Jude Harzer's "Unbroken Gaze" Opens at ArtSpace
Jude Harzer is a member of Monmouth Arts and one of the featured artists in our 2026 lineup of ArtSpace exhibitions. You can meet the artist in person at the opening reception on Friday, October 9th, from 5:30 to 8:00pm and on Sunday, October 25th, from 1:00 to 3:00pm for an artist talk.
The latest exhibit in Monmouth Arts’ ArtSpace features works by member artist Jude Harzer. Unbroken Gaze explores the quiet psychological power of the human gaze and the profound stories that can emerge in the space between observer and observed.
Rooted in Harzer’s own position as an observer, the exhibition centers on the human gaze, with particular attention to women and children. Her figures watch with a quiet, unwavering presence, suggesting interior worlds shaped by attentiveness, emotional resilience, and a desire to understand the behavior of others. At once witnesses and participants, they draw viewers into an intimate exchange in which looking becomes a form of communication.
In Harzer’s paintings, observation can be an act of learning, protection, connection, or remembrance. Through this subtle language of looking, Unbroken Gaze creates space for contemplation and connection while exploring the complex emotional weight carried by those who watch, remember, and bear witness.
An award-winning figurative artist, Harzer explores childhood, memory, identity, and resilience through psychologically resonant narratives. Working primarily in oil and, more recently, in mixed-media soft sculpture and digital media, she creates figures who become witnesses, storytellers, and guardians of intergenerational mythologies. Her two grown children remain a lasting source of inspiration.
Harzer’s early life has deeply informed the emotional tenor of her work. The third of six children raised by a visually impaired single mother, she developed an acute awareness of observation, attentiveness, and the ways people understand and respond to one another. These experiences continue to inform the compassionate gaze at the heart of her practice.
Harzer earned her Bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College in 1987 and her Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2013. A certified K–12 Visual Arts Educator, she has taught in the Brick Township Public Schools for more than two decades.
Her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally and is included in university publications as well as private and public collections. Harzer has participated in domestic and international artist residencies, including Elsewhere, the Rensing Center, Arte Studio Ginestrelle, Estudio Nómada, and Casa Padula. These experiences have provided opportunities to expand her visual language, explore new materials, and deepen her artistic practice.
EXHIBIT DETAILS
Unbroken Gaze: Works by Jude Harzer
On View: September 29 - November 3
Opening Reception: Friday, October 9th, 5:30 - 8pm
Artist Talk: Sunday, October 25th, 1:00 - 3:00pm
ArtSpace, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank
ABOUT ARTSPACE
ArtSpace is the official gallery and community space of Monmouth Arts, showcasing the work of talented artists who are members of the organization. Located at 99 Monmouth Street in Red Bank, next to the Count Basie Center Administrative Offices, ArtSpace brings the community together through accessible, affordable, and high-quality exhibits, networking events, and arts experiences.
Gallery visiting hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 12:00pm - 4:00pm; also available by appointment. ArtSpace is free and open to the public.
Interested in becoming a member? Head to www.monmoutharts.org/membership. For more information, please contact Connie Isbell, Membership and Community Engagement Director, at connie@monmoutharts.org.
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