Four puppies sleeping, by Lucille Scurti, Rutherford.

The Art Association of Rutherford is holding its 67^th Annual Juried Exhibition at the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s (NJMC) Flyway Gallery through Friday, Nov. 28.

An awards reception for the environmentally themed show is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 12,  from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Flyway Gallery is located in the NJMC’s Meadowlands Environment Center.

More than two dozen artworks will be judged in four categories: watercolor, photography, computer manipulated art, and other media, which includes drawing, pastels, and mixed media.

The Art Association of Rutherford was founded in 1947 and is dedicated to supporting local artists and promoting the visual arts in the region. While members of the Association live throughout Northern New Jersey, more than 75 percent are from the Meadowlands and consider the area a source of inspiration.

The Association is open to all experience levels, from beginner to professional. For more information, call John Hardin at 201-939-1736 or email him at jvrhardin@verizon.net.

The Flyway Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays.  Directions to DeKorte Park can be found in the “About the NJMC” section of the Commission’s website, www.njmeadowlands.gov, or by calling 201-777-2431.

Our next walk with the Bergen County Audubon Society is Sunday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. at the incomparable Mill Creek Marsh.

Details follow. Continue reading →

The good news is that thanks to an Eagle Scout project by Thomas Holland, the entrance to Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry has a new butterfly garden (above).

The bad news is that illegal all-terrain vehicle riders are using the park  — a  prized natural area — as their playground. They are ripping up wide swaths of vegetation and turning it into a dirt track (below). Local officials are working with Bergen County Audubon Society to address the problem.