Established in 1996, James Yarosh Associates Fine Art Gallery
is located in the second floor loft space of the former 1917 firehouse
at 45 E. Main Street (Rt.520) in Historic Holmdel Village, NJ 07733
Entrance on the inside corner of building & additional parking lots in the rear.
Open Saturday 12-4pm. Weekday & evenings hours scheduled by appointment
732 993 5278 or 732 993 5ART |
 |
|
 |
WHATS NEW |
| AS FEATURED IN LIVING IN MEDIA.COM MAGAZINE |
| |
James Yarosh: Bringing fine art to Holmdel
By Chad A. Safran
What is art? It's a timeless question with so many responses. Deciding what is great art? That's a tougher one to answer. It's no surprise that gallery owner James Yarosh has a perfect reply: "It's the successful translation of an artists thought to its viewer, a painting that transcends language and time and still communicate a fundamental thought that can illustrate our humanity."
Since 1996 at the age of 29, James has successfully operated his eponymous fine art gallery in Holmdel, at first renting a first floor space in a church, before eventually moving into his current Main Street location, which has grown bigger than he ever imagined. He showcases works from local New Jersey and New York artists to those from as far away as Russia. It is the latter collection and its presentation which has enabled him to receive critical acclaim on a national level. He was one of the first to show Russian artists on the gallery level.
"I started noticing Russian artists in 1994. I liked the work and the quality. About a year after I opened my gallery I stumbled across Vachagan Narazyan. It just blew me away this whole non-conformist world of art," says James, who does not speak Russian. "There was this whole underground movement. I found out at Rutgers at the Zimmerli museum there was an economics professor, Norton Dodge, who had smuggled out nearly 10,000 pieces and donated them to the museum." James eventually managed to purchase some of Narazyan's work. He later furthered his immersion into Russian art through investigation into some of the more academically trained painters, discovering the Moscow School of Russian Realism and showing many of their respective works in the United States.
James was heavily involved in gifted and talented art programs while growing up in Monmouth County and because of his involvement with galleries for so long, beginning in his teens, found it relatively simple to start his own location, even selling a painting on the first day he opened. "I was hopeful where I could take it and having plenty of future ahead of me to grow into. I never would have thought that by trusting my instincts and intuition that I stumbled across some art movements that ended up giving the gallery international success and selling around the world.
While he may travel the globe to places like Paris, Vienna, even as far as Tel Aviv, he keeps a connection to local artists. James does public art displays at Garmany in Red Bank and serves as a judge for the annual Bayonet Farm Art and Music Festival 's plein air competitions in Holmdel. "It's a good giving back to the community event that I am happy to be a part of," says James, who even brought in the editor of Fine Art Connoisseur to help judge the event. James' charitable work goes even further; he is a bronze level contributor to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Center.
As involved as he is in running the gallery, James also tries to find time to put together some of his own works. He installed a studio in his home over a year and a half ago for painting and has done interior design work, which he continues to take on occasionally. "Most of the projects I take on, they have really trusted me to create for them and the best work comes that way," says James. "You really want to make it the best you can. So if someone gives you the freedom to create, it's going to be magic at the end."
No matter if James is displaying someone else's works or working on his own, he maintains a great love of art, finding inspiration in all that surrounds him. "Art is always a statement about beauty. You're either painting to glorify it or putting a light on an absence of beauty. Art is the most admirable thing you could dedicate your life's work toward. Luckily it's my business too."
James Yarosh Associates Fine Art Gallery is open Saturday from 12-4 and evenings by appointment. Contact 732-993-5278 or visit www.jamesyarosh.com for more information.
Favorite Movie: Any biography
Favorite Music: Olivia Newton-John ("Grace & Gratitude" cd)
Favorite Restaurant: Ristorante Re Teodorico in Verona, Italy
Pet Peeve: Greedy, self-centered people
3 people for dinner: Oskar Kokoschka, Farrah Fawcett, Sister Wendy Beckett
 |
|
|
 |
|
