The History of Hunterdon Watercolor Society
The Hunterdon Watercolor Society started as a watercolor class offered in Flemington, NJ by Ron Lent (http://www.ronlentoriginals.net/).
Ron convinced the class it was time to produce a finished painting, signed and matted, so they began the practice of having small in-house watercolor art shows. The shows encouraged the students to strive toward excellence.
After a while Ron negotiated with the Hunterdon County library to host one of the group shows, initially presented as Ron Lent's Watercolor Class.
After a couple of shows, the library explained that it had reservations calling the show "Ron Lent's Watercolor Class" since the name could appear to be an advertisement that would be of commercial benefit to Ron.
The class enjoyed the experience of exhibiting their work so much in such a lovely and professional setting that some of the students in the class explored how they could continue the shows. After discussion led by Andrea Morrison, they applied for and received a 501 3c tax exempt status under the name Hunterdon Watercolor Society. At that point they were then able to exhibit at the library as a non-profit. Andrea was the person who did much of the work and the HWS initiated an award in her honor when she was diagnosed with ALS.
The original members in that first show were Marie Brack, Bob Brain, William Claus, Irma Fuhr (still an active member), Anne Hand, Sandella Healey, Sharol Hill, Eileen McNamara-Raisch, Phyllis Newman, Andrea Nolan, Joanne Pruitt, Alberta Reichard and Joyce Simpson. In just 5 years the group grew to 20 and has continued to grow over the years. It has evolved into an organization of watercolor artists of all proficiency levels in the Hunterdon County area. All artists, from beginner through advanced, are welcome.
Meetings and live demos by professional artists are held monthly, September through May, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on the first Wednesday, at the Flemington Presbyterian Church, 10 East Main Street, Flemington, NJ. The doors open at 6:30 for setup and socializing.
HWS holds one juried show and one non-juried show for members each year and offers several rotating show opportunities in participating local venues. Other activities – including workshops, informal paint-ins and plein-aire events – are held periodically throughout the year.