2025 Honors Showcase

Our 2025 RAF Honors Showcase proved to be a night to remember! The atmosphere was a buzz with creative energy, starting with the sounds of music coming from our amazing performers... from vocal warmups to instrument tuning tweaks to improvisational jams from our jazz quintet. To complete this immersive environment, our team installed two art galleries: a showcase of our grant and scholarship recipients, and a display of our winning 2025 “Capturing Nature” notecard artists. We are so pleased to see many of our gifted visual artists from past RAF events return to share their artwork with our audience, while enjoying the contributions from exciting new artists.

The evening of entertainment began with a welcome from our event host, RAF Trustee Kristen Plumley, who introduced a selection of performers that dazzled us with singing solos, classical flute and violin pieces, and lyrical dance on video. The evening was capped off with tunes from a collection of young jazz musicians who performed on a glorious stage adorned with pink cherry blossoms, courtesy of RAF Trustee and floral designer Larisa Shlahet. The abundant visual art on display, ranging from paper collage to an origami paper dress, from mixed media to comic book art, and so many other mediums, helped elevate an already charming space to the next level. And we want to express tremendous thanks to all of our generous donors who provided unique prizes and experiences for our silent auction, which helped RAF achieve an event fundraising record!

Our goal for the RAF Honors Showcase is to spotlight the talented visual and performing artists that have been supported by RAF through donations received from individuals and organizations. When an audience can experience our performers up close, with some even circulating around the room during a song, we are reminded of the power of the arts to inspire and entertain!

Mark your calendars for RAF’s next event, photograpHER: Works by Women. This juried art show will display images that inspire women through the lens of a camera. The photograpHER exhibit will be on display at The Stable during July 2025, with a Gallery Reception scheduled for July 13th from 4 to 6pm. All are welcome to attend this free exhibit and reception. Presented in cooperation with the Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands (CFRPL), selected pieces will be available for purchase, with 20% of all sales donated collectively to both RAF and CFRPL in support of the work we do to advance the arts and natural environment in our community.

More photos coming soon….

Local Art Gem Tour: Newark Museum of Art & Ballantine House

On January 26, 2025, the Ridgewood Arts Foundation hosted a special arts tour at the Newark Museum of Art and the Ballantine House.  The tour featured museum highlights from its wide-ranging collections, the historic Ballantine House and the consecrated Tibetan altar.

The Ballantine home was exquisite…. what a gem!  It was designated a National Historic Landmark for its architecture. Newark craftspeople built and decorated the house and completed it in 1885, using complex techniques and the finest materials.   Exceptional stained glass windows, including one by Tiffany, were featured throughout the home along with fine woodwork.

Attendees enjoyed a hands-on collage art experience using Victorian postcards following the tour. Fun was had by all!

Delicious light bites and beverages were served thanks to our friends at Blue Ridge Cafe, Stop & Shop and Green Way Markets.  

ARTober 2024 Exhibit

The 2nd annual ARTober exhibit debuted on Friday, October 4, 2024 at the Master Art Studio Gallery with an opening reception filled with artists and supporters. With over 30 artists represented, both high school age and adult, the showcase displayed works ranging from a variety of mediums: oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, pastel, alcohol ink, pen and ink, mixed media, photography, collage, mosaic, metal sculpture, stained glass, and pottery. Selected works are available for purchase, with 20% of sales donated to RAF in support of grant and scholarship awards. Many thanks to Sasha Robinson and her team at Master Art Studio for providing such a welcoming display space.

Please visit the ARTober Exhibit Gallery page on our website to view the online exhibit HERE.

To learn more about Master Art Studio visit www.masterartstudio.com

The Art of Light, Color and Storytelling - Spring Salon

On June 12th, the Ridgewood Arts Foundation hosted its Spring Salon titled The Art of Light, Color, and Storytelling. The evening was an engaging celebration of the craft and artistry of stained glass. Attendees enjoyed a lively and insightful panel discussion with stained glass artists and experts David Bleckman of J&R Lamb Studios and Lisa Hahn of Lisa Hahn Studios. This was followed by an intimate tour of a landmark Ridgewood home featuring the stained glass masterwork of George O. Bonavit. Delicious light bites and beverages were served thanks to our friends at Santoni’s Pizzeria, Best of Everything, World Flats, Taskin Bakery and Café, Greenway Market, Village Tea Shop, and SuperCellars.

2024 Honors Showcase

It was a spectacular night to celebrate art and music at the 2024 Ridgewood Arts Foundation Honors Showcase, held at the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood on April 5, 2024. As the most successful fundraiser in RAF history, all guests enjoyed an evening of live musical performances, an art exhibit, the debut of RAF’s “Capturing Nature” notecard series featuring the work of local visual artists, and an arts and events focused silent auction. Event proceeds will support RAF’s mission to celebrate and fund the arts by providing grants and scholarships to artists and arts organizations.

Attendees were welcomed into a theatre-in-the-round space adorned with cherry blossom branches and flickering candles, with a variety of visual art on display showcasing mediums such as stained glass, alcohol ink, colored pencil, acrylics, photography, and more.

Many thanks to the following grantees for sharing their visual art: Kayla Abboud, Julia Boesch, Julian Brescia, Lisa Hahn, Madeleine Haskins, Aashi Jesalpura, Keya Jesalpura, Karan Kalyanaraman, Soo Kim, Skylar Kliesch, Joseph Lim, Peggy Schunk, Stella Song, and Sophia Swanson. RAF trustee and event host Kristen Plumley then introduced our musical performers and grantees, which included Quinn Montague (tenor), Patricia Lazzara (flute), David Langan (bass), Anya Skulsky (violin), Ron Levy (accompanist), and Markus Ryen (trumpet), with Kristen Plumley (soprano) also gracing our stage.

Our goal for the RAF Honors Showcase was to highlight the talented musical and visual artists we have had the pleasure of supporting through the generous donations we receive from individuals and organizations. By seeing and hearing our performers up close, with some even leaving the stage to sing among our attendees, this immersive event was a reminder of the joy that only music and art can provide!

RAF’s next event, a part of our popular Salon series, will take place on June 12, 2024, (raindate June 13, 2024), at a landmark Ridgewood home that features the stained glass masterwork of G. Owen Bonawit. The “Stained Glass Salon: Light, Color and Storytelling” will include a discussion by local stained glass artist Lisa Hahn, and an introduction to the history of stained glass by Roberta Panjwani from the Ridgewood Public Library, with additional insight provided by a representative from J&R Lamb Studios, America’s preeminent stained glass fabrication and restoration experts. Beverages and light bites will be served. Tickets available here at www.ridgewoodartsfoundation.org

Many thanks to Zigi Putnins Photography - Zigifotos.com and Lorraine Haskins for event photographs.

Hear more about RAF and the Honors Showcase on the Ridgewood Talks Podcast

Barrymore Film Center - RAF Local Art Gem Tour

December 3, 2023

The Ridgewood Arts Foundation (RAF) was thrilled to host its Annual Local Art Gem Tour at the Barrymore Film Center (BFC).  Since its inception, RAF in addition to other activities, has conducted art tours once a year. The mission of the Ridgewood Arts Foundation is to celebrate and fund the arts to further enrich a creative environment in Ridgewood and our neighboring communities.

The Barrymore Film Center (BFC) is one of New Jersey's cultural gems, only 30 minutes from Ridgewood in Fort Lee.   The BFC is a 250-seat cinema, film museum, and archive dedicated to the borough’s significant history as the birthplace of American film.   Very few of us know that Fort Lee is the first American film town where studios, including Universal (1912), FOX (1915), and Solax (1912) were established.  Along with exhibitions on Fort Lee and world cinema history, programming at the BFC includes major film retrospectives, annual silent film event, film festivals, foreign film screenings, and showcases for emerging filmmakers.

Ridgewood Arts Foundation’s BFC Local Art Gem Tour on December 3rd included a private tour of the incredible museum special exhibit by Susan from BFC and the screening of the original 1946 Beauty & The Beast Film presented in 35mm in French with English subtitles! The exhibit themed ““Power Couple” - Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford in Hollywood” was very interesting and greatly appreciated by all attendees.  Nelson Page, Executive Director of BFC and Film Historian Richard Koszarski, curator of the current and all BFC exhibits were also available to share more details and interact with all attendees.

We had a great turn out and participant response was extremely positive. With 33 participants, we reached the peak attendance of all of our local art gem tours! A lot of teens from Ridgewood High School and Dwight-Englewood School also volunteered to organize the event and attend along with their parents and even school French language teacher. 

We are also thankful to our generous sponsors Zen Haus Cafe, Le Palais Gourmet, La Vie En Rose Bakery Cafe and Village Tea Shop for providing the delicious food and beverages that was enjoyed by everyone!

2023 Spring Salon

The Composition Process: From Conception to Performance

On May 10th the Ridgewood Arts Foundation hosted its Spring Salon entitled “The Composition Process: from Conception to Performance”.  Arts enthusiasts gathered for an intimate presentation which took place in a private home and delved into the world of Armando Ghidoni, a contemporary, award-winning Italian composer.  While his melodies reveal the sensitivity and tradition of "bel canto” his harmonic writing evokes both French impressionism and the rhythms of jazz, giving his works a unique and very personal character.  His process and works were discussed and performed by "Ensemble Bella Luce", a classical trio comprised of a soprano (Mara Adler O’Kelly), flute (Patricia Lazzara) and piano (Dave Malyszko).  Delicious Italian beverages and light bites were served, courtesy of our friends at Il Dolce Italian Pastry Shop in Hawthorne, Rispoli Pastry Shop in Hawthorne, and Pizzaiolo by Brothers in Midland Park.  RAF's next event will be held in October at the Ridgewood Stable where RAF Scholarship and Grant Recipients will showcase their work.

2023 Evening of Honors

On Thursday, March 30th the Ridgewood Arts Foundation hosted their Annual Night of Honors at Park West Loft, along with a crowd of local art lovers and supporters. Honorees were the Ridgewood High School Bands - celebrating their 100th anniversary this year - and the Jamboree Scholarship Fund, the fundraising arm of the popular variety show performed each year by parents of high school students, which raises money for need-based scholarships.  Jeffery Haas and John Luckenbill, the co-directors of RHS Bands, and Diane Loughlin, the president of the Jamboree Scholarship Fund, spoke about their respective organizations with great pride.  Highlights of the evening were performances by members of the most recent Jamboree production, and jazz music by six very talented students from the high school bands.  RAF’s next event takes place the evening of May 10th, and is a salon entitled “The Composition Process: from Inspiration to Performance”.  This intimate presentation will take place in a private home and will delve into the world of Armondo Ghidoni, a contemporary, award-winning Italian composer.  His process and works will be discussed, and performed by Ensemble Bella Luce, a vocalist, flute and piano trio. Italian beverages and light bites will be served. Click here for tickets and more information.

Zigi Putnins Photography fb/ig @zpfotos

Montclair Art Museum Art Gem Tour, Novemeber 2022

During RAF’s most recent Art Gem Tour in November 2022, we visited the Montclair Art Museum and enjoyed a curated tour to their collection, including George Inness/Visionary Landscapes, and Transformed/Objects Reimagined by American Artists. We then had a creative hands-on art experience followed by a wine and cheese reception. Fun was had by all!