Guttenberg Arts holds Exhibition Showcasing Works by Winter 2026 Artist in Residence 

On Saturday, April 18th, Guttenberg Arts held “Space in Time,” a group exhibition featuring the four Winter 2026 Artists in Residence: Artes De Pluma, Amanda Lopez, Melanie Brewster, and Nic Koning. The gallery is located on 6903 Jackson St., Guttenberg.

Each artist got the unique opportunity to learn about different mediums and styles of artmaking, which they harnessed for their final works. During the residency, the artists learned about letterboxing, ceramics, and different types of printmaking techniques. 

Nati “Artes De Pluma” Hoyos, a West New York based artist, discovered her love for printmaking through this program. “I challenged myself to work with cyanotype, which is a type of print that takes time,” Hoyos explained. “It was challenging but rewarding because the end product was out of my control.”

Hoyos created an interactive installation piece, filled with floating nests and wound-up birds, a common theme in her artwork. “Nati always has an emphasis on birds and nature,” Kevin Guevara, an art enthusiast and friend of Hoyos, said. “It’s a lot more freeing to see it in 3D.” 

The artists also explored their own heritage and personal identity. For example, West New York artist Amanda Lopez’s “Atabey” focused on the heritage of Boricua women and their ties to nature. “It’s a symbol of human nature and connecting to nature. Nature is not alone, we are all a part of nature as well,” Lopez explains. “It’s also a symbol of resistance, showing to people that we are here and we still exist.”

Many viewers also had an affinity with the piece, especially to the large avocado at the center of the piece, which was made with a traditional gourd from Puerto Rico. “Amanda is from Puerto Rico, which is next to the Dominican Republic, where I am from,” Aurelia Luciano, a poet and arts curator from Smush Gallery, said. “I really believe in my ancestors as well. The avocado is from my island too, so we are all connected.”

This exhibition served as the finale for the residency, a bittersweet moment for the artists and the space. “I definitely saw them get into their work,” Russ Spitkovsky, the Executive Director of Guttenberg Arts, said. “It’s not often you get three months to do what you want to do and focus on a piece.”

Guttenberg Arts is a non-profit arts program that holds art residencies, events, classes, community garden workshops, and a youth summer arts program. They are located at 6903 Jackson St. in Guttenberg, NJ. The exhibition will be on view until Saturday, May 16, 2026.