Website to link art students with professionals

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Glen Ridge High School art teacher Anne Malone will unveil a unique web page on Thursday, Jan. 26, that she hopes will connect past and present GRHS art students with art professionals.

The unveiling will be at the Ridgewood Avenue train station during the opening of an art exhibit by her students. A reception, with refreshments, is planned from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The purpose of the the webpage, GR Art Connect, is to help young artists find professional opportunities and for potential employers to find qualified employees. Malone hopes the website will attract not only graphic artists but also visual and performing artists, and musicians. It is a restricted website.

“It is exclusive to Glen Ridge current and former students,” she said last week at the school. “But postings from employer/members do not necessarily need a connection to Glen Ridge.”

The webpage was an idea she had and started about a year and a half ago. Helping her was Andrea Badagliacca, a former student; Alexandria Henry, a web designer; and Lou Mercurio, the president of the the Glen Ridge Arts Patrons Association, who assisted with the funding.

Malone’s inspiration came from her students when they asked for guidance in finding a start in the arts. So far, GR Art Connect has 17 members, a mix of professionals and students.

To become a member, an application has to be completed. There is a questionnaire. Students must list their skill sets and what kind of work they want to find. Examples of work can be displayed, even if it is performance art. And there are links to broader websites such as Facebook.

The art exhibit, which will run until April 1, will be a mix of sophomore, junior and senior work.

“The student show at the station is a way to invite local businesses to see the website,” Malone said. “There are local coffeehouses that exhibit art. There are illustrators, architects and artists who may need assistance in their studios.”
Malone said any discussion with a professional would help a student. She has 14 senior-year art students. About seven plan to move on to some form of art, she said.

But her first goal is to increase membership on the website. She is using Facebook and plans on contacting her colleagues in the GRHS music- and theater-arts departments. To find potential employers, she is mailings local businesses and using email blasts. She said the success of the website will be measured in the number of opportunities Glen Ridge students receive. Comments and questions about the website can be sent to Malone at: [email protected]. The website can be reached at: www.grconnect.org.