Princeton NJ Libraries Press Releases

Princeton Quilter Meg Cox and Painter Pamela Kogen Create Artistic Synergy at the Princeton Public Library

(Princeton, NJ – February 1st, 2010) – Princeton artists Meg Cox and Pamela Kogen will create artistic synergy in the joint exhibition of their work on the second floor of the Princeton Public Library. The exhibition, sponsored by the library and the Arts Council of Princeton, opened January 16th and  will continue through the end of March.  An ‘Art Talk’, at which the artists will discuss their distinctive styles and approaches, will take place on Tuesday February 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the library’s ground floor community room.  A reception will follow the talk.

Pamela Kogen, a painter featured in the premiere April issue of Princeton Magazine,
 will present a series of ‘Recent Works’, colorful explorations of what  she refers to as her
inner mythology. Pamela is an east coast artist who spent her childhood in Levittown, Pennsylvania, the suburbs of Maplewood, New Jersey, and on the waters of Martha’s Vineyard. She moved to the East Village in the early 1980s and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Parsons School of Design. The iconic subject of clothing, which has been a recurrent theme in her artwork, has led her to pursue careers in the fashion industry as a wardrobe and prop stylist, and as an editorial and fashion illustrator for magazines (Mademoiselle, Vogue) newspapers (New York Times, Village Voice) museums (MoMA), and many of New York City’s department stores (Henri Bendel, Barneys NY).  Her paintings and drawings have been shown in galleries and venues in New York City and Westchester, NY. ?     Bold, but at the same time humanistic, Pamela plumbs her personal memory, an inner mythology both real and imagined, which shadows, haunts and informs her work.
Her palette is rich in color and vibrancy, the imagery often playful belying her underlying motivation to explore questions of identity, desire, gender and the inherent struggle to maintain faith and balance in this complex world.  Introspection, transition, taming the wild, loss and achievement are some of the stories told in this series of paintings. Her work is informed by social dynamics, pop culture and an ongoing interest in art history.
“Having the opportunity to show my work at the library is a unique opportunity to reach the entire community.”
Pamela’s work can be viewed at www.pamelakogen.com

 Meg Cox is a journalist and author whose most recent book, The Quilter's Catalog: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, was called a "classic" by Publisher's Weekly. A passionate quilter for 20 years, she belongs to the breed of modern quiltmaker that relishes both the simple roots of the craft and the amazing tools and technologies available in the 21st century. Like many quilters today, Meg says she couldn't make her quilts without computers, including her iMac, which she uses to download and print digital photographs on fabric.
      The nine quilts in the library's exhibition represent many aspects of Meg's quilting life. There are some quilts from her book, several that were made as models for a class in photo quilts she teaches at the Newark Museum and others that were made for her own pleasure. The photo quilt that incorporates images of various Princeton landmarks, including the library, Princeton Arts Council and photos of the 2001 re-enactment of the Battle of Princeton, was made exclusively for this exhibit.
      A former reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Meg currently writes regular columns for three national quilting publications. She is president of the nonprofit Alliance for American Quilts, based in Asheville, N.C., whose oral history project for quilters is archived at the Library of Congress.
For almost a year Meg has been hosting free monthly Quilt Open Houses in the library’s community room, where she shows quilts, shares information about the local and national quilt scene, and for those who want to start quilting, gives out free fabric squares and directions. Look in the library’s calendar to find out future open house dates.
“I’m thrilled to be asked to show my work at the Princeton Public Library, one of the essential  institutions in this town.”
More information about Meg’s quilting background, teaching and speaking schedule can be found at www.megcox.com. All of her books, including two earlier volumes on family traditions, can be borrowed from the Princeton Public Library.

The Princeton Public Library is located at 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton NJ 08542
For library hours call 609-924-9529 or check their website: www.princetonlibrary.org .



****For further information please contact the artists directly:
Meg Cox 609-924-9135
Pamela Kogen 914-582-7231