Cranbury School system, where she developed and nurtured the K-8 art program. A resident of Plainsboro for 12 years, Woronczuk has two grown children, one of whom graduated from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South.
“I have been involved with art all my life, strongly influenced by my father, a World War II veteran, who attended Cooper Union in New York City,” she says. “As a child I can remember my father bringing home a variety of paper scraps from work — leftover from printing jobs at the company where he was employed. These scraps provided me with endless hours of creative play and an appreciation for paper as an important art element.”
Woronczuk graduated from Glassboro State College, became an art teacher, and later went on to New York University where she completed a master’s degree in art education and painting. While there she studied with art critic Irving Sandler and painter Chuck Close. She has since continued developing her skills with classes from well known artists such as Gerald Brommer, Frank Webb, and Pat Fiorello. She has also studied in Giverny, as well as Tuscany and the Lake Garda region of Italy.
“During a sabbatical leave from school I was able to travel to the American Southwest where I visited many Native American museums and historic areas,” she says. “Visiting the homes and studios of artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Nicholas Fechin, and Frank Lloyd Wright was truly inspiring. The sketches and photographs from this trip continue to provide endless ideas. My art gives me the opportunity to share my vision with others.”
“I continue to take classes with well-known painters, the most recent ones are Gerald Brommer, Frank Webb, and Pat Fiorello,” she says. “Recent trips to Europe gave me the opportunity to take classes and paint in Giverny, Tuscany, and the Lake Garda region.”
Her work has been shown at the Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury, at the Massachusetts College of Art, Kean University in Union, the National Collage Society annual Post Card Show, and in Atlanta, Georgia. She has also participated in shows in Bergen County, the Edison Arts Society, the Ocean County Artist’s Guild, and the West Windsor art group.
“I am also an active member of three art groups and teach private students,” she says. “Now that I have retired I paint every day, continuing to develop my skills and experiment with new techniques.”
Art Exhibit, Plainsboro Public Library, 9 Van Doren Street, Plainsboro. Friday, December 2 is the first day for “Acrylics, Watercolors, and Mixed Media” by Tamara Woronczuk of Plainsboro. A reception will be held on Sunday, December 11, 2 to 4 p.m. On view to December 28. 609-275-2897. www.lmxac.org/plainsboro.
