Press Releases 2009

People's Choice Award Winner

CONTACT: Janet Peterson, Marketing and Public Relations Director

TEL: (856) 825-6800, Ext. 108

FAX: (856) 825-2410

E-MAIL: jpeterson@wheatonarts.org

 WHEATONARTS wins JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Award

MILLVILLE, NJ – WheatonArts recently announced that the organization won the category of “Favorite Place to Take A Class In The Arts (Adults)” in JerseyArts.com’s first annual “People’s Choice Awards.”

Jim Atkinson, Program Manager of Discover Jersey Arts, explained, “In November and December of 2008 JerseyArts.com invited the public to vote for their favorite nonprofit arts groups. The 15 categories ranged from theater and performing arts center, to museum and gallery, to symphony and dance company. Over 2630 people cast their ballot in this year’s awards. The public really got excited about the awards this year. We’re hoping we’ll see even more participation in 2009.”   

Janet Peterson, WheatonArts Marketing and Public Relations Director said, “To win this award is very gratifying. It reaffirms our ongoing commitment to present hands-on arts education programs and workshops that engage adults and children in the creative process. We want to thank everyone for their vote and continued support.”

In addition, WheatonArts’ Gallery of Fine Craft placed second in the voting in the “Favorite Art Gallery” category. The Gallery of Fine Craft (recipient of a 2007 Niche Magazine Top Retailer award) features one-of-a-kind contemporary sculpture and fine crafts in glass, ceramics, wood, metal, textile and mixed media plus a broad selection of glass jewelry. The Gallery presents works by established and emerging artists and studios. It is dedicated to excellence in the development of studio glass art and regional craft and is a well-known destination for collectors, artists and students.

WheatonArts’ “Winter Weekends,” a series of classes, demonstrations and interactive activities for children and their families, begins January 17 and continues every Saturday and Sunday through March 22. Free hands-on activities, including the new “Nature Craft Series,” are offered every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fee-based classes take place every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and last 45 minutes to an hour in length. Class sizes are limited. No pre-registration. Member discounts do not apply for these workshops.

WheatonArts’ “Make Your Own” glass experiences (make a paperweight, blow a vase or bowl form, create beads) begin in April and continue through the end of the year. The program is available for anyone 16 years of age or older. Minors require a parent or guardian's signature. Call extension 152 for more information.

Additional honors earned by WheatonArts in the past few years include a Niche Magazine Top Retailer award to the Gallery of Fine Craft, a 2008 New Jersey Governor’s Tourism Award, the designation of the Festival of Fine Craft as a “Top 100 Event in North America” by the American Bus Association, and the designation of “Major Arts Institution” by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

In January, February and March WheatonArts is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. WheatonArts offers free admission during these three months only. It is free to shop and stroll. The Museum of American Glass and all of the museum stores are open. The Glass, Pottery and Flameworking Studios and Down Jersey Folklife Center are closed during these three months. They will reopen April 1 when WheatonArts returns to its six-day operating schedule.

For more information about WheatonArts call 800-998-4552 or 856-825-6800 or visit online at www.wheatonarts.org. For more information about “Winter Weekends” call extension 113.

WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events and programs to all

persons with disabilities. Provide two weeks notice for special accommodations.

Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. WheatonArts received funding through a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.

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