Cultivating Creativity

ART IS NOT CONFINED to museums and galleries; it can also be found in our local communities.

Tenafly resident Galit Oelsner is a renowned visual artist and art educator whose works include painting, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media and photography. She is committed to teaching and sharing her passion with others.

She says to those who are hesitant to engage with creative activity: “Art is the place where there’s no judgment.” She describes art as a playground for self-expression and as a place to make mistakes.

AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY

Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Oelsner moved to the United States from Israel in 1999 to pursue an MBA at the American Institute of Technology in New York City.

“I always did art, but when I came to New York City, it opened my eyes [to the fact] that being an artist and doing a creative work can be a profession,” she says of the experience. “I met other artists. I saw what they do.” She decided to pursue art professionally after graduating and finishing her business program.

Oelsner continued her education in the arts, studying painting and drawing at the Art Student League and the New York Academy of Art, and photography at the International Center of Photography. She also spent seven years studying sculpture with the distinguished sculptor Janice Mauro. Not limiting herself to one medium, Oelsner learned to utilize all visual tools to create art without boundaries.

She eventually found her way to Tenafly, initially drawn to its education system and vibrant community. She has since become an important part of, and contributor to, Tenafly’s artistic community.

In recent years, Oelsner has focused on working with ceramics, and also integrates poetry that she finds inspiring her into her work. “I feel like all forms of art, whether it be poetry, visual—it’s all a form of self-expression, and you’re expressing yourself in different kinds of ways,” she says.

Her artwork—which can be found online and in exhibitions across New York and New Jersey, including Tenafly—often incorporates themes of nature and womanhood. Oelsner is fascinated by how plants or trees adapt when moved to new environments. She ponders, in plants or trees that grow in nature, “if you move them to somewhere else, can they grow the same, or is it going to be different?”

The seasonal transformation during spring also inspires her. “Everything in winter is sleeping,” she says. “[Then] in a month, you have all these flowers, all these colors that [make] you feel like you’re walking in a painting.”

ENGAGING AUDIENCES

Oelsner is passionate about highlighting the contributions of women artists throughout history. Early in her artistic journey, she noticed a lack of information about women artists in libraries and sought representation for her identity as a woman, wife, young mother and artist.

This led her to develop lectures such as “Introduction to Women Artists,” which explores the challenges and triumphs of women artists from the 16th to 18th centuries. She shares these insights at venues such as the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly.

Active in both the New York City and Tenafly art communities, Oelsner leads art tours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and curates art shows with Tenafly locals and friends. Her passion for sharing knowledge fuels her interest in art education.

She recounts how attendees often approach her after lectures, saying, “I don’t know anything about art. I’m not sure that I like to go to the museum,” only to later express, “You know what? I learned something.” This transformation underscores her belief in making art accessible and engaging for all.

PATHS TO SELF-EXPRESSION

Oelsner teaches drawing, painting and mixed media, believing that creative work fosters imagination. “If you create something from zero, it’s always being creative,” she says. “And it doesn’t matter what you do. It can be in business; it can be whatever you create. You can find creativity everywhere.”

Witnessing her students’ progress, from holding a brush for the first time to developing a passion for the art they have created within months, she emphasizes that art is about self-expression rather than replication. “It’s really a big honor to accompany them in their art journey,” she says, advocating for dedicating time each week to creative endeavors.

Looking ahead, Oelsner is set to open The Muse ArtHouse in Closter, in collaboration with fellow Tenafly resident Sandra Fathi. This innovative space will function as a creative gym, offering art classes, workshops and events as well as drop-in studio sessions. It brings Oelsner’s business and art background full circle.

“Making art—it’s an essential part of the well-being of someone,” she says. “Whether or not you’re an artist, you should do creative work as a habit, like [with] a physical gym. We want to create a creative gym where everyone will have a range of opportunities to explore all kinds of art experiences.”

BY SPENCER WATSON