Our Story

ArtVenture is a non-profit arts organization composed of painters, photographers, plein air artists and other creatives living, working and exhibiting in the Flemington, NJ area. Launched in 2019, the enterprise was first conceived following the success of the Art in the Garden series, created by Chris Englehart and hosted by the Flemington Free Public Library on Main Street. The series featured local artists working and exhibiting at the library on Saturday mornings throughout the summer, with an exhibit displaying all the artists' work inside the library at the end of the summer. It was at the opening of this exhibition in 2018 where Amita Kumar, a local artist invited by Chris to participate, was so inspired by the enthusiasm for and interest in the series that she floated the idea of creating an arts organization in Flemington. Amita, teaming up with her husband Prem Kumar, reached out to fellow artists and participants Barbara Kaiser and Helen Meyers, and the newly acquainted group had the initial discussions exploring the idea at Factory Fuel Co. Coffee House, inside Stangl Factory at Mine St. and Stangl Rd. in Flemington.

As interests and visions were aligned, ArtVenture was launched, with a mission to inspire, showcase and promote fine art and art education, in service to the artist and to the community. With Prem's help the entity was registered and then granted nonprofit status. Under the able leadership of the board and with the help of volunteers, the group has grown to over 50 artist members and counting, representing works in oil, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, pastels, photography and more. Thanks to the generosity and sense of community at both Stangl Factory and Factory Fuel, ArtVenture has continuously held changing art exhibitions since its inception. In addition, the group holds a regular figure drawing session, a Plein Air meetup group and art instructional classes, as well as having participated in community events like the Central Jersey Jazz Festival and Main Street Marathon. In 2021, ArtVenture participated in The Hunterdon Art Tour and enjoyed the successful launch of their first annual Plein Air Festival“Quick Draw” event.

Currently, ArtVenture is exploring opportunities for collaboration and partnership within the arts community of Flemington Borough and Hunterdon County. A story that began when artists first met at the library continues, sparking friendships and helping to foster a thriving arts community along the way.