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To open its 40^th anniversary season, East Stroudsburg University’s Madelon Powers Gallery will present White & Black—Jill & Jack, featuring works by Pocono artists Jill and Jack Swersie, September 3-29, 2019.

Gallery hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A reception for the husband and wife artists will be held Wednesday, September 4 from 4-6 p.m. in the gallery, located in the university’s Fine & Performing Arts Center, Normal and Marguerite streets. Both the exhibit and reception are open to the public at no cost.

Oil painter Jill Swersie has been working professionally for more than 35 years. She has earned numerous awards for her paintings which have been exhibited at almost every local art venue. Her work has been exhibited in art galleries and at shows in New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

Her mural, “Art of the Dance”, can be seen in downtown Stroudsburg. In 2016 she was one of five artists selected for Adams Outdoor Advertising’s ArtPop Exhibition, and a larger-than-life copy of her oil painting “Man’s Best Friend” was seen on billboards throughout the Pocono region.

Jill has taught art at Northampton Community College and the Pocono Arts Council. She is currently teaching weekly oil painting classes at the Senior Center in Dunmore, Pa.

Photo artist Jack Swersie is a retired entertainer, having performed a comedy show for 35 years. When he retired in 2015, he found himself in need of a creative outlet so the following year he bought a camera.

Best known for staging and photographing scenes that make a statement, Jack has been nationally recognized for his images that comment on social and political issues. Last year, his work was accepted by The Center for Contemporary Political Art in Washington D.C. for their show, Art in the Age of Trump. Currently his work can be seen online at “OppArt The Nation Magazine”.

Jack’s years in comedy are reflected in his numerous, lighthearted and whimsical photo art works. A collector of loud and colorful neckties, he shoots photos of the unique fabric patterns found in his ties and then edits and manipulates them to create unusual, eye-pleasing images. This exhibit features some of his favorite pieces from his “Vintage Necktie Abstract Photo-Art” series in black & white.

For more information about the exhibition or reception, email esuarts@esu.edu or call 570-422-3483.