BY SUSAN MCTIGUE
CORRESPONDENT
CLOSTER, N.J. —— Closter artist Andrew Weatherly was commissioned by EDENS, the owner of Closter Plaza, to add his artistic touch to a seating area that was installed recently near a group of stores at the eastern end of the shopping mall.
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David Germakian, the plaza’s project manager, consulted with Closter Mayor John Glidden and they agreed that Weatherly would be the perfect choice for this task since the artist lives in Closter and also works at Target.
With a goal of completing the artwork in time for the holiday season, Weatherly considered the panels below the seats to be a blank canvas. He took note of some colorful business signs nearby, including the bright red of “Closter Plaza” and the orange of Orangetheory Fitness. He chose his color palette to be equally colorful because he thought that corner of the plaza “needed some pizzazz.”
“I thought people would find this bench a place where they could relax, have a drink and admire the art,” said Weatherly, who was bundled up in cold weather gear. But come spring and milder weather, he thinks the bench will become a meeting place for friends taking a break from shopping, dining or seeing a
movie at the soon-to-open Cinemex Theater.
Weatherly’s art is familiar to his fans in Closter and beyond. His work has been exhibited at the Belskie Museum of Art in Closter, at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, the Montclair Art Museum, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, and internationally in Salford and Manchester, England. Born with Down Syndrome, Weatherly believes his art is “a tool for personal and social growth” that he uses to advocate for people with disabilities.
Weatherly first published some of his paintings, poetry and photography in a collection titled “The Art Beyond a Syndrome.” This limited edition volume is available through galleries such as Arts Unbound and Heart and Sold, and on his website, www.andrewweatherly.com. He proudly announced that Volume 2, subtitled “When I Close My Eyes,” is now available to his followers and is dedicated to his uncle John A. Fraser III, “whom I love very much.”
In one of his poems, Weatherly writes, “Love is alive and never dies, / provides the light to guide you. / Don’t ever forget your steadfast love, / it is the light to guide you.” His new work makes clear the artist’s underlying theme of the power of love, whether he is writing about, photographing or painting imagery that speaks to his own spirit.
A significant part of Weatherly’s busy schedule involves teaching and mentoring others with a variety of different abilities. He teaches a group of Englewood seniors the art of watercolor painting, and interns at the Center for Enhancing Abilities in Washington Township with a group of young adults. His message never waivers – “Don’t limit yourself!”
In March, Weatherly’s art will be part of a pop-up gallery at Closter Plaza featuring work by members of Arts Unbound, headquartered in Orange. His enthusiasm for future plans and projects seems boundless, clearly reflecting that Weatherly never limits himself, a message shared with all who know him.
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Photos by Susan McTigue