bergenPAC's Sandy Bennett Art Gallery to Host John Mania Exhibition This November

The SAndy Bennett Art Gallery at the Bergen Performing Arts Center located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey hosts John Mania, an exhibition by NJ-based artist John Mania.

The art exhibit is in residence at The SAndy Bennett Art Gallery on the 2nd floor of the bergenPAC from November 2-30, 2016. The gallery is open to the general public during box office hours Mon-Fri 11AM - 6PM and Saturday 12PM to 4PM and available to patrons of scheduled performances. There is a free reception open to the public on Monday, November 14, 2016 from 6PM-8PM.

John Mania: Intricate designs created from the mind and experiences of John Mania, a NJ-based artist, compose the self-titled solo exhibit that has been in the making since Mania chose to study painting in 1965.

In his self-titled exhibit, John Mania works to express that drawings are sustained meditations, each constructed from objects as templates then deconstructed along a self-realized path until a singularity is achieve over time. John Mania's pieces have a bold simplicity about them, as each is made up of thin gray lines on a stark white background with no color. Viewers are drawn in to closely examine the meticulous work and see Mania's beliefs illustrated before their eyes.

John Mania was born in Paterson, NJ and was known as the "go to kid" in grammar school for anything artistic. It was not until he took a design course at Indiana State University in 1965 that he decided to embrace his artistic side and build his life around his talents. His instructors included California Funk Art painters Paul Heald and John Cooper, filmmaker Davis Churches, and potter Dick Hay, each of whom had an immense impact on his style.

After completing his art degree, Mania began working as an artist with many different titles including camera shading engineer and sound recordist. Mania worked on such legendary projects as Pavoratti in Central Park for PBS, CBS News, 60 Minutes, and the initial presentation of HDTV for Sony Corporation in 1984.

John Mania is currently retired, after leaving the television industry eight years ago, and spends the majority of his time drawing in his studio.

Founded in 2003, the 1,367-seat Bergen Performing Arts Center, or bergenPAC, is the area's cultural mecca. Housed in a historic Art Deco-style theater boasting one of the finest acoustic halls in the United States, bergenPAC attracts a stellar roster of world-class entertainment. The jewel in our crown is The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC - the innovative, educational performing arts initiative that, through programs, classes, outreach, school shows, and main theater presented shows, reach more than 30,000 students and community youth annually. The Performing Arts School provides community youth, age 2 months to 21 years, with unique, "hands-on" training in music, dance and theater by industry professionals. It is through the ongoing generosity of sponsors, donors, members, and patrons that the not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation bergenPAC and The Performing Arts School are able to thrive and enrich our community. For updates, "Like" bergenPAC on Facebook (facebook.com/#!/bergenpacfan), follow @bergenPAC on Twitter, follow us on LinkedIn and visit our website at www.bergenpac.org.

Photo Credit: John Mania