Celebrating International Artists Day: Galleries, Art Classes, and Woodworking Workshops in NJ

As carpenters and woodworkers, we’re always honing our craft, perfecting our artistry, and working diligently to learn new skills. This specialized skill requires a keen eye and a strong sense of creativity, and thus for sure included in “The Arts” as a field as much as it is a physical trade. So it seems only fitting that we should celebrate International Artists Day and explore new areas of history and creativity.

Artists and the arts are an integral part of society, helping us frame t

he world in creative ways so we can better understand humanity. Everything from industrial design to culinary arts to engineering and architecture revolves around Art. The phones you use, the cars you drive, the tech gadgets you depend on, the movies you stream, the shows you binge...all of them were created by someone who was passionate about the arts! The songs you listen to and music videos you stream are all created by performance artists and musicians who have a devotion to self-expression and creativity.

A thriving Arts district vastly improves local communities on multiple levels: aesthetically, via tourism, economically, and also socially! Art can beautify and unify a community through public art installations, group art events, classes, and more. It provides citizens with a common ground to communicate and express themselves, and understand each other on a non-verbal level. The Arts can also provide income via local tourism to view exhibits, installations, markets, and local businesses, galleries, and museums.

Art is everywhere and Art is for everyone! We’re celebrating International Artist’s Day by highlighting some great reasons you should support The Arts in our local community, and fantastic places to view local art.

Let’s take a look at some wonderful museums, galleries and public art right in our own backyard!

Where to Take Art Lessons and Art Classes: Kids, Adults, Groups, and Parties

• The duCret Center of Art hosts workshops, classes, and special arts related events and is located right near Pinto Carpentry in Plainfield.

• Miele’s Art Studio in Plainfield is a private art studio hosting lessons and workshops.

• Artfully Young Art Studio specializes in art workshops, classes, and private instruction and is located in Warren.

• Art As Therapy workshops with Lisa Brown are located in Watchung and a great option for art therapy workshops and specialized virtual online zoom classes.

• ArtSpace 4U in Scotch Plains hosts painting and drawing class, adult art class, art summer camps, birthday parties, sip and paints, and special events.

• South Avenue Arts in Garwood is a wonderful community creative art space hosting workshops, classes, seasonal camps, art shows, birthday parties, and more.

• Inspire Art Gallery & Studio in Dunellen is a wonderful location for rotational art shows with local artists, special events, sip and paint classes, studio rentals, and a whole lot more.

• Art Academy of Edison New Jersey is host to a wide curriculum of traditional art media courses and workshops for kids, teens, and adults as well as summer intensive workshops.

• All Children’s Art Center is located in Bound Brook as well as two other North Jersey locations, and hosts a wide variety of arts programming and workshops for children and teens including art, music, dance, and theater.

• The Visual Arts Center of NJ in Summit is home to wonderful local and regional exhibitions, community programming in the arts, private and group lessons, and summer arts camps.

Where to Learn the Art of Woodworking and Basic Carpentry

• Intro to Furniture Making runs from November 11th through December 9th at The DIY Joint of Hoboken NJ.

• Intro to Lathe Bowl Turning runs October through November at The DIY Joint of Hoboken NJ.

• DIY Display Shelf runs October through November at The DIY Joint of Hoboken NJ.

• Woodworking 101 and 102, Build an Instrument Courses, and a 3 Month Furniture Making Intensive Course are all part of the curriculum at The New Jersey School of Woodwork in Washington NJ. The facilities also host special Open Shop Hours, where you can get additional instruction on various projects by appointment.

• Learn the Fundamentals of Woodworking as a 5 week course or a 9 hour 1-day intensive Saturday class at The Wood Joint NJ in Monmouth NJ.

Amazing Museums to Visit to Explore Art, History, Carpentry and More

• The Historic Village at Allaire in Farmingdale NJ

• The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains, NJ

• The Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, NJ

• The Zimmerli Art Museum of Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ

• The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, NJ

• The Noyes Museum of Art in Hammonton

• Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton, NJ

• Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton Township, NJ

• Monmouth Museum in Middletown Township, NJ

• Museum of Fine Arts and Popular Culture in Cape May, NJ

• Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York NY

• The Museum for Art in Wood in Philadelphia PA

• The National Building Museum in Washington DC