Art center paints the town with studio, class, workshop and gallery

NEWTON — Get in touch with your inner DiVinci or VanGough in a relaxed and educational atmosphere at the Spring St. Art Center where local artists gather for comradeship and artistic expression.

Heidi Andrews loved her experiences in the Art Students League in New York City. Ron Hornung loves teaching art.

The two met when Hornung happened to pop into The SpringBoard Shoppes in Newton en route to begin teaching art lessons at another location.

The result has been the creation of a place with a studio space for creative activities plus a gallery for showing off local artists’ work. “The intention is to develop and empower a community of committed seekers — both teacher and learners — of authentic art experiences with lessons or without,” Andrews said.

Spring St. Art Center co-founder Andrews was born during World War II in Germany. Because of the war, when she was just a child, her family was forced to flee. She was formally trained as an actress spending years in France, Monocco and Germany, then moved to the United States settling in the New York City area.

Despite being discouraged from art as a young girl, Andrews continued to sketch and furthered, her art education at the Art Student in League inNew York City. She works primarily in oils and pencil sketching and is equally comfortable with landscapes, still lifes and portraiture.

The other co-founder, Hornung, of Stillwater, is a natural teacher. “I am a seeker-artist-teacher-designer-builder-gardener-dancing grandpa and continue to struggle to be human against all odds.”

Another integral personality behind The Spring St. Art Center is Vincent Buchindky, of Newton, who is a local artist working in several mediums and disciplines including painting, drawing, sculpture and digital art. He taught high school for 35 years and college level art for 10 years after earning a BFA at Pratt Institute and MA at Montclair State University. He also attended NYU, Parson’s School of Design and The Arts Student League inNew York City. “My primary art teaching philosophy is one of self reliance in that at some point the student also becomes the teacher, he said.

The Art Center opened on July 1 and after two plus months is still evolving, Hornung said. “There’s nothing else like this anywhere around,” Andrews added, “You can take classes or not or have a teacher help you or not.” Hornong said the concept “kind of just awakened,” and people have been thrilled to hear of its existence. Reminiscent of an art salon in Paris yet also a la Soho, artists can gather, create, learn from one another and drink coffee.

Student Pat Whittle, of Green Township, was thrilled to find out about the center and has become a regular. “It’s a wonderful setting,” she said.

Classes are open to the public and include Drawing, Guilded Painting Studio, Art and Nature, Painting with Acrylics, and Watercolor and Journaling as well as several youth classes (grouped by ages 8 to 12 and 12 plus) along with open studio time.

There is a nominal membership fee and class schedules and prices are available at the studio’s web site www. springstreetartcenter.org. In addition to classes, the center offers some services such as converting your painting into a digital print to sell or give as a gift.

Earlier this month, The Spring St. Art Center joined the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council and the Lake Mohawk pool to host the First Annual Festival of Arts on the pool’s lawn in Sparta. It followed that up with its first Art Instillation — The Sitting Man exhibition — as part of A Taste of Newton on Monday.

This February, when the winter doldrums can creep in, The Spring St. Art Center is planning a Roaring 20s Ball. “No one gets dressed up for anything anymore,” Hornung said, “This will be a great chance to dress for the period and have some fun.” Though the exact date and details are still in the works, the event will be both a fundraiser and expose for the art center.

The center is located within the SpringBoard Shoppes at 145 Spring St. in Newton. For more information, call 973-928-7794 or www.springstreetartcenter.org.