Artists of the Season: Summer 2004

Vincent DeAndrea, Jr., Esq. Vincent DeAndrea, Jr. was born in Jacksonville, Florida; has lived in New Jersey since 1949; and currently resides in Edison. A graduate of Metuchen High School, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Seton Hall University, and a Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law. He was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1968; selected for a judicial Clerkship with the Honorable Arthur S. Meredith, Superior Court of New Jersey in Somerset County; and opened his law office in Metuchen as a sole practitioner in 1969. Charitable works include Chairman of American Cancer Society Jail and Bail (1992), founder of the Rusty Swartz Memorial Scholarship Fund to endow a scholarship for Rutgers University football; long-time member of the Edison Arts Society’s Board of Trustees, currently serving as our Vice President. Mr. DeAndrea is part owner of First Choice Productions, Inc., a small independent recording company, as well as being involved in concert promotion and production in the tri-state area. One of Vincent’s dreams is to produce and promote an “oldies” concert (featuring acts such as the Shirelles, the Chiffons, etc.) in Edison to help raise funds for EAS’s programming. The Edison Arts Society is proud to honor Vincent DeAndrea, Jr. with our Artist of the Season award for Summer 2004, due to his extreme commitment to the Arts in our community and the future growth of the Edison Arts Society.

Christiane Silla About the artist: Christiane sees her art expression as an unending quest to capture the essence of her subject matter.  She seeks to produce aesthetically pleasing compositions that are anchored in reality but filtered through her own sensitivity.  She was born in France and came to the United States as a teenager.  She has degrees from F.I.T., NYU, and Rutgers University. She was a sportswear designer till the birth of her first child. She is enrolled in the fine arts program at the DuCret School of Art where she has been studying for the last few years.  She has also studied with Ruth Wilson, San Souci and Valeri Larko. She has exhibited in non-juried and juried shows in New Jersey.  She was the recipient of the  Dr. Finck award and other student awards at DuCret. She is a member of the Edison Arts Society, the New Jersey Visual Art Center and the Raritan Valley Art Association. Christiane Silla "Stress" 28" x 34" Oil Price: $1,800 On display at the EAS Gallery Color Schemes and Screams Christiane Silla "La Plage, Cabourg" Oil on canvas 20" x 16" Exhibited at EAS Gallery I've Been There June - Sept. 2003 "An Evening at the Shore" 32" x 25" Exibited at EAS Gallery All New Stuff Nov. - May 2003 26 Lucille Court Edison, NJ 08820 Telephone:  732-494-7591

Denise Bitar Persico The Edison Arts Society would like to congratulate Denise Persico on being chosen as a Summer 2004 Artist of the Season. Denise has been a member on our Board of Trustees since the Society’s inception in 1998, having served as our Vice President for many years. She is currently volunteering to be Co-Chairperson for the upcoming October Ann Jillian Concert, with proceeds to benefit the Breast Center at JFK Medical Center in Edison. Denise has been invaluable in raising funds for our Silent Auctions, is a regular at many Edison Symphony Orchestra concerts, and was instrumental in securing both JFK and Muhlenberg Medical Center as 2004 corporate sponsors of EAS’s  “Gardens of the Garden State”. Denise was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised on Long Island. She has resided in Edison for the past 21 years with her husband, Joseph. She has three children: two are attending college and one is a graduate of the University of the Arts in PA.  Denise graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York in 1979 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. She is also a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers. Denise has been employed by Solaris Health Systems, Inc. for the past 14 years as the Manager of Interior Design and Renovation for all of their facilities. Denise, we at the Edison Arts Society thank you for all of your energy, enthusiasm and incredible support of the Arts and our Society! You are an invaluable asset to our community and we truly appreciate all that you are doing to make this world a better place.