From left, actor Armand Assante, Miss New Jersey 2018 Jaime Gialloreto and artist and gallery owner David Holtzman.
MARGATE – Artist and gallery owner David Holtzman held a wine and cheese reception for his solo exhibit Saturday, Aug. 25 and wowed attendees by unveiling two new paintings honoring friends, old and new.
The reception was well attended by Holtzman’s family, friends and former students, who waited patiently for the artist to arrive with his old friend Armand Assante. They enjoyed seeing Holtzman’s work, which includes several new paintings on canvas, a self-portrait of the artist at age 19 and numerous limited edition giclees and sculptures.
While Holtzman has been promoting and selling the work of other artists for many years, he took a break for a few weeks to feature his own works of art, many of which celebrate Hollywood’s cultural icons.
Holtzman’s last solo exhibit was in 1974 at John Wanamaker’s in Philadelphia.
“Too much time has passed,” Holtzman said.
Holtzman surprised his new friend, Miss New Jersey 2018 Jaime Gialloreto, by unveiling her portrait.
Holtzman, who is on the executive board of the Miss New Jersey Scholarship Foundation, has been creating portraits of all the Miss New Jerseys since 2003.
He rendered Assante speechless with the unveiling of a portrait of Assante, who he met through the Garden State Film Festival, which returned to Asbury Park this year after several years in Atlantic City.
Proceeds of the sale of the Assante portrait will go to support a new foundation honoring Assante’s father, an artist who “painted like the old masters,” Holtzman said.
The exhibit, located in the lobby of the Milton and Betty Katz Jewish Community Center, 501 N. Jerome Ave., runs through Sept. 15 during regular JCC hours.
