Dedicated to Professionalism

What has brought artists from different visual arts together as Studio Montclair, Inc.?

The desire to share resources and information has been only a part of the story. In February, 1997, a show entitled, "The Montclair Art Colony: Past and Present", opened at the Montclair Art Museum. Visitors to the show were invited to continue their artistic tour to downtown Montclair where several galleries mounted a show called, "The Rest of the Colony", which was organized by five local artists. "An incredible success!", crowed Antoinette Martin of The Montclair Times and Studio Montclair, Inc. was born. In all, the work of 46 local artists was viewed at various art galleries around town. This exciting event helped jumpstart the fledgling group into the vibrant organization it is today.

Presently, the organization has grown to almost 200 members including artists from the local area and as far away as New Mexico and Hawaii. "We offer an array of opportunities for artists to bring their work to the public", said Studio Montclair President, Virginia Schaffer Block. "At the same time we are conscious of promoting and enhancing the image of Montclair, New Jersey as a center of the visual arts".

The organization holds several annual events which have become highly successful including the Annual Montclair Open Studios Tour and an annual Open Juried Exhibition that has achieved national scope. In addition, an annual Members' Exhibition brings further public recognition and exposure to Studio Montclair members.

One of the group's innovative programs geared at bringing art closer to the community has been its "Meet the Artist" series held at the Montclair Public Library. A featured member artist exhibits work in the library during a month long event culminating in a reception and lecture by the artist. This program has been well received by the public and will be held three times in 2002.

Studio Montclair has also entered into collaborative projects and exhibits with other organizations such as the Watchung Art Center and two collaborative exhibits with Montclair State University, juried by nationally recognized New York City curators. In 2002, the group will coproduce a students' art exhibit with The Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Montclair.

A highlight of this year will be an international exhibit in Graz, Austria, Montclair's sister city. Graz will be the European Cultural Capital for 2003 and is already drawing visitors from around the world. Studio Montclair artists will be featured in the exhibit and will participate in the concurrent conference and symposium.

Studio Montclair's objectives include:

Acting as a liaison between visual artists and the community Providing members with opportunities for exposure of their art Connecting member artists to a broad base of business and artistic professionals in the area Encouraging professionalism at all artistic career levels Promoting Montclair as an arts center. Through membership in the organization, visual artists can attain goals and capitalize on opportunities generally unobtainable for an individual artist. For example, members' artworks are included in a slide registry housed at The Montclair Art Museum. The organization's website includes members' pages, e-groups, and a bulletin board, while a quarterly newsletter gives further outlet for artistic news and opinion.

Studio Montclair was also an important contributor to the 2001 Montclair Arts Summit whose goal has been to establish a concrete plan for recognition of Montclair as an arts center and to develop ways of ensuring that recognition.

Studio Montclair has been acclaimed by the business community with the Edgar A. Ferdon Community Service Award from the Montclair Chamber of Commerce. Montclair has made itself known for its dedication to the arts. Studio Montclair, Inc. will be a powerful partner in the years to come in solidifying and strengthening that position.