Art•Venture Board
Prem Kumar - President Community, Fundraising, Management
Prem Kumar - President Community, Fundraising, Management
Prem Kumar - President Community, Fundraising, Management
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 educati
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.
Christine Auriemma – Vice President
Prem Kumar - President Community, Fundraising, Management
Prem Kumar - President Community, Fundraising, Management
Christine Auriemma will join the Board of Art•Venture Flemington in the position of Vice President. Christine retired in May 2018 after 40 years in the Healthcare
industry. In the eight years since, she pursued her love of painting. Her work is mostly representational. Oil and pastels are her preferred mediums.
Christine will be also in ch
Christine Auriemma will join the Board of Art•Venture Flemington in the position of Vice President. Christine retired in May 2018 after 40 years in the Healthcare
industry. In the eight years since, she pursued her love of painting. Her work is mostly representational. Oil and pastels are her preferred mediums.
Christine will be also in charge of the Stangl Art Gallery Shows and the Artist Profile Shows at the Hunterdon Chamber of Commerce for Art•Venture.
Cindy Chiarella- Treasurer
Prem Kumar - President Community, Fundraising, Management
Rhyta Rounds- Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships
Cindy Chiarella will join the Board and serve as Treasurer. She is a longtime resident of Raritan Township and has been an active member and volunteer for Art•Venture over the past 3 years. Cindy has supported many of our shows behind the scenes and developed the current monthly Member Newsletter series with input from other members, par
Cindy Chiarella will join the Board and serve as Treasurer. She is a longtime resident of Raritan Township and has been an active member and volunteer for Art•Venture over the past 3 years. Cindy has supported many of our shows behind the scenes and developed the current monthly Member Newsletter series with input from other members, particularly Robert Krell. She is
a retired CPA, having spent her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Her prior board experience includes serving on the Board of the United Way of Northern NJ in several roles over seven years including Treasurer and Board Chair.
As a retiree, she
has continued to explore her interest in art practicing in a variety of mediums. Cindy
will continue in her role on the Membership Committee.
Rhyta Rounds- Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships
Rhyta Rounds- Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships
Rhyta Rounds- Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships
Rhyta Rounds will serve on the Art•Venture Board as Director of Community Engagement &
Partnerships. She is a member of the Raritan Township Historic Committee and a long-time resident of the Township. An avid photographer, she started taking photographs when she was gifted a Kodak Brownie when she was 8 years old. She has facilitated man
Rhyta Rounds will serve on the Art•Venture Board as Director of Community Engagement &
Partnerships. She is a member of the Raritan Township Historic Committee and a long-time resident of the Township. An avid photographer, she started taking photographs when she was gifted a Kodak Brownie when she was 8 years old. She has facilitated many
paint plein air events for the artists and photographers of Art•Venture, capturing the beauty of the Township ‘s historic farms and homesteads. The location of the
plein air events was extended to include historic Hunterdon County. Many of these locations are identified in the 1851 map of original surveys by Samuel Cornell. She has worked in partnership with Helen Lee Meyers to organize the Scenes of Hunterdon County galleries at the Historic Flemington Courthouse working with the Hunterdon CountyCultural & Heritage Commission. Her mission is to continue promoting the artistry of Art•Venture membership and the surrounding community. For the past 30 years, Rhyta has served as President of Fluid Dynamics, a local materials testing laboratory.
Francisco Silva- Secretary Marketing, Exhibitions & Events
Rhyta Rounds- Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships
Francisco Silva- Secretary Marketing, Exhibitions & Events
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 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.
Barbara Kaiser - Founding Member Vice President Marketing, Exhibitions & Events, Membership
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 b
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 Lee Meyers - Founding Member Helen Lee Meyers - Treasurer Membership, Exhibitions & Events, Education
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 h
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.
Amita Kumar - Founding Member Education
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 ve
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.
In Memoriam — Chris Englehart - Founding Member Exhibitions & Events
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 Com
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 was a 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 contributed to developing art education and events for ArtVenture and had remained an active member of the growing organization.She will be sorely missed!