Bringing more art into Maplewood is part of a Master Plan

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood is celebrated for its art vibe. In addition to hip restaurants and cafes, bookstores, boutiques, Maplewood is a hot spot for visual and performing arts.

There’s the 1978 Maplewood Arts Center, The Woodland, and the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts. There’s also a gazebo for a free summer concert series which is held on Friday nights, and Maplewood Village’s Summer Streets, where during the warm-weather months, there’s a pedestrian plaza between Baker Street and Inwood Place to enjoy entertainment on the streets and dining.

How Maplewood’s art scene should figure into the townships future is part of the discussions on the Master Plan that is currently being developed by the township. A draft of the plan is currently available for viewing on the township website.

A Master Plan is a “blueprint” for a municipality, outlining a vision for the future and community-established principles for balanced economic, social, physical, environmental, and fiscal planning. The document is not a law or regulations, but provides guidance to elected officials and stakeholders when they make land use, zoning, and capital investment decisions.

State law requires towns to update their Master Plan at least once every 10 years. Maplewood last updated its Master Plan in 2011, and in 2021, the township initiated the process to create its first full Master Plan since 2004.

The township selected BFJ Planning, a New York City-based planning consultant firm, to lead a team in developing the Maplewood Master Plan. The planning process spans approximately 12 months, in three phases: an analysis of the Township’s existing conditions, recommendations, and the revised and final Master Plan. Maplewood is currently in the third phase.

There is a Master Plan Steering Committee composed of eight members who meet regularly with the consultant team to guide and provide feedback as the plan develops. The members are town officials or are active in township organizations. There have also been numerous opportunities for residents to provide input.

One area that is being focused on is Maplewood and the arts.
Maplewood’s art scene is not as visible as you’d think according to Susan Favate, principal of BFJ Planning. She believes it’s a good time for Maplewood to think about the arts and make the arts more visible.

“Coming out of Covid, a lot of organizations and facilities are taking stock of where they are, rebuilding a bit,” said Favate. The “township hired a new manager of the Maplewood Division of Arts and Culture—Sally Unsworth. It’s a great time to incorporate art into the Master Plan. Maplewood is a haven for the arts.”

Favate feels there’s a lot the township could do such as building awareness and strengthening the programs that already exist, and create a comprehensive directory, a landing page of the arts.
“There are great facilities and so much potential,” she said. “Also, a recommendation for the township would be to establish a facility where artists can come in and use space. Galleries, maker spaces, things the public can participate in, anything performance related. Public art can be used to create more vibrant spaces. More planning is needed. There’s a lot of potential. There is this idea that Maplewood is an art town, but it can be more than that.”

As for budget, Favate said, “I can’t put a dollar amount on it.”
According to Township Committee member, Vic De Luca, every 10 years a Master Plan is created. A recommendation in the art plan is to do an inventory of needs, make improvements and make them into current standards, such as lighting, air conditioning, and seating. “Additionally, there was a recommendation to continue to emphasize the arts,” he said. “Lots of artists live here. Lots of Broadway actors live here.
The thought was to continue to prioritize with funding with our Division of Arts and Culture. We’d like to reach out to groups that haven’t been with us before. We’d like to reach out to the Haitian community, the Caribbean community, and look for a way we can work the new groups in town; give them space to perform.”

By focusing on existing venues and accommodating needs De Luca feels the emphasis on “local” would mean a broader local. “Essex County, that type of area,” he explained.
To learn more about the Maplewood Arts and Culture community and find out about upcoming events, visit: https://www.maplewoodartsandculture.org.