Local Artists Featured at College’s Hackensack Campus

Two local artists’ work is currently on display in the exterior windows of Bergen Community College’s Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center (CLC) in Hackensack. The free exhibition of paintings by Bergen graduate Hugo Sandoval and Nicaraguan artist Gerardo Latino is open for public viewing until mid-August, Monday through Thursday between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. at the CLC, 355 Main Street, Hackensack. The CLC will host a “Meet the Artists” evening in September to introduce the pair of Latin-American artists to students and area residents.
Twenty-three paintings on display feature mediums such as oil and acrylic paints and paper sculptures; much of the art carries surrealism and cubism influence. The display continues the CLC’s ongoing presentation of local artists representing various cultural groups. Student artwork from Hackensack High School was on display during April and May. CLC organizers work with the Bergen County Office of Historic and Cultural Affairs and others groups such as the Institute of Culture and Art of Latin America to procure artwork for display.

Sandoval, of Lodi, a self-taught artist originally from Colombia, came to the U.S. in 1982 and graduated from Bergen’s General Education Development program with a high school diploma equivalency a few years later. Afterward he graduated from The Center for the Media Arts in N.Y. as a graphic design major. He now works as an engineer for a local envelope manufacturer. Sandoval’s art will also be featured at the Colombian Embassy in N.Y. in August and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center shortly thereafter.

Latino, of Cliffside Park, arrived in the U.S. in 1986. Also self-taught, he credits Miguel Angel and Leonardo da Vinci as the inspiration for his work. He is employed as a visual merchandiser for a large department store.

In addition to Sandoval and Latino’s work, a temporary exhibit from Club Columbia is also on display at the CLC. The exhibit will reside at the CLC during the Hackensack-area Columbian Festival.

To receive more information on the exhibition or to become a future featured artist, please call the CLC’s director, Paul Ragusa, at (201) 968-9473.

Bergen Community College is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling more than 15,000 students in Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degree programs and certificate programs. More than 10,000 students are enrolled in non-credit, professional courses through the Division of Continuing Education, the Institute for Learning in Retirement, and the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center, located at 355 Main Street, Hackensack. Information about the College is available at http://www.bergen.edu or by phoning the Welcome Center at 201-447-7200.