Arts in Bloom Review

This past weekend was the 10th Annual Salem County Arts in Bloom Studio Tour. I am overwhelmed with the support that I received. This year was special celebrating the 10th year of Arts in Bloom with a 10 Year Retrospective Show. In the spring of 2008 I had changed my college major from Biology to Art and this year's tour commemorated that experience. See the video below for a walk through of the display.

I am super grateful to those who enjoyed my work and chose to purchase products to make them apart of their home. Every purchase truly means so much! “Curious 601” was sold to a lovely couple, Nancy & Ron Cataleno, from Moorestown. I thought it was so ironic that they were from the town where I used to teach! It was their first time on the tour and we had a great conversation about how they found out about Arts in Bloom. They were shopping at Matteo Family Kitchens & Flooring and happened to see the brochure. I was one of the stops they chose and I am so glad that they did!

“Curious 601” was used for the 2016 Arts in Bloom publications, the 2017 Pitman Gallery & Art Center's Pitman Art Stroll, as well as shown in various galleries throughout southern New Jersey. She has been admired by many people but I am SO HAPPY that she now resides with a fellow artist in a town that I hold dear to my heart.

I am so honored to document and preserve the beautiful country living in southern New Jersey through my original acrylic paintings and photography. The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to witness customers recognize or make personal connections with the landscapes I depict. Thank you to everyone who took the time to come meet me and view my artwork. I had visitors from Arizona, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and of course, New Jersey.

Below are pictures and video from this year's Salem County Arts in Bloom Studio Tour.

Nancy & Ron Cataleno

Arts in Bloom Site #6

This past weekend was my 5th year exhibiting in the Salem County Arts in Bloom Studio Tour. This year was special because it was the first time I was at my house as my own site location. In previous years, I have exhibited at my workshop studio at A Whole New Light, and at Janice Chassier's Gallery Under the Oak Tree.

I began setting up my display on Wednesday. I wanted to use the display system I purchased from a Massachusetts photographer (read more about it here) inside our garage. I first had to shift things in order for the display to fit. My goal was to have the display components setup by Wednesday, hang all of the artwork and stage the setup by Thursday and tie up any loose ends (print out missing tags, price items) on Friday.  Despite the heat, everything went according to plan!

Friday evening I held a preview/opening reception event where I invited a few clients and friends to attend. It was a relaxed gathering where visitors could look at the artwork, talk, and enjoy some wine and desserts. We lounged on the straw bale couch and watched a distant lighting storm. It was the perfect way to start the weekend!

Saturday morning as I began to set up, visitors started to arrive around 9:30 AM. There was a constant flow of tour goers throughout the day including neighbors, farmers, friends, students, and art enthusiasts who I hadn't met before. I had so many wonderful conversations and even witnessed one of my paintings captivate and move someone so much, they cried. It was a powerful moment. I even sold my painting, "The Meathouse". It was an amazing day!

The day started slower on Sunday which gave me an opportunity to take some video of my set up and post on Facebook for Arts in Bloom (I am the Volunteer Social Media Coordinator for AIB). By lunchtime, visitors began to arrive and I was busy for the rest of the afternoon! I had several people return from the previous day to discuss private art lessons and commissioning a piece of artwork. Fellow Pitman Gallery & Art Center member artist, Eileen Meehan Ziegler and Ro Mansfield came to my site. They were so nice and I look forward to collaborating with them in the future! 

My aunt and cousins came down from Kennett Square to see my display. They ended up staying for dinner after the day had ended. It was the perfect ending to a successful event!

Overall, I had a phenomenal weekend! I had over 100 visitors between the two days and sales that far exceeded my expectations. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the support I received! I am excited to get back into the studio and create new works of art for next year's Salem County Arts in Bloom. Special thank you to my mom and student, Audrey, for helping me throughout the week with the kids as I setup for this big event. I couldn't have done it without you!

A Milkhouse Holiday Sale

Yesterday I participated in A Milkhouse Party's Holiday Sale. I had such a great time! I met a lot of great new people, saw some old friends and even made some new ones.

I was so excited to start using my new art show display (you can read more about it here) that I set it up in my dining room on Wednesday. I wanted to get acquainted with how all the parts worked and the best way to handle the large panels. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to assemble. Below is a picture of my trial run.

I began setting up at the Milkhouse on Friday afternoon. I set everything up but due to my location being right in front of the back door, I had to open the panels to allow other vendors easier access. I had a great location and was glad to help out the fellow sellers! To avoid any mishaps, I labeled where everything would go and packed them up until the following morning. 

I always wake up super early when I have a big event and without fail I got up at 3AM. I used that time to finish last minute preparations and finish packing. I really enjoyed the quiet time before the kids woke up to get organized.

After getting everyone ready for the day, I arrived early Saturday morning to run electrical cords, close the panels and finish hanging things. My mom was nice enough to come help and give her expert staging advice. I ended up switching a lot of my display around to highlight my new products: Canvas prints and framed prints. 10 A.M. rolled around fast and after I scarfed down a Wawa gobbler bowl, I was ready to greet customers!

I had an amazing time meeting new people that live in the area. It's so inspiring to see people recognize the places that I paint or connect with the artwork personally with a memory. It's awesome to know so many people identify with farm life through the farm animals and landscapes that I paint. I truly enjoyed listening to all of their stories and sharing my own.

The day went by fast and my friend, Courtney, showed up to help me tear down. While I was going out back to get my truck, I was lucky enough to see a beautiful sunset.

Thank you to everyone who came to visit me and to those who purchased my artwork!