Representatives of the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County are inviting the community to join them on April 22 at 1 p.m. for the preview gala opening of a new exhibit, “Fun Can Be Work! The Art of ClaraGee Stamaty, Stanley Stamaty andMarkAlan Stamaty.”

The gala reception will include a fruit, cheese, and wine table, music by pianist Jay Wolff, and a meet and greet with presenting artists ClaraGee Stamaty and MarkAlan Stamaty. The suggested donation for this event is $15 for museum members and $18 for nonmembers.

According to a press release, ClaraGee Stamaty studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. First employed as an artist and stylist in the display department of Rollman’s, a department store, she left to do art work at the Air Service Command in Dayton, Ohio, duringWorldWar II.

While there she submitted some cartoons to the new“Seventeen” magazine and several were purchased. That was the start of her cartooning career. She and her husband, whom she met while at the academy, moved east to be closer to the magazines for which they worked.

Both published artists, they worked individually and together. ClaraGee’s work has appeared in most of the major magazines and newspapers of the 20th century and can be found in many private collections. She and her husband, Milton Ziment, belong to Temple Beth Miriam in Elberon and are active in the temple and in the community. Stanley Stamaty, who died in 1979, was a keen observer of life and, armed with a quick wit, was an accredited gag cartoonist. When he was diagnosed with a leaky heart valve at age 15 and was advised to choose a sedentary career, he decided to become a cartoonist.

He worked his way through the Art Academy of Cincinnati, perfecting his drawing and developing his own unique style. While still at school, he sold his first cartoon to the “Saturday Evening Post” and met and later married ClaraGee Kastner, with whom he collaborated on several cartoon features. His cartoons appeared in hundreds of publications in the United States and abroad.

Mark Alan Stamaty grew up surrounded by the business of two working artists and in possession of his own unique artistic talent. Thus it was natural for him to follow in the footsteps of his parents, ClaraGee and Stanley. He is the author of 10 books, six of them for children. His comic strips, illustrations and cartoons have appeared in many newspapers and magazines.

The exhibit will be on display and open to the public fromApril 24 through Aug. 30 during regular museum hours, Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum is 310 Mount’s Corner Drive in the Mount’s Corner shopping center, Freehold Township. The museum is handicapped accessible. For more information call 732-252-6990. Reservations may be made by check, credit card or online.