Metuchen's 4th Annual Junebug ArtFest Celebrates Creativity During June

Join more than 100 visual and performing artists at Metuchen's month-long arts celebration on Friday evenings, June 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th -- from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. Over the past three years, the Junebug ArtFest has grown exponentially in terms of the numbers of attendees, the quality of the displays and the participating artists and musicians who now hail from neighboring states as well as New Jersey.

The upcoming 4th annual festival will feature a range of activities throughout downtown Metuchen, including open air exhibits, window galleries, live music, interactive art events and open-mic sessions featuring poets and performers. Please see further details regarding the event schedule below.

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT:

6:00 -- 8:00 PM -- Interactive events for children and adults in front of Borough Hall.
6:00 -- 9:00 PM -- The always-popular "chalkwalk" near Borough Hall
6:00 -- 9:00 PM -- More than 75 local and regional artists exhibiting a variety of work from paintings and ceramics to staiNed Glass, jewelry and photographs.
7:00 -- 10:00 PM -- Live music at a range of venues throughout town, ranging from Brazilian to Bluegrass to Classic Rock to open mic performances.
FRIDAY, JUNE 3

7:00 PM -- An Opening Night Bug (Near Metuchen Savings Bank on Main Street): Unveiling of the annual "Junebug Sculpture", whichw ill presideover the ArtFest throughout June.
6:00 -- 8:00 PM -- Interactive Activities @ Borough Hall:
1) Create Your Own Hats (Mickey Waring & Kathy Glaser) with a "Parade of Hats" @ 8pm
2) Performance by local musician and children's entertainer Michael Napolitano from Preschool of Rock (6:30 pm)
6:00 - 8:00 pm - Accepting entries @ Tooly Burger & Salad for two art competitions (complete information for entering art work can be found on the Junebug Artfest web site: www.junebugartfest.com)
1) Photography Contest of Extreme Close-Ups, sponsored by Image Up Photography - The close-up should be SO EXTREME that the resulting photograph becomes an abstract image (no smaller than 8x10; no larger than 16x20)
2) "A Little Bit East," sponsored by Mimi's Restaurant - An art contest for work of any media (except photography) that features all things Asian (no larger than 24" in any direction)

FRIDAY, JUNE 10
· 6:00 - 8:00 pm - Interactive Events
1) Wanda from Little Fish Art will help participants create fans and Chinese wooden tops @ Borough Hall
2) Laurie LeFevre Theater for Kids - (6:00 - 7:00 pm) Miss Laurie will coordinate a "Music for Kids" event located in the Convery Courtyard (next to the Cigar shop on Main Street)
· 7:00 pm - Pet Parade @ Forum Theatre - Registration @ 6:30 pm
· 6:00 - 9:00 pm - Gallery Opening @ the Senior Center - Featuring artwork created by 9 students of Joan Watterson's water color class that takes place weekly at the Metuchen Senior Center.
· Skoglund/Dickson Films Shown - To acquaint ArtFest visitors with the two master artists who will give presentations later in the month (see below), several short films introducing them and their work will be shown in the driveway near 443 Main Street, Classic Travel & Tours.

THURSDAY, JUNE 16 - 7:30 pm Sandy Skoglund, an internationally recognized conceptual artist, sculptor and photographer, will be our first guest lecturer, presenting an overview of her work @ the Old Franklin Schoolhouse

FRIDAY, JUNE 17
· 6:00 - 8:00 pm - Interactive Events @ Borough Hall
1) Zumba Dance Performance by Andrea Orlando
2) Local art teachers Robin Russo-Trumboli and Rob Russo of Metuchen Creative Kids will help participants create Ink Monsters
3) Cher Krumins-Beens will lead a "Jump into Spanish/Salta" interactive activity involving the creation of paper maracas in the shape of a red eye tree frog
· Open-air screenings of short films in the Convery courtyard (next to the Cigar store)

THURSDAY, JUNE 23 - 7:30 pm Master Artist Jane Dickson, a professor at PACE University in NYC, who is widely known for her mosaics of New Year's revelers in the NY subway, will discuss her art and process and show images of her work @ Old Franklin Schoolhouse

FRIDAY, JUNE 24
6:00 - 8:00 pm - Interactive Events @ Borough Hall - The Metuchen Garden Club will organize a fun activity involving painting flower pots and planting seeds for visitors of all ages
8:00 pm - Art Contest Winners Announced - Tooly's
Jane Dickson 'On the Street' - Our guest lecturer artist will interact with ArtFest visitors and share some examples of her work - located near the Junebug sculpture.
For more information:
· Visit the Junebug ArtFest website
· Contact the Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce @ 732-548-2964 or via email at metuchen.chamber@verizon.net
· "Friend" us on FACEBOOK and follow us on TWITTER.

Metuchen, New Jersey, has been a mecca for artists of every discipline for more than a century, and its annual Junebug ArtFest reinforces our central NJ community as one that nurtures all forms of creativity and is a true "home" for the arts.

Begun in 2008, the Junebug Artfest is an annual FREE event-co-sponsored by the Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce and the Metuchen Cultural Arts Commission and supported by the business community of Metuchen. The ArtFest is NOT a street-fair; it is a genuine art festival, where makers and performers share their creations and visitors have an opportunity to experience art of all types.In the wake of budget cuts and decreased support for "arts education", our home-grown festival is more important than ever before.

For the first time this year, the Junebug Committee was able to include two internationally recognized visual artists as guest lecturers thanks to a successful fundraising campaign through the arts funding websitewww.kickstarter.com. Our 40-day campaign gave the ArtFest a national platform to raise money to bring Sandy Skoglund and Jane Dickson to Metuchen, taking the Junebug to a new level.

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