Felician University Professor of Art Ard Berge is part of an exhibition entitled Scape, on display at the Coastal Contemporary Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island until November 30.  Eight of Berge’s paintings are on display along with work by artists Gray Park, Holly Popielarz, and Laura Radwell.

Professor Berge has participated in group and solo shows around the United States and internationally beginning with his first solo exhibition at the Art First Gallery in London. The artist lives in New York City and teaches in New Jersey, but says he also considers himself a member of the New England community because, “That’s where I do most of my painting in the summer, either along the coast, places like coastal New Hampshire, coastal Maine, or in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.”

Ard Berge – “Return to Sender”

Professor Berge paints in the “plein air” style of painting which means painting outdoors as opposed to inside a studio. The theme of Scape has multiple meanings as in landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, mindscapes, and as Professor Berge explains even “escape.”

One of Professor Berge’s pieces in the exhibition which he says is dear to his heart is Return to Sender, an oil on linen painting of Poet Robert Frost’s rusted rural mailbox, a symbol of the connection between people who live in isolated small New England villages to the rest of the nation and the world.

The professor says the postal theme resonates strongly in the time of COVID-19, and took on added significance in the 2020 election. “There’s been so much conversation about the essential importance the United States Postal Service plays in our communities, not only in terms of ensuring that votes are delivered to those who will tabulate them, but also ensuring that medication is received.” Professor Berge used a diamond format for the piece, something not traditionally seen in historical art.  “It’s something that in my mind, I associate with a particular moment in history, that of futurism or specifically Italian Futurism,” said the Professor.

Professor Berge started at Felician as an Adjunct Professor in 1999 and was named a full professor this year. “I feel so blessed to work with the students here at Felician, and when I engage with them, I find I am always learning new things from them.” Professor Berge added that it is incredibly important for students to express themselves visually saying, “it’s empowering, helps build identity, and helps them position themselves in the world.”