It’s always kind of fun to attend an art opening. It’s very organic, for the most part, without all the electronic noise or manufactured influences of our modern times. And of course, there’s the opportunity to meet the most interesting people.

If you go with Jose and Nick, it’s even better. Their enthusiasms are infectious, their humor delightful. As I’ve mentioned before, Jose Rodeiro is a prolific artist (top left image above) and art historian who teaches at NJCU. No kidding, I learn something wonderful and new every time I’m in his company.

Neither Nick (also a master artist) nor I were in this show, but we’ve become somewhat of a troop, a band of cavorting artists.

My daughter’s been around them enough now to feel at ease, and part of the troop. Nick is interested in her future and convinced she should attend Parson’s. She tries to tell him she wants to be a writer, but he’s sure she’s an artist. (It’s all good, Nick.)

And if you can’t have an early 1900’s Paris salon, this is the next best thing for earfuls and eyefuls of colorful opinions and great varieties of art. Speaking of colorful, along with lively exchanges with Jose and Nick and other artists, and friends Nutia, Robert and Lucy, we had the most charming chat with a young Argentinean who loves soccer almost as much as his 7-foot long pet iguana. (oh my.)

I will admit that my girl wasn’t too enthused when she saw the sign announcing that this was a portrait show. I said, trust me, it won’t just be paintings of generals and grandma’s (nothing wrong with those, mind you, just not what a creative-minded teen might be excited about…). And of course, she wasn’t disappointed.

So, the reason we were there: Not just your classical portraiture, this evocative exhibit of 30 artists is showing through August 15 at the Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery in Annunciation Center at the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J.

Summer hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 4:30 to 8:00 p.m. or by appointment (artgallery@cse.edu or 973-290-4314).

More samplings of what you’ll see:

Artists Exhibiting in Who We Are: Contemporary Portraits

Rob Barth, Lafayette, N.J., Amy Becker. Madison, N.J.. Patricia A. Bender, Somerset, N.J., Gianluca Bianchino, Little Falls, N.J., Janet Boltax, Montclair, N.J., Travis Childers, Fairfax, Va., Judy Cooperman, Great Neck, N.Y., Ellen Denuto, Denville, N.J., Todd L.W. Doney, Gillette, N.J., Pat Flaherty, North Caldwell, N.J., Enrique Flores-Galbis, Forest Hills, N.Y., Marianne Fourie, Hoboken, N.J., Hayat Huma Gul, Wayne, N.J., Neal Korn, Union, N.J., Yen-Hua Lee, Scarsdale, N.Y., So Yoon Lym, Wayne, N.J., James Kearns, Dover, N.J., Kendall Messick, Jersey City, N.J., Leslie Milton, Short Hills, N.J., Charles Perkalis, Whippany, N.J., James Patrick Reid, Madison N.J., José Rodeiro, Madison, N.J., Larry Ross, Madison, N.J., Wayne Roth, Mountain Lakes, N.J., Sam Sebren, Athens, N.Y., Miriam Stern, Teaneck, N.J., Peter Tilgner, Montclair, N.J., Doreen Valenza, Livingston, N.J., Raul Villarreal, Verona, N.J., Willem VanDooijeweert, Mountain Lakes, N.J., Bill Westheimer, West Orange, N.J., Barry Zawacki, Mountain Lakes, N.J., Sue Zwick, Summit, N.J.