October 15th, 2025
The Role of the Arts in Supporting Creative Civic Participation
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ArtVenture President Prem Kumar enlightens an eager audience.
The great mythology professor Joseph Cambell once asserted that,"Art is the message to you of your own being." And it was very clear that the audience attending the October Lyceum lecture understood this quite well.
On the night of Wednesday, October 15th, Councilman Jeremy Long opened up the sixth lecture in the lecture series by sharing some of his experience witnessing people standing in front of easels at various locations around Felmington Borough the previous weekend. This was ArtVenture's third Plein Air event since the organization's inception in 2019. ArtVenture's president Prem Kumar was the featured lecturer. Alexie Michael Angelo provided cello to begin and end the event.
In his introduction. Long emphasized the importance of seeing people making and creating in the community. Art may well be of our individuality, but it requires a community to appreciate it fully.
Each artist partaking in the Plein Air event had two and half hours to exercise their craft.
Prem Kumar proceeded with his lecture and discussed the history of ArtVenure. From a meeting in a coffee shop of three, to now a collective of over 100 artists, ArtVenture has grown quickly. Despite the challenges presented by the Covid-19 crisis, the organization has attracted a strong core gathering.
An audience gathers as the Plein Air submissions are judged on Saturday, October
Photo by Mark Herbert
Alexie Michael Angelo on cello
Photo by Mark Herbert
Photo by Mark Herbert
Unfortunately, this lecture could not be live streamed or recorded as there was a conflict with another meeting. However, this lecture was filled with a robust amount of discussion and conversation. Some key points of note:
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Audience members overwhelmingly supported ideas related to getting more people aware of the opportunities to get involved in their community.
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Seeing art in public was found to be key to community building efforts. People have to actually see art out there.
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Adults can always learn how to create, but by focusing on children, revealing art to them can impact their lives for the better.
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In Flemington, and across Hunterdon County, there are artists out there. These creators need to know they are in good company.
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Sites such as the Guitar Boy Property and pockets around Flemington Borough are ripe for artisitic hands. Can there be projected art works in Flemington?
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In the past, store windows in town were utilized by school-aged children and others to create murals and holiday-based imagery.
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There were multiple age groups represented in the audience, but despite this, there was a shared concern about the loss of ways to connect and inform people despite social media's reach.
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Concerns were presented about digital vs. physical media challenges. Are we losing art in this world that is becoming less analog.
Prem Kumar emphasized creating a vibrant community through art. Can this be done? Do people see this as a possibility?
This lecture and the resulting conversation was rich with hope and posititivity. Art is a part of the human experience. This Flemington Lyceum Society event was a special one.
Within the Hunterdon Chamber of Commerce, various works from members of ArtVenure are featured. You can also see more artwork from the organization at Alkemy Coffee Shop located on Stangl Road
WANT TO SEE THE SLIDESHOW? CLICK ON THE FILE BELOW:
Special thanks to: Our thoughtful audience members for their unique perspectives and ideas! Once again, thanks to Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce for offering up the space to meet.
