"Dual Nature" Art Exhibition at Abbott Marshlands: A Collaborative Exploration of Nature's Splendor

Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

Pictured Above: Beatrice Bork’s “Winter Nap.” Photo Credit: Contributed.

Newsroom Post: Hamilton and Bordentown, NEW JERSEY

The public is welcome to the artist reception on Sunday, January 26, 2025

Hamilton and Bordentown, NJ – This January, the Tulpehaking Nature Center at Abbott Marshlands invites art enthusiasts and nature lovers alike to “Dual Nature,” a compelling art exhibition that explores nature from two distinct perspectives. Featuring the work of accomplished animal artist Beatrice Bork and landscape artist Joe Kazimierczyk, “Dual Nature” will be on view from January 19 through February 28, 2025.

In “Dual Nature,” both artists reveal their unique approaches to capturing the natural world, bringing together Bork’s expressive watercolor wildlife portraits and Kazimierczyk’s awe-inspiring oil landscapes. Bork, known for her expertise in capturing the spirit and beauty of animals, relies on firsthand observation in the field to inspire her works, creating narratives that invite viewers into the intimate lives of her subjects. Her meticulous watercolors highlight the essence of the animals she observes, blending detailed renderings with expressive backgrounds that evoke a sense of the spiritual and poetic, seamlessly merging precision with artistic sensitivity.

 

Kazimierczyk, by contrast, is an avid hiker who translates his experiences on the trail into breathtaking oil paintings. Inspired by the sweeping vistas and serene beauty of untouched nature, he conveys a sense of depth and grandeur that evokes the viewer’s sense of wonder and connection to the natural world. His bold brushwork and use of color bring each scene to life, celebrating the landscapes that sustain and inspire us.

Pictured Above: Joe Kazimierczyk’s “Whispering Sky.” Photo Credit: Contributed.

Together, Bork and Kazimierczyk’s work underscores the theme of “Dual Nature”: both artists engage deeply with the natural world, yet their interpretations diverge in form and focus. Bork’s intimate depictions of animals complement Kazimierczyk’s expansive portrayals of landscape, inviting viewers to appreciate the vast diversity within nature—and within artistic expression itself. See more of their work at beatricebork.com and joekaz.com.

 

The exhibition will be held at Abbott Marshlands’ Tulpehaking Nature Center, a setting that perfectly aligns with the artists’ themes and passion for natural beauty. An opening reception date will be held January 26 at 2:30-4:00, offering an opportunity to meet the artists and explore their interpretations of nature in person. The public is invited to attend. Please register in January on Abbott Marshlands website, via Events: abbottmarshlands.org/event-calendar-list/.

Pictured Above: Beatrice Bork’s Winter Nap and Joe Kazimierczyk’s Whispering Sky on view January 19-February 28, 2025 at the Tulpehaking Nature Center. Photo Credit: Contributed.

Exhibit Details:

Exhibition Title: “Dual Nature”
Featured Artists: Beatrice Bork (Animal Artist, Watercolor) and Joe Kazimierczyk (Landscape Artist, Oil)

Location: Tulpehaking Nature Center, 157 Westcott Ave., Hamilton Twp., NJ

Exhibition Dates: January 19 – February 28, 2025 Opening Reception: January 26, 2025, 2:30-4pm

This exhibition is free and open to the public, but please register. For more information on the exhibit and the artists, please visit the event listing at Abbott Marshland’s website at abbottmarshlands.org.

Background

Just where are the Abbott Marshlands? The Abbott Marshlands are situated in Lenapehoking, the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Lenape. The lands include over 3,000 acres of open space along the Delaware River in Central New Jersey. Although a satellite view of the area quickly reveals its ecological unity, the land parcels are divided among two counties, four municipalities, and numerous landowners. Crisscrossed by a canal, a railroad, and even a major highway interchange, the essential nature of the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River becomes evident. It provides rich habitat for a wide variety of birds (an Important Bird Area), fish, mammals, and plants. FFAM is the only organization whose sole focus is the promotion and stewardship of the entire marshlands. It consists of locations at Roebling Park, Bordentown Bluffs, the D&R Canal towpath, the Crosswicks Creek tidal water trail near the Delaware River, Northern Community Park in Bordentown, and a portion of Duck Island’s trail system, Trenton.

 

Visitors to the unique freshwater tidal marsh of the Abbott Marshlands remark on it being an urban oasis, a critical wildlife habitat in the Delaware River’s estuary to be relished and protected. The public is invited to join in this important endeavor. For more information, visit https://abbottmarshlands.org/volunteer-opportunities/ and join one of many free walks.

 

FFAM’s efforts include a volunteer trail stewardship program, an active calendar of programs on marshlands ecology and history, and other community outreach activities. FFAM coordinates their work with the Tulpehaking Nature Center, Hamilton; the Mercer County Park Commission, the D&R Canal State Park, the City of Bordentown, and Bordentown Township.

 

The Abbott Marshlands Cooperative Stewardship Council members include representatives from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the D&R Canal Commission, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Mercer County, and local municipalities of Trenton, Hamilton, Bordentown City and Bordentown Township. The website, https://abbottmarshlands.org, provides extensive information regarding ecology, cultural history, archaeology, recreation, education and stewardship.

 

Historically, on December 8, 1976, the Abbott Farm Historic District became the first National Historic Landmark in New Jersey, designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is a unique archaeological site, recognized as the site of the largest Middle Woodland village of its type on the east coast of the United States. It was named after Charles Conrad Abbott, whose early archeological work, and writings from the 1850s on, spurred much research there.

 

What we call the Abbott Marshlands was previously known as the Trenton Marsh or the Hamilton Marsh, or sometimes the Hamilton-Trenton-Bordentown Marsh. In 2011, a coalition of marsh supporters, working on an interpretive plan for the marsh, saw the opportunity to change the name to the Abbott Marshlands, to acknowledge the historical and natural significance of the area.