It is with pleasure and pride that we welcome you to the first art exhibition of the Morris County Historical Society.  Several of the paintings and engravings in the exhibition literally came “out of the closet” and from under a bed; some are the work of accomplished local artists.  Several of the pieces have stories attached to them and questions that will probably always be unanswered due to the lack of documentation.  When Mary Hauser-Kropa, a Rutgers art history graduate, joined us as a volunteer intern I suspected the “art closet” project would be perfect for her.  Mary immediately began exploring the closet and dealing with the challenges of the Japanese woodblock prints.  Her research, dedication, and enthusiasm were the driving force behind the exhibit, online catalog, and the offerings on CaféPress.  We are very grateful to Phil Fico of The Connoisseur Fine Arts, Inc. for his guidance and generosity.  Several of the pieces now have a second life.

                                        - Debra K. Westmoreland, Curator

                                          Morris County Historical Society

Exhibition Co-Curators:

Debra K. Westmoreland and Mary Hauser-Kropa

Morris County Historical Society Staff:

Bonnie-Lynn Nadzeika – Director

Karen Ann Kurlander – Outreach Coordinator

Carie Levin – Education Coordinator

Heather Nelson - Intern

Lucia Borecki - Housekeeper

Morris County Historical Society Volunteers:

Betsy Cooper

Jon Kropa

Elizabeth Pierce

Lynne Taylor

Morris County Board of Trustees:

Learned “Dag” Bulman