By Norma Tolliver
www.mainavegalleria.com

On Saturday March 29th the Main Avenue Galleria, located at 57 Main Avenue in Ocean Grove, hosted a reception for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's (NJSO) Art Strings Program.

Each year the NJSO commissions ten local visual artists to create individual works using violins as their canvas. Four of the Main Avenue Galleria's talented artists participated this year. They are Jen Olley of Toms River, Rosalyn Avigdor of Long Branch, Michelle Harmazinski of Ocean Grove, and Angelica Zavala of Long Branch. The Main Avenue Galleria is home to over 35 local artists working in a variety of media. To learn more about the Main Avenue Galleria and future events, log on to www.mainavegalleria.com.

A committee of devoted NJSO volunteers generously donated their time to display the violins and sell raffles for a chance to win one of these works of art.

The volunteers, pictured above are left to right Mimi Kanter of Montclair, Elayne Lite of West Orange, Carol Kaufman of Scotch Plains, Jane Raeter of Scotch Plains, And Rita Kessler of Westfield (And Allenhurst).

All proceeds from the Art Strings raffle benefit NJSO youth and educational outreach programs. These transformed violins will be displayed at NJSO concerts and other selected venues throughout New Jersey during the 2007-08 season. The drawing will be held on May 23, 2008. To learn more about Art Strings and to view the violins click here.

The Main Avenue Galleria extends its gratitude to the following individuals for donating their talent during the event and performing for guests to the Galleria. Performances were by: Holly Horn of the Ocean Grove Violin Academy and two of her students; Ted Ackerman, cello and Maya Shiraishi, violin of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Rima Joy Starr, soprano of Ocean Grove and New York City.