FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The nonprofit Friends for the Abbott Marshlands (FFAM) announces their opening exhibit of 2023, a fine art watercolor exhibit entitled Water, Woods & Wonder. This is a first solo show for Hamilton artist, Margaret Simpson, at Tulpehaking Nature Center. Margaret is a volunteer and Executive Board member of FFAM as well as Garden State Watercolor Society. She has led several “Art in the Marsh” sessions for FFAM and teaches watercolors at West Windsor Senior Center.
The exhibition’s Opening Reception is scheduled for Sunday, January 8th at 2:30 pm, with many art and nature enthusiasts registered to attend (https://tinyurl.com/2dsceecb). Water, Woods & Wonder provides a window into the artist’s source of inspiration hiking the many trails of the Abbott Marshlands. For the Water component of the title, Margaret’s landscape paintings portray the Delaware River and estuary, the Delaware Bay, and several ocean and beach scenes. There are paintings of Woods, with the marsh and wildlife prominently displayed. Birds and sky are a reoccurring theme contributing to the Wonder aspect of the exhibit. (The marsh holds an Important Bird Area designation.) The artist hopes to assist in the Friends’ efforts to build awareness and support for its protection and stewardship. The exhibit combines her love of the marsh and nature with watercolor painting. Her paintings evoke a feeling of calm and depict nature’s beauty with muted, transparent glazes, a technique that provides for subtle nuances in color.
To see the free exhibit, Tulpehaking Nature Center is located at 157 Westcott Ave., Hamilton, NJ 08610. The center is open Wednesdays – Saturdays, 10 am to 4 pm and Sundays 1 to 4 pm. The exhibit is on display through March 5th. Purchase of original watercolors can be made at the nature center’s reception desk, or call (609) 888-3218. A percentage of sales will benefit FFAM.
BACKGROUND:
The Abbott Marshlands are a critical natural and cultural resource with locations in Trenton, Bordentown, and Hamilton, in central New Jersey. Its 3,000 acres of open space include the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River and surrounding lowland and upland forests. Hiking the trails on the Abbott Marshlands’ preserved lands during the pandemic has meant much to local communities. Being outdoors, smelling the fresh air and looking at natural images while “forest bathing” are proven to calm our nerves and provide respite in a constantly changing world. The Tulpehaking Nature Center provides many educational resources. (Tulpehaking is the Lenape word for “Land of the Turtle.”)
The Abbott Marshlands Council works toward supporting stewardship, preservation, and protection of the Abbott Marshlands. Members of The Abbott Marshlands Council are private citizens, representatives of public and industrial landholders, and other parties. In 1999, preservation of these marshlands began as a project of D&R Greenway Land Trust, following a recommendation of the Hamilton/Trenton Marsh Management Plan Council. They later developed the Cooperative Stewardship Plan in 2010, an updated blueprint for stewardship and management. The Abbott Farm Historic District is the first National Historic Landmark in New Jersey, designated by the US Department of the Interior on December 8, 1976. It is an archaeological site with the largest known Middle Woodland village of its type on the east coast of the United States. Named after Charles Conrad Abbott, his early archaeological work and writings spurred much research there. His collections are known worldwide.
Friends for the Abbott Marshlands, organized in 2002 as Friends of the Marsh, is a grassroots organization of volunteers dedicated to enhancing appreciation and protection of the Abbott Marshlands. Their mission is to engage and inspire a diverse community to experience the unique nature and history of the marshlands with surrounding upland woods. In 2011 the name was changed to Friends for the Abbott Marshlands to acknowledge the historical and natural significance of the area. In 2021, they became an independent 501c(3) nonprofit.