ABOUT
Our Mission
Garden State Art Guide is a digital platform dedicated to amplifying visual art across New Jersey. Building on the momentum of Garden State Art Weekend, our mission is to expand access, awareness, and appreciation for New Jersey’s visual arts, ensuring artists and creative spaces thrive statewide.
What We Do
-
Year-round Platform: A comprehensive statewide directory, event calendar, and editorial blog spotlighting visual art venues, exhibitions, and news.
-
Seasonal Guides: Two curated digital guides published in the Fall and Spring, highlighting must-see exhibitions and events.
-
Annual Festival: The statewide Garden State Art Weekend, returning April 16–18, 2027, unifying over 100 venues across New Jersey.
-
Ecosystem Building: Connecting artists, venues, and audiences to generate broader recognition and long-term support for New Jersey’s visual arts community.
Who We Are
Christine Romanell founded Garden State Art Weekend in 2023 during her residency at Manufacturers Village Artists, and Alison Pirie joined as Co-Director in 2024.
As practicing artists, both recognized the critical need for a platform dedicated solely to spotlighting and celebrating the visual arts in the Garden State. Together, they built the Guide to bridge coverage gaps, champion institutions, celebrate local talent, and center New Jersey as a vibrant, essential hub for contemporary visual art.
ALISON PIRIE / DIRECTOR
Alison Pirie is a multimedia artist, curator, and cultural organizer. Her creative practice investigates the complex intersections of the body, gender, and language through sculpture, video, performance, and multimedia installations. Her work has been featured nationally, with exhibitions across Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.
CHRISTINE ROMANELL / FOUNDER
Christine Romanell is the founder of Garden State Art Weekend and co-founder of the upcoming 1-7Five art space. The former Board President of Manufacturers Village Artists, her own creative practice explores cosmology and sacred geometry through intricate installations, sculptures and paintings. A 2022 NJ State Council on the Arts Fellow, her work is held in Google's public collection and has been exhibited at the Montclair Art Museum.