From October 1st through November 14, 2025, the South Brunswick Senior Center in Monmouth Junction hosted a special art exhibit featuring the work of Ms. Laurie Budhu, a well known and loved art teacher at South Brunswick High School. The exhibit filled two walls of the senior center and added to the already peaceful and cozy atmosphere. The room felt calm and peaceful, with tables and chairs arranged across the walls with her artwork, offering visitors the opportunity to sit and take the entire exhibit in. The collection contained a mix of portraits and landscapes, which included several of her dog, Baci, who she refers to as her muse. The pieces showed the sentimental value her dog holds for her and added a personal touch to the exhibit.
Next to the paintings hung a page written by Ms. Budhu herself, explaining the background behind her work. In the page she says “Ultimately, my journey as an artist and a teacher is deeply intertwined” This statement depicts how passionate she is about both her artwork and teaching.
In June of this year, at the monthly meeting for the Art Commissions, Ms. Budhu was approached by Sadi Mizrahi with the idea of displaying her art as an art show. Mr. Mizrahi had previously done art shows at the senior center and decided to extend the opportunity to Ms. Budhu. She agreed, and got right to work on the pieces she planned to put in. Over the summer she usually challenges herself to curate at least 2 paintings in the summer but after agreeing to the art show, she decided to make a total of 7 paintings so that she would have a variety to choose from to put on display.
Some of the paintings displayed were created over the past several years, with the oldest one dating back to 2018. A few were even borrowed from her son in Ithaca, as they were originally gifts she painted from his travel photos. Although Ms. Budhu has participated in other art displays before, this was her first solo exhibit, which made it even more meaningful for her. Although she has been teaching art for about 15 years, teaching has not always been her first career. Before becoming a teacher, she worked as a graphic designer, but the unpredictability of the hours made it difficult to balance family and work. She decided to try teaching as it worked well with having young children, and eventually decided to stick with it.
Ms Budhu says “Creating art is an intimate experience; it is an opportunity to share something extremely personal to you with curious people.” One advice she gives to young artists is “Look at different kinds of art, regardless of whether it is your style or how you feel about it. The more art you look at, the better you become as an artist. Practice and try new things, and be open to feedback. There’s a lot to learn.”
There’s no limit to her learning. She still receives feedback from her friends and respects and values their opinions so she improves her work that way. Once approved by her friends, she feels a sense of satisfaction. Over time, she reconnected with her artistic and creative side and began using what she teaches in the classroom to inspire her personal artwork. “The more I paint, the better I teach– and what I teach, I try to apply in my artwork,” she explained.
The exhibit at the senior center was more than just an array of paintings. Each painting held something personal to her. The exhibition was an opportunity to showcase her growth as both an artist and a teacher. Through her work, she hopes to show others how art can capture moments and emotions in ways that words cannot. For Ms. Budhu, teaching and creating art go hand in hand; she finds happiness in inspiring her students to express themselves in the ways that she loves. When asked about what she likes about being an art teacher, she replied, “What don’t I love about being a teacher?” She loves teaching and sharing with her students. She wants visitors to take away “How she is sharing her memories through paintings, and others can too” from her show.
