Discover 'Faces of Music' at Toms River Library

Locals are invited to discover the “Faces of Music” all through July at the Ocean County Library’s Toms River branch.

The month-long exhibit of acrylic portraits was created by Ocean County artist Martina Smejkalova, according to the library.

The collection, which depicts international jazz, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll greats including the Beatles, Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan and Nina Simone, is on display in the branch’s McConnell and Second Floor galleries, according to the library.

Born in 1976 in the former republic of Czechoslovakia, Smejkalova grew up outside of Prague, where she pursued her formal study of art with Bohemian masters. After moving to the United States, she met and married her husband, New Jersey singer/songwriter Kevin Hinninger. Music became a major inspiration for her portrait work, which captures the excitement and power of live performance, the library said.

Smejkalova has exhibited previously at the Art Alliance of Monmouth County, the Belmar Arts Council, the Burlington County Library, and various galleries throughout the tri-state area and the Czech Republic, according to the library. This is her first  solo exhibit at the Ocean County Library.

For more information on the free exhibit, contact the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library at 732-349-6200 ext. 5112, or visit http://www.theoceancountylibrary.org.