North Caldwell Artist Paints Official NJ Portrait Of Kim Guadagno

NORTH CALDWELL, NJ — An artist from North Caldwell is turning some heads in New Jersey this week with her portrait of trailblazing politician Kim Guadagno.

On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy and other elected officials unveiled an official portrait of Guadagno, who served as the state’s lieutenant governor for eight years under Chris Christie.

Guadagno was on the ticket for a historic election in 2009, which included the state’s first contest for lieutenant governor. The legislator, who simultaneously served as secretary of state, was the Republican nominee for governor in 2017. She lost to Murphy in the general election, but left a big impression on New Jersey residents such as Liza Amir – the creator of her official state portrait.

“It was a true honor to paint Kim,” said Amir, a North Caldwell resident.

“I set out to portray her strength and fire, but also her beauty and femininity, and I hope that’s what I captured,” Amir said.

According to the governor’s office, Amir’s love of painting began at an early age. She began her formal training in her teens, earning a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2004. Amir continued her studies at the Art Students League of New York, and the International School of Drawing and Painting in Umbria, Italy. During a summer at the Florence Academy of Art, she found the training and working method she knew she’d been looking for all along: a curriculum based on the nineteenth century academic tradition. This led her to the NYK Academy at the Harlem Studio of Art, where, under the direction of Judith Pond Kudlow, she received a certificate in classical drawing in 2011 and her painting diploma in 2012.

“While studying in Harlem, Liza was introduced commissioned portraiture, where she truly has found her niche,” the governor’s office continued. “Using her strong academic foundation, she relishes in the challenge of creating paintings that capture both the likeness and soul of her subjects. Notable past commissions include Iowa State University, Loma Linda Hospital, Harvard University, and the World Bank.”

• See Related: Historic Painting Unveiled In The Caldwells At Special Event

KIM GUADAGNO

According to the governor’s office, Guadagno began her public service career as a federal prosecutor in New York and later became an assistant United States attorney and an assistant attorney general in New Jersey.

Guadagno’s political career began as a commissioner in Monmouth Beach in 2005, before becoming Monmouth County’s first female sheriff in 2007. During her time as lieutenant governor, Guadagno also served as secretary of state, overseeing New Jersey’s tourism industry, administering programs related to the arts, culture, and history, and working to improve the state’s economic vitality.

Guadagno filed paperwork to change her party affiliation and become an independent voter in 2021.

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