Katy Roessle is a co-founder of this homegrown fine-art festival in Ocean Grove. Here she reviews a submission. Paul Goldfinger photograph at Odyssey Coffee *on 4/13/23.
“Moe,” a pastel by MaryLou Shipman, an OG artist who is participating in the AOTP. This was posted on Blogfinger in 2020.
Ocean Grove. The “New Underground”. Paul Goldfinger. Photography participant in AOTP. Click to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor Blogfinger.net. Ocean Grove, NJ.
Until now, the “Blogfinger Town-Wide Yard Sale” has been the only** grassroots event to be run by OG residents primarily for OG residents. We have argued for years that this largest faction in Ocean Grove needs to promote homegrown events of the people, by the people, and for the people; events which are scaled down to match our population culturally and comfortably.
OG residents Betsy Kaplan and Katy Roessle had in mind such an event to feature Ocean Grove artists. They were inspired by Asbury Park’s live music “Porchfest.” Theirs will be an art festival, all over town, with porches being the galleries. Some artists will only be exhibiting while others will have works for sale. The name is “ART ON THE PORCH.” ( AOTP)
The AOTP will be held on Saturday, June 10th from 11:00 am to 4:00pm. Next day is the rain date.
“Ocean Grove residents Betsy Kaplan, Katy Roessle, Doug Donaldson, Bob Ellis, and Susan Cohen-Haris are the committee who gathered last October to develop Art on the Porch. They are a mixed medley of artists and art enthusiasts with a lot of creative juice.”
The CMA, Neptune Township and the Chamber of Commercials will have no part in this project, and that is inspiring.
Remarkably over 50 artists have already signed up. It will be an”entirely walkable gallery of art, exhibited and sold on the artist’s own porches or on host porches.”
There is a pending interactive web site where visitors can look up the bios of the participating artists and consult a map for their porch addresses.
You will be amazed by the talent that has surfaced in the Grove. This is a non-profit event where any excess income will go to a charity for the arts: “Long Fellow Deeds, Inc.” Some of the artwork will be shown on Instagram. Each artist will pay $25.00 to go towards expenses.
More information will be forthcoming, but meanwhile, art lovers mark your calendars. For more information contact Betsy at Btskaplan@gmail.com.
Blogfinger will be updating this story because it is so exciting—an indicator that the residents of OG are ready to take center stage in choosing their own lifestyles.
*And, by the way, speaking of Odyssey Coffee on Main Avenue, they have an excellent display of art on their walls. And the mood in that shop represents a new culture for our town as suggested by Joey Lipp the founder of Odyssey.
** In the past, Blogfinger has sponsored “The People’s Neighborhood Garden Tour” and two OG film festivals, but those efforts did not have legs. Now the Chamber is attempting to sponsor a garden tour, but it loses credibility by charging admission. Who knows what the Chamber does with their income? The AOTP will be a free event.
LIANNE LA HAVAS: “Starry Starry Night.” from the soundtrack of Loving Vincent