art, charity, community, fundraising, happy, help, nonprofit, positive, Uncategorized

Pop-up art shop raises more than $25K for N.J. nonprofit

Posted by Tony Cowger on

Good News Notes:

“What started as a pop-up shop for art and donations in Hopewell has raised more than $25,000 for HomeFront, the nonprofit organization focusing on ending homelessness in Central Jersey.

The pop-up shop, curated by members of ArtSpace, one of the creative programs under HomeFront, launched in early December. ArtSpace is a spacious studio on HomeFront’s Family Campus that offers clients the opportunity to create and make art.

At the pop-up, people donate pottery, collectibles, art, antiques, and other items that volunteers then sell to benefit HomeFront, said Ruthann Traylor, the ArtSpace and SewingSpace director.

The pop-up is open on certain days for both shopping and donations, and will remain open through May, depending on the continuation of donations from the community.
‘So whatever donations come in, we go through them and we try to place them in small kind of environments where they look good,’ said Annie Battle, a HomeFront volunteer for the last 10 years.
Battle, who has volunteered at the shop since its launch late last year, helps curate the items and new donations in the shop.

Jim Baxter, owner of Baxter Construction, owns the storefront. Since he’s renovating the upstairs area, he offered HomeFront the use of the downstairs space, Traylor said.

Traylor said the shop is largely run by volunteers and people often both shop for new items and donate their old items. ‘Some people come shop early and by the end of the day, (they) come back with things they’re donating,’ she said.”

View the whole story here: https://www.nj.com/news/2021/03/pop-up-art-shop-raises-more-than-25k-for-nj-nonprofit.html

Leave a Reply