South Jersey Creatives at the Table
Connect with the South Jersey cultural community at a South Jersey Creatives at the Table session!
Hosted monthly on ZOOM, South Jersey Creatives at the Table sessions allow virtual guests to connect with a diverse array of South Jersey artists, creatives, and cultural leaders. Attendees will ‘visit’ artist’s studios, participate in art slams & critique sessions, or engage in cultural discussions. Each session is as unique as the featured artist!
Host a South Jersey Creatives at the Table Session
Are you an artist, creative, arts administrator, or other cultural community member that would like to host a South Jersey Creatives at the Table session? Contact Julie Hain, Associate Director, at jhain@sjca.net .
Upcoming Events
August 25th, 2021 @ 1:00 pm – South Jersey Artist Conversations
Connect with your fellow South Jersey artists & SJCA during these informal, artist-centered virtual discussions.
Check out all or past virtual events on SJCA's YouTube Channel
July 27th, 2021 – Artist Reciprocity Circle
Featuring an activity based on the work of Terri Amig, Peg Balacastro, Penny Beck, Jacqueline Boyd, Kimberly Campbell, Jim Culleny, Grayce, Denoia Bochak, Ashley O’Neal, Chloe Pinero, Jacqueline Sandro Greenwell, Molly Sanger Carpenter, Margo Taylor, Annelise Van Dommelen.
June 12th, 2021 – South Jersey Creatives at the Table featuring the artists of Persephone Rising at Perkins Center for the Arts
Terri Amig, Peg Balacastro, Penny Beck, Jacqueline Boyd, Kimberly Campbell, Jim Culleny, Grayce, Denoia Bochak, Ashley O’Neal, Chloe Pinero, Jacqueline Sandro Greenwell, Molly Sanger Carpenter, Margo Taylor, Annelise Van Dommelen.
May 27th, 2021 – South Jersey Creatives at the Table featuring the Pitman Pride Committee
On May 27, 2021, the South Jersey Creatives at the Table session features the Pride Alliance of Pitman, who presented, “A Journey to PRIDE: Building Community and Finding Allies in Uncertain Times.”
A panel of speakers from the Pride Alliance of Pitman, including Kara Knauss, Josh Hitchner, Justin David Burns, and Dani Cooke will talk about how the PRIDE in Pitman event came to be, as well as the importance of equity, adaptability, and resilience when planning community events.
The Pride In Pitman Community Event is a great example of how collaborating with local creatives, businesses, and residents foster stronger, more inclusive communities.
April 15th, 2021 – South Jersey Creatives at the Table featuring fine art photographer Erik James Montgomery
On April 15th Camden-based fine art photographer Erik James Montgomery expounded on the importance of the visual documentation of Black art and culture. Montgomery shared personal stories and discussed historical images by Black photographers including serval of his own images, created over his 30-year career.
March 31st, 2021 – South Jersey Creatives at the Table featuring Artist/Designer/Instructor Terina Nicole.
Terina Nicole is a New Jersey native who creates beautiful, bold statement pieces for art & design lovers. She is the designer and founder of Jypsea Leathergoods, a line of luxe leather home goods, handbags & jewelry made primarily of recycled skins. She is also the author of ENVISION: The Young Accessory Designer’s Guide to Collection Development,the founder of the Independent Designer Showcase and co-founder of DIYMakersCon, a conference for creative women makers.
Her most recent and proudest venture is The Fashion Design Center of South Jersey, which she founded to make design education available to Camden residents. As a Design Instructor, nothing makes her heart leap for joy more than helping others find their own creative voice so that they too can live a life that they’re passionate about.
February 18th, 2021 – South Jersey Creatives at the Table featuring artist Pedro Fuller
Pedro Fuller was born in Managua, Nicaragua in 1961. His love for art manifested itself early on when, as a child, he loved to draw spending all his time drawing maps. At the age of 13 he met a painter who became his art teacher, mentor, and friend. While pursuing his public school education, Pedro began his Fine Arts studies at the Escuela de Bellas Artes.
In 1979, as a result of political unrest, Pedro’s family moved from Nicaragua to the United States, establishing themselves in New Jersey, where Pedro finished High School. After graduating he was accepted at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where, in 1985, he received his degree in painting.
Speaking about his art, Fuller states, “Every piece I complete expresses something unique. I always give careful consideration to the way color and form work together. I frequently use tropical hues like cadmium red and yellow, olive green, and turquoise. I paint mainly with oil and pastels. Some of the themes in my art are spirituality, music, politics, and happiness. Because I value music for its relaxing qualities, there is a visual rhythm in my work through which I try to reach this same calmer, more spiritual place. My own spirituality inspires my paintings of musicians, love, and joy. As in any art, I am coming from what I know as well as moving towards the unknown. The creative act itself leads me to a new place where I am reborn on the canvas. I paint because I love to paint and enjoy the pleasure and serenity it gives to others.”
January 16th, 2021 – South Jersey Creatives at the Table featuring Artist Soraida Martinez
Soraida Martinez is a South Jersey, visual artist of Puerto Rican descent, known for her contemporary abstract expressionist paintings and social commentary. She is the creator of the art movement, Verdadism, a form of hard-edge abstraction where each painting is accompanied by a written social commentary. Verdadism has influenced a number of contemporary artists and writers and is used by educators to help teach concepts such as diversity and cultural understanding.
Collaboration is Key
A priority of the South Jersey Creatives at the Table sessions is to highlight BIPOC and Latinx artists and cultural leaders in South Jersey. SJCA was honored to partner with Cooper’s Ferry Partnership/Connect the Lots Camden/A New View Camden, on our March and April sessions highlighting Camden artists and performers.
Cooper’s Ferry Partnership (CFP) was founded in 1984 as a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to planning and implementing high-quality urban redevelopment projects to revitalize the City of Camden. Cooper’s Ferry currently powers two initiatives designed to bring vibrancy to Camden neighborhoods and use public art to address important civic issues.
Connect the Lots (CTL) is a community-driven initiative to activate Camden, New Jersey’s parks and underutilized spaces through the implementation of artistic, cultural, and recreational projects and activities. The goals of the initiative are to engage Camden residents in neighborhood transformation, create safe nodes of activity, and bring vibrancy to Camden’s corridors and public spaces.
A New View (ANV) is a series of temporary art installations at six sites across the city that invite the community to imagine a more beautiful, innovative, and healthier future by responding creatively to Camden’s history as a place for illegal dumping.
CTL and ANV are collaborative efforts between Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, the City of Camden, and Rutgers University Camden.
CFP is excited by the possibility for these initiatives to highlight and strengthen Camden’s artist community. Our partnership with the South Jersey Cultural Alliance will provide an up-close look at some of the amazing work being created by individuals reared and working in the City of Camden.
