About Us

Prem Kumar along with his wife Amita Kumar and their two sons Vishal and Rahul has been a resident of Flemington for the past 17 years. In 2018 Prem and his wife Amita cofounded Artventure, along with Barbara Kaiser and Helen Meyers. As President of Artventure, a non-profit, Prem along with the board has helped establish a growing educational platform for the artistic talents in and around the borough of Flemington. Prem brings over thirty plus years’ business experience in life sciences in building and managing large teams. He brings decades of commercialization success in launching and establishing pharmaceutical assets and working with advocacy organizations to enhance patient care. Prem is also the founder and CEO of a successful strategic consulting firm Effikas Consulting.

Barbara grew up in Bucks County, PA and graduated from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia with a BFA in Graphic Design and Illustration. After a career as a designer and art director in the music merchandise industry she has shifted her focus to freelance graphic design, as well as fine art. Working primarily in watercolor, her love of bold color, innovative composition and varied technique is evident in her award winning paintings. She has exhibited in regional and international exhibitions and holds signature status in the Philadelphia Water Color Society. A resident of Flemington Borough, Barbara has long contributed her talents to the community as a designer, volunteer and former Main Street shop owner. She believes in the arts as a driving force for building community and enjoys her role helping ArtVenture in that mission.

Helen studied at the University of Maryland, Parsons School of Design and the New School of NY. She worked as a graphic designer and production manager for a commercial  printer in New York for many years before moving to Flemington, NJ to raise her family. She is now primarily an oil painter specializing in portraits and landscapes and has fully embraced plein air painting while continuing to work in her studio. She has won awards, participated in numerous juried shows, plein air events and exhibitions all along the East Coast. Helen is a cofounder of ArtVentureNJ and a former board member of the Upstairs Gallery, Pa.  She has been teaching for over 20 years and derives great pleasure in being able to bring out the creative spirit in others by sharing her knowledge and helping aspiring artists achieve their goals.

Francisco Silva is a contemporary oil painter based in Frenchtown, NJ who exhibits in Jersey City, NJ and the Bucks County, PA area. While attending Parsons School of Design he studied composition, color and oil painting as well as graphic design. After graduating, he continued oil painting and exhibited in various group shows in New York.  Francisco’s work as a graphic designer at an art magazine took up much of his time and he eventually stopped painting. His profession turned from graphic design, to web design, and finally to web development. January 2019 marked a return to painting, beginning with landscapes inspired by backpacking trips on the Appalachian Trail.  Currently, his work has grown to include themes portraying the struggles of the everyday person. His influences include Edward Hopper, German Expressionism and Fauvism. The rich textiles of his Peruvian roots are reflected in his use of vibrant color and his brushwork is a combination of loose, painterly strokes and controlled detail.

Amita, with her husband Prem Kumar and their two sons Vishal and Rahul, has been a resident of Flemington for the past 17 years. Prior to making New Jersey her adopted home, as a resident of New York, she focused on enhancing her skills in drawing and painting by studying with accomplished art instructors and professors. As she started venturing into different mediums, oil became her absolute favorite. Over the years, Amita’s work has been displayed in New jersey (Flemington, Clinton, Princeton) as well as in New York. In 2018 she cofounded ArtVenture with Prem, along with Helen Meyers and Barbara Kaiser. Art was an integral part of Amita’s childhood, as her parents played an important role in shaping that artistic mind. Being a cancer survivor has helped her have a unique perspective and “The Human Experience” helped her understand the value of this short LIFE, inspiring her active membership in the art community of Flemington.

After residing in many places, Ms. Chris Englehart chose to make Flemington NJ her adopted hometown in 1978. She brought her love of arts and volunteered with many organizations and projects, including eight years with Flemington Festival of Arts, two years with Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce and Flemington Historic Preservation Commission. She is a past board member of NJ Designer Craftsmen and was instrumental in establishing an art gallery and monthly poetry readings at her church in Doylestown. Chris was responsible for  the “Art in the Garden” series at the Flemington borough library, which helped launch ArtVenture in 2018. As a founding member, Chris has contributed to developing art education and events for ArtVenture and she remains an active member of the growing organization.