Artists for Ukraine, a special fundraiser and exhibition organized by Madelaine Shellaby and Ilene Dube, will be part of West Windsor Arts’ 12th annual Off the Wall Holiday Market. A group of 12 artists has chosen to donate 100 percent of their proceeds to raise funds for Ukraine. The artists include Tasha Branham, Anne Elliott, Susan Hockaday, Eileen Hohmuth-Lemonick, James Jansma, Shirley Kern, Joy Kreves, Marsha Levin-Rojer, Ryan Lilienthal, Andrew Wilkinson, Emily Vickers, and Shellaby.
The Off the Wall Holiday Market features more than 100 works of original art by 47 artists, all priced at $400 or less, and a large selection of handcrafted items made by 11 artisans including jewelry, women’s accessories, ceramics, and one-of-a-kind notecards.
More about the Artists for Ukraine:
In winter 2022, when news stories started unfolding about the Russian war on Ukraine, Americans were horrified by the atrocities they saw. A group of artists in central New Jersey got together and asked: “What can we do?”
“So many of us are saddened by what we see happening to the people of Ukraine, to their culture; it’s hard to believe something like this could take place in this day and age,” says Shellaby. “My parents’ careers took us to foreign countries, and I was raised to be deeply aware of the struggles people faced, both at home and abroad.”
Shellaby was connected to West Windsor Arts by arts writer Ilene Dube, who has written about the artists in the exhibition. Dube had been President of the Board of Trustees when WWA moved into the former Princeton Junction firehouse in 2010. “I had a good feeling that Executive Director Aylin Green and the exhibitions committee would feel as compassionate about this project as we,” says Dube. “I was thrilled to learn the board of trustees kicked off the fundraiser with its own donation.”
“It just felt like the right thing to do,” said Maureen Connolly, board member and Chair of the External Affairs Committee. “We have made a commitment as an organization to inspiring a creative community that is engaged, inclusive and equitable, and this felt like a great opportunity to show our support.”
Working with the exhibitions committee, Shellaby, Dube, and Outreach Programs Manager Kimberly Ducoté-Schimmel decided that the Artists for Ukraine exhibition and fundraiser would be held as part of the annual Off the Wall Holiday Market, and that funds raised would go through Direct Relief International, which scores top marks with Charity Navigator and was cited by the New York Times as one of the best organizations through which to channel funds in support Ukraine.
“Your purchase of this artwork will not only add some remarkable pieces to your collection, but go toward the support of a country that has been under siege” continues Shellaby. “We are grateful to these artists, and to West Windsor Arts, for making this effort. This war is expected to go on for some time, and even after the war, so much will be needed to restore the country.”
West Windsor Arts welcomes visitors to Off the Wall on the following dates:
November 19, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. – WWA Members Only Shopping Spree; November 20, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. – Opening Day – Everyone is welcome for in person shopping; December 3 and 4, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. each day – Sunflower Weekend; December 10 and 11, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. each day – Artists for Ukraine Weekend: Ukrainian pastries, and a presentation and demo for all by puppet maker Irena Gobernik; December 17 and 18, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. each day.
Private appointments and gallery tours available upon request by sending an email to info@westwindsorarts.org. All of the artwork can also be viewed online.
