Arts Abound on a Wonderful Wednesday About Tow

Arts Abound on a Wonderful Wednesday About Town

Arts Unbound finds a permanent place in the hearts - and shops - of two Maplewood merchants.

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The work of an Arts Unbound artist on display at Revolution, 97 Baker St, Maplewood, NJ Credit Lauren Bright Pacheco

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Credit Lauren Bright Pacheco http://o3.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/cf32559d260a3a8cbe741840386f1b2e

Credit Lauren Bright Pacheco http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/2e51f797c1b1002b4c61a0efea27eaed

Credit Lauren Bright Pacheco http://o5.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/10ad23ec179d8d9ab14f73768f86714

Credit Lauren Bright Pacheco http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/ea2fb37dd5bbfb1bef9409827fda8af

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Great news for anyone who fell under the charming spell of Arts Unbound (a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing the artistic achievement of youth, adults and senior citizens with disabilities) during its far too short stay as a pop-up shop in Maplewood Village: two local businesses are giving their artisans permanent places to display their work in Maplewood!
The Arts Unbound store, "The Gift of Art", was launched from November through February of this year. It was made possible due to a grant, and was always meant to be temporary, but it quickly gained a faithful following hopeful it would linger much longer.
“We have been delighted by the support and enthusiasm of the residents of Maplewood and South Orange,” says Gail Levinson, Arts Unbound’s executive director.  She’s also delighted that two local store owners have now stepped in give the organization’s artists space to showcase their innovative, imaginative art.
For David Heffernan, owner of a pretty innovative and imaginative store of his own - Revolution Décor on Baker Street – offering to carry some Arts Unbound pieces made perfect sense. “I was at both the opening and closing for their store, and I loved what they were doing,” says Heffernan. “I really couldn’t stand the thought of that sort of positive, creative energy leaving Maplewood, so I approached Gail.”
Heffernan is a prolific artist himself, and his repurposed, recycled takes on home furnishing and décor celebrates beauty and potential in objects others might otherwise overlook. He saw a similar sensitivity behind the efforts of – and work created by - Arts Unbound. His shop now is peppered with pieces from the non-profit and it suits Revolution wonderfully well.
(If you haven’t had a chance to stop in to David’s shop lately, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the transformation of Revolution just in time for spring. It really is the sort of shop you’ll be sure to show off to friends and family who come to visit – if only to prove that artsy cool is very much alive and well in the ‘burbs.)
Another local gem, Kokoro, is also showcasing Arts Unbound pieces, and the organization couldn’t be more delighted:
"Arts Unbound is so pleased to have been a part of the Maplewood Village commercial district for a brief 4 month period,” says Levinson. “We are thrilled that David of Revolution and Susan Onuma of Kokoro will be continuing to sell Arts Unbound fine art and craft products. They have embraced our mission of promoting the talents and skills of a diverse array of artists living with mental, physical and developmental challenges.”