West Windsor Arts has announced that April Zay, a West Windsor-based multidisciplinary artist and educator, will serve as the center’s third artist-in-residence. She kicks off her residency on Tuesday, January 27, with an artist talk titled “My Journey from Realism to Expressionism” at 7 p.m.
“We launched the Artist in Residence Program in 2024 to provide artists with a variety of opportunities to engage with the community,” says Aylin Green, executive director of West Windsor Arts.
During the residency, Zay will have studio hours at West Windsor Arts, where visitors will be able to stop by and chat with her, and also observe her process. Zay will be able to develop her own new work — particularly larger, more expressive paper-based pieces — during this time as well.
Zay has been interested in visual storytelling since earning a BFA in illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She worked for many years as a graphic designer and teaching artist before transitioning to full-time artist, working primarily on commissioned pieces.
“This residency gives me the freedom to explore ideas that have been living in my head for a long time,” Zay says. “Having the space to experiment, take risks and let the work evolve naturally is incredibly meaningful. Over the years, my work has evolved from realism to more expressive pieces. I am excited to be able to create artwork in my own voice.”
Zay will also play a central role in programming throughout the season, including an artist talk and a workshop.
Her January 27 talk will trace her career from detailed illustration and commissioned oil paintings to her current expressive, mixed-media practice, offering insight into how personal voice, experimentation and material exploration have shaped her work. The event is part of WWA’s monthly artist meetup collaboration with Hightstown Cultural Arts Commission.
On Saturday, February 21, Zay leads a hands-on workshop, “Turning What Inspires You into Artwork That Inspires Others,” from 2 to 4 p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring a poem or song that holds personal meaning. Through guided discussion, mark-making, and creative exploration, Zay helps participants translate words and music into original visual artwork, emphasizing spontaneity, intuition and personal expression.
In addition, Zay will curate and jury the annual member show at West Windsor Arts, “Paper Ties: Community, Story and Sustainability,” opening Friday, April 10. For the show, she has invited artists to explore paper as both material and metaphor — fragile yet resilient, intimate yet universal.
Zay, a mother of two sons and a founding member of Artists of Yardley, brings more than a decade of experience as a teaching artist, including work with neurodiverse students and inclusive arts programs. “The Artist in Residence program is designed for reflection and growth through interaction with an engaged membership,” says Green. “April shares our philosophy that everyone is an artist, and nurtures that in her interactions with students.”
My Journey from Realism to Expressionism, West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor. Tuesday, January 27, 7 to 8 p.m. Snow date Tuesday, February 3. Register. $10.
Turning What Inspires You into Artwork That Inspires Others. Saturday, February 21, 2 to 4 p.m. Snow date Saturday, February 28. Register. $45. www.westwindsorarts.org.
For more information about the Artist in Residence Program at West Windsor Arts here: www.westwindsorarts.org/exhibitions/artist-in-residence.
New artist-in-residence April Zay gives a talk at West Windsor Arts on January 27.,
