October 2022: The Hammontonian | Page 14

P . 14 | OCTOBER 2022 | THE HAMMONTONIAN

The art of Hammonton Art Club ’ s Don Swenson

ART , from P . 13 people for a long time . And now that people are out doing things , we ’ re trying to pivot to being more in-person ,” Swenson said .
One of the in-person events included a Blueberry Trail Walking Art Gallery , which took place downtown on July 21 , 2022 during the blueberrythemed Third Thursday event . Twelve businesses received a piece of art , and the trail went from GoMez Studio to Chimney Rustic Ales .
“ We led this trail and the same night we had an artist meetup , so people were hanging out at Chimney . The folks
SOME OF DON SWENSON ’ S ARTWORK FEATURING A LONELY ROBOT CHARACTER .
over at Kramer Hall when their
Music Festival , which will take
originally and I ’ ve been here
event ended , the artists came
place next year on Horton now for about 20 plus years ,
over to hangout . Everybody was just talking till midnight about everything from art to their favorite type of pasta . It was a great night ,” Swenson said .
Swenson hopes to do more events where “ people are just hanging out talking about art stuff .”
One current Art Club event is
Street .
Swenson wasn ’ t always a resident of Hammonton . The artist grew up in Long Island .
“ I happen to grow up with a family of artists and the first thing I was doing was coloring and drawing with a pencil but it took me 47 years of practice to get to where I am today .”
Some of Swenson ’ s paintings
but it ’ s been kind of like — I live in New Jersey but I ’ m not from New Jersey . It ’ s been hard to connect with a community , so that robot character is sort of a placeholder for my experiences . It ’ s all in these places in New Jersey , but it ’ s not necessarily connecting . There ’ s like a barrier , an artificial barrier that keeps it from connecting
can be seen at Bread- the third annual Dark Art
with its environment . And
show , which will run from October 3 to October 31 at Casciano Coffee Bar & Sweetery .
This year ’ s show is subtitled “ Madness , Mayhem and Metamorphosis
heads down the hallway to the bathroom . The paintings feature a lonely robot character . One robot leans against the wall outside Rocco ’ s Town
that ’ s something I ’ ve been exploring , and it ’ s been harder to do those because now I feel more connected to the community ,” Swenson said .
.” The show will
House and in another painting
For more information about
feature different art to match
the lonely robot sits on a
Art Club , follow their Facebook
the dark art theme .
Other Art Club events include the life drawing classes , which are held twice a month , and the third annual Art &
swing ride at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival .
“ I have this one character . This lonely robot character I call it . I ’ m from Long Island
and Instagram @ artclubhammonton . For more information about Swenson ’ s art and commissions , visit dswensondesign . com .