Dear Members and Friends of the Ocean County Artists Guild,

As we celebrate our 50th anniversary in this historic building and enter our 68th year since our founding, I am thrilled to share some of our recent accomplishments demonstrating our commitment to growing arts and culture throughout Ocean County.

We have significantly expanded our community partnerships, reaching diverse groups across the region:

    1. We have established a collaboration with Island Heights Elementary School, bringing art education to our youngest community members.
    2. Our partnership with the Island Heights United Methodist Church has opened new avenues for community engagement.
    3. We are working closely with TRAC and the OCC Arts Committee, strengthening our ties with local art organizations.
    4. As a founding member and sponsor of the Toms River Artists Cooperative, we are fostering a vibrant local art scene.
    5. Our reach has extended to Lacey Township through satellite classes, making art more accessible to a wider audience.
    6. We have engaged Toms River High School art teachers and teenagers, nurturing the next generation of artists.
    7. Our programs will now include veterans and special needs adults, ensuring that art is truly for everyone in our community.
    8. I have registered the Guild as a Presenting Sponsor at the Annual Miniature Golf Tournament for the OCC Foundation and RWJ Barnabas Health Community Medical Center Foundation to highlight our Guild’s offerings.
    9. Advertisement for the Guild donated to Pine Ridge Golf Course Bench to attract Golfers and their families.
    10. A local Scout collaboration. Girls Scouts will be taking Sally Cornelison’s Corn husk doll workshop, and we are actively recruiting Eagle Scouts for a Guild project.
    11. We have booked Barry Rugerio of NJ Paranormal to provide three fundraising “ghost hunts” at the Guild in Feb, Mar, and Oct to promote the history of the Guild and attract a new audience.
    12. Enlisted New York Academy of Arts Teacher Elody Gyekis to initiate Visiting Artist’s gallery show and workshop.
    13. We are having a Bourbon Tasting fundraising event in Feb at Klee’s with live Music to target neighboring communities and attract new members. Lottery and Auction opportunity.
    14. Our Silent Auction & Gift Baskets will be at the Clarion Hotel in March.
    15. Targeting fundraising events at the Island Heights Yacht Club and offer “rainy day” craft and art workshops at the Guild for young sailing campers.
    16. Booking Nobel Prize nominated Poet to present in collaboration with local churches.
    17. Renovating our website with simpler visuals and focusing on improving ease of use for our members.
    18. To meet and begin train weekend “sitter” volunteers to become Docents to provide tours of the home and provide oral history and have prepared information for each new Gallery Exhibit. This will enhance the experience of both the volunteers and weekend walk-in visitors.
    19. Planning “Founders Day” celebration and permanent Gallery in the entryway highlighting Founders and notable members’ art.
    20. We have joined as a member of RevNJ is a partnership between the NJ Historical Commission and nonprofit Crossroads of the American Revolution Association to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in New Jersey. Social Media platform we can leverage and lift Island Heights as a historic tourist destination.

These partnerships reflect our mission to enrich the lives of Ocean County residents through arts and cultural programs. They also demonstrate our commitment to being more than just a place for art classes – we are a community hub that brings people together through creativity and expression.

As we look to the future, we are excited about the potential these collaborations hold. We are not only preserving our beautiful historic building but also ensuring it serves as a vibrant center for arts and culture in Ocean County. Thank you for your continued support as we grow and evolve.
Together, we are creating a lasting legacy of art and community in Ocean County.

Bill Pike
President
Ocean County Artists Guild