RUMSON – The 2nd Annual Two Rivers Exhibition of Sporting Collectible Art will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 at Forrestdale School, 60 Forrest Ave.
The school’s gymnasium will be transformed into a bird and art lover’s paradise as exhibitors from the mid-Atlantic region will feature contemporary and antique-style birds and decoys.
Proceeds from the event, sponsored by NJ Wildfowl Carvers and Monmouth County Ducks Unlimited, will support Ducks Unlimited’s efforts to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl.
Guests can see how decoys were made along the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers, Barnegat Bay and Delaware Rivers in the early 1800s. They can watch a simple block of cedar transform into a working decoy capable of luring ducks flying overhead into the chilly waters of rivers and bays. Talented artisans will use simple hand tools of long ago to create the essence of the bird and hunters and carvers will share their stories.
Nature will be depicted in watercolor, acrylic, oils, photographs, metal, pottery and other art forms. Featured artist Jamie Hand, of Cape May County, who has been sharing his knowledge of the history of decoy making with New Jersey historians and decoy carvers for over 40 years will be on hand, as well as Honorary Show Chairman Scott Paterson, Rumson police chief, who has recently taken up carving and is a member of Ducks Unlimited.
Children and adults paint a shorebird. Lunch will be available; a silent auction, raffle, and 50/50 will be held throughout the day. Admission is $5; free for children under 12. For more information visit http://Facebook.com/TwoRiversExhibition or www.ducks.org.
