Mission of the project
Mission of the project
Embedded Files
The South Jersey Artist Feature Series goal is to highlight the diverse cultural tapestry of Southern New Jersey by showcasing a different artist from South Jersey each month based on theme and or identity. Since its initial launch in May 2023, the series has grown a following and encouraged many others to envision Southern New Jersey artists through a broader lens.
The South Jersey Artist Feature Series is a South Jersey Cultural Alliance program supported through funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Tania Qurashi, Artist Feature Project Lead
Tania Qurashi, Artist Feature Project Lead
Introducing the visionary behind the Artist Feature series, Tania Qurashi, the creative force and Arts Administrator at SJCA. Originating from her tenure as an intern in the vibrant season of Spring 2023, Tania embarked on a mission to unveil the rich cultural tapestry woven throughout Southern New Jersey. With a fervent dedication to diversity, she curated a series that not only reflects her artistic prowess but also serves as a testament to the multifaceted and vibrant communities thriving in the region.
Shoanne Seijas, Membership & Programs Manager
Shoanne Seijas, Membership & Programs Manager
Meet Shoanne Seijas, the Membership & Programs Manager at South Jersey Cultural Alliance. With a keen eye for talent and a passion for cultural enrichment, Shoanne plays a pivotal role in bolstering this program. Shoanne's contributions extend beyond the scenes, involving artist outreach assistance, the integration of supplementary content to enhance thematic features, and a hands-on approach to supporting promotional efforts across social media platforms and SJCA bulletins.
South Jersey Cultural Alliance
South Jersey Cultural Alliance
South Jersey Cultural Alliance (SJCA) unites cultural community members to create the synergy needed for an inclusive, thriving sector. We connect arts, history, cultural organizations, artists, and tradition bearers to each other and their communities, linking them to the resources and opportunities they need to flourish in the cultural sector. By cultivating a connected cultural community, we seed collaboration, encourage peer learning, and promote resource sharing to fuel a sustainable creative economy in Southern New Jersey’s eight southern counties.
2023 Featured Artists
Jamil is a singer, and songwriter known as Vacation School. Over the years, Jamil has been writing and performing with bands throughout the region. While maintaining his professional career, he continues to write, perform, and release songs, and has released an EP in 2021 titled, IV.
May Feature
May Feature
Warner is an artist and educator based in South Jersey. His work is influenced by Japanese culture, racial identity, fatherhood, and childhood nostalgia. He is a current member of Tiger Strikes Asteroid in Philadelphia.
Sooy is a songwriter, vocalist, model, actress, choreographer, and musician based in South Jersey. You can listen to her latest song, BIAT (Body is a Temple), on YouTube! Keep an eye out for their upcoming release, Garden of Eden.
Sauchelli is a contemporary landscape painter based in Ocean County, New Jersey. Her art is rooted in nature and environmental preservation and conservation. Her work has been exhibited in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia. Sauchelli is also the Ocean County Connector for the South Jersey Cultural Alliance and works to connect artists in the county and strengthen the cultural community of South Jersey.
Turner’s work ranges between many mediums including painting, photography, and sculpture that use semi-precious materials. Turner is based in South Jersey after relocating from Seattle where she exhibited at the Seattle Museum of Art, Wa Na Wari, and more. Turner received the 2023 New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship. Her practice is committed to quality, diversity, community, history, and cultural pride.
Garcia is an artist based in Ocean County, New Jersey known for her haunting, ethereal paintings and drawings of transcendental spaces and portraits of natural specimens. Garcia attended the Maryland Institute College of Art and has exhibited in Cryptic Gallery (NY), Hive Gallery (LA), and participates in pop-up shows at Historical Smithville Artwalk, Lunar Faire, and more.
Rawan is an Egyptian-American artist and songwriter from New Jersey, actualizes her Arabic namesake and reaches a global and diverse audience. Her songs currently stream in over 60 countries. Rawan's nonconformist sound and style are featured in her debut EP “Worn Out Lover”, which was recognized by artists like Yuna and Lil Nas X. Honoring her generation's moment, Rawan dreams of her art becoming a force within the movement committed to deconstructing and challenging stigmas. SJCA has had the pleasure to have Rawan perform at The Heart of South Jersey exhibition and 2nd Saturday in Midtown, Atlantic City!
Bethmann, whose work is featured in A Pinelands Portrait: Art of the Pine Barrens, curated by Kate Ogden, professor of Art History at Stockton University. Bethmann is a watercolor painter and nature printer who gardens and writes books. Her artwork is exhibited in galleries and museums, and she presents workshops and lecture demonstrations for colleges, art centers, botanical gardens and other organizations. Laura’s books include Nature Printing and Hand Printing from Nature, and she is a columnist for the The Botanical Artist. She has demonstrated her techniques on The Discovery Channel, Lifetime Network and HGTV; other press includes WHYY radio and Good Housekeeping Magazine.
Jorge Azcona or Spiral Eye whose motto is "True. Counter. Culture." Azcona graduated from Stockton University and currently attends Drexel University's graduate program to receive his Masters in Museum Leadership. Azcona creates artwork influenced by his Mexican and Indigenous heritage, political activism and satire, 90's music scene and punk music, flash tattoo sheets, alternative fashion statements, and incorporating a D.I.Y. approach to his art.
Jedediah Morfit received his MFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2005, where was awarded the Sylvia Leslie Herman Young Scholarship and the Award Of Excellence. He was a Fellow at the Center For Emerging Visual Artists from 2007-2009, and received a New Jersey Council On the Arts Fellowship for sculpture in 2009 and received numerous awards. His work has been shown in numerous group and solo exhibitions, and featured in The New York Times, Sculpture Review, Juxtapose, Hyperallergic, Artnews, and American Craft Magazine, as well as on NJTV’s State Of the Arts.
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