SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The annual South Orange Maplewood Artists Studio Tour, presented by ArtSOMA: The Artist Community of South Orange & Maplewood, will be held Saturday, Nov. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., like it has been for the past 18 years.
But this year, it almost didn’t happen.
In the past, the town of South Orange sponsored the tour under the direction of the Cultural arts director, who organized volunteers, worked with the two towns to identify venues for artists who didn’t want to show in their homes, identified funders and accomplished many other day-to-day activities involved in making an event like this happen. But when the Baird closed for renovation, that position was eliminated and the artists were left leaderless.
“Sybil Archibald and I got together with a few local artists and we decided that we needed to pick up the slack so that we could have a tour,” artist Leslie Goldman said. “We may not have the support we’ve been used to but we can reach out to our networks.”
So the artists reached out to their friends and networks with a request for volunteers.
Debbie Halpern, a Maplewood resident who is not an artist, was one of the volunteers who Goldman solicited.
“When I saw the email asking for volunteers, I thought, this is something I want to help with,” Halpern said. “I really do love that I live in a town that can support such a vibrant artistic community.”
Artists in South Orange and Maplewood come together every year to open their studios to visitors, friends, collectors and anyone curious about how people in the visual arts make their work. Artists may be emerging, mid-career or established, and create in all kinds of media.
The tour, now in its 18th year, typically features more than 70 artists showing work in their home studios and public venues. Like last year, this year’s event is the “COVID edition,” meaning artists will once again choose how to share their art: some will display their work outside; some will schedule Zoom tours from their studios; some will welcome masked, socially distanced visitors — mostly via appointment; and others will have work on display at local businesses.
Visitors will be able to download a PDF from the tour website at https://studiotoursoma.com, which will list artists’ addresses and additional information about how and where to see their work.
As always, there is no charge to attend the tour, and this year registration for both artists and commercial venues displaying their work is free. The tour is still accepting donations via PayPal at https://studiotoursoma.com/support/ or by contacting Jenn Malone at [email protected].
Photos Courtesy of Debbie Halpern
18th annual SOMA Artists Studio Tour rescued by two towns’ artists added by Editor on
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