Frances Yen of West Windsor is exhibiting six watercolors in ArtFirst! an annual international, juried exhibition and sale of original art and fine crafts by professional artists with disabilities. The jury awarded her piece, Fall Glory, a third place prize in the Watercolor and Pastels category. Yen, who retired from the telecommunications industry in 2001 after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, discovered watercolor painting at West Windsor Senior Center. This is her first year participating in the show.##M:[more]##
The exhibition installed in the corridors and public spaces of University Medical Center at Princeton features 329 works of art, including oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, sculptures, photography, drawings, metal and fiber arts, jewelry, and stained glass. All work is for sale. The patrons preview party is Saturday,””, April 14, at 6 p.m. at the medical center. The festive evening offers guests the opportunity to mingle with the artists and the first chance to purchase art. Call 609-497-4211 to reserve a $65 ticket. The exhibit continues through May 18.
Born in Taiwan, China, Yen graduated from the National Taiwan University, and did graduate study in physics at Georgia Tech. She moved to New Jersey in 1979 and worked in telecommunications at Bell Lab in Whippany. After the split of Bell System, she worked for Bellcore which then became Telecordia.
Her late husband, Howard, a mechanical engineer, died 16 years ago. They have three grown children. David graduated from Cornell and works in IT. Audrey, who graduated from University of Virginia, and Jennifer, Rutgers University , both work in the financial industry. Yen, who has five grandchildren, has lived in West Windsor since 1999.
In 2004 Yen joined the watercolor painting class at the senior center with instructors Barbara March and Barbara Cox. She studied oil painting at Mercer County Community College for a short time last September. She was introduced to ArtFirst! at last September’s meeting of the Parkinson’s Disease Support Group of the Central Delaware Valley. Her past exhibits include group shows with Robert Wood Johnson’s Parkinson’s Support Group and the Mercer County Senior Art Show.
Through its annual five-week exhibition, and the permanent collection of Art First! works exhibited in the public spaces of University Medical Center at Princeton throughout the year, Art First! seeks to raise public awareness of the unlimited creative talent of artists with disabilities; and provide a venue for these artists to display and sell their work. The 98 participating artists come from 28 states and four countries; six of the artists are from New Jersey. All of the artists have a physical or mental disability, including spinal cord and traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, visual and hearing impairments, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
Jurors include Vail Barrett, who studied art at Westminster College and Parsons School of Design; Anne Reeves, the former director of the Princeton Arts Council; and Ellen Maranca, and Courtenay Harton, owners of Room Service Interiors. The permanent collection, featuring 89 works in a variety of media, was purchased by corporate and private donors.
The annual exhibition engages in several community outreach programs to make art accessible to underserved populations. Small groups participate in day programs that include a guided tour of the exhibition and an opportunity for discussion with a panel of artists.
ArtFirst! awards program distributes more than $6,”000 in cash prizes for artistic merit in the categories of Best of Show, Watercolor and Pastel, Works on Paper, Sculpture, Photography, Fine Crafts, and Works on Canvas, Board, Metal and Glass. Artists receive 80 percent of the sale of their work. The remaining 20 percent, as well as proceeds from the patrons preview party event, are donated by the Auxiliary to UMCP’s maternal health programs.
“Painting allows me the time to appreciate the beauty of the world and that watercolors provide the freedom to explore and capture her feelings,” says Yen.
— Lynn Miller
ArtFirst!, Auxiliary of University Medical Center at Princeton, Medical Center, 253 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, 609-497-4211. Patron’s preview party, $65. Saturday, April 14, 6 p.m.
