ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - Joseph Petrovics of Blawenburg

Barbara A. Preston, Editor | NOVEMBER 13, 2020

A website is not an ideal space to show art, but it will have to do in this case. Joseph Petrovics and his family moved to America from Hungary in 1988. Since then, he has become a nationally recognized sculptor. His work is installed at Ground Zero in New York City.

Petrovics lived on a 188-acre Princeton farm owned by Alexander Ettl, who founded a successful sculpting supply business. At the time, Petrovics was working on a 37-foot statue of the Iwo Jim flag raising, commissioned by the Veterans of Iwo Jima.

Petrovics used the pose in Joseph Rosenthal’s famous photograph, but different from Austrian-born Felix de Weldon’s U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial that stands in Arlington cemetery.

Petrovics moved to his Blawenburg home with his wife Judith and two daughters, Edith and Vera, in 1992. His studio is in a separate building in his back yard, with large windows and a spectacular view of Green Flash Farm and Princeton Ridge. He is also a studio instructor for emerging younger artists and graduate students of sculpting at the Newington- Cropsey Foundation Academy of Art in Hastingson- Hudson, New York.

Petrovics is known for his sculptures, but his recent work involves oil painting on hand-carved wood.

His recent work is abstract, and involves oil painting on hand-carved wood. It is some of his best work. He is looking for a venue to display his latest creations, which is not easy during COVID. Email the artist at josephpetrovics@gmail.com or phone 609.466.8429.

Artist Spotlight

A new monthly feature on local artists

Many artists have turned to the Internet to show their art since the COVID-19 outbreak, since exhibitions, art fairs, and workshops are indefinitely on hold. In order to support artists in this difficult time, The Montgomery News will feature a spotlight article depicting local artists and their work each month. Email editor@TheMontyNews.com to be considered for this space.