The very first All Abilities Art Fest was this weekend, and WOW! We are just blown away by how many people showed up to make this such a memorable day.

All day long, artists were outside, many joining us from the Center of Contemporary Art, creating paintings in plein air throughout the Matheny campus. Dotted around the grounds, they captured the majestic beauty of the Somerset hills in autumn.

The first scheduled activity of the day was yoga, which was moved outside to fully embrace the bright sun and uncommonly warm weather. Kate Hewson guided the attendees through various poses, encouraging them to focus and connect to their bodies and the tranquil nature world all around them.

A little later, in the early afternoon, the Cream of the Crop ice cream truck arrived. Parked right outside the main doors to the art center, they sold delicious local ice cream to the Art Fest attendees, made even more sweet by the surprisingly warm October day.

Inside, paintings were being sold left and right all day. The artists from Arts Access, JSDD’s WAE Center, and Studio Arc, a program from the Arc of Essex, all sold works to new and returning supporters. As paintings were taken off the walls to go to their new homes, more paintings were brought out from storage to keep the gallery full.

Also in the gallery, we had a welcoming coffee bar from Village Office Supply, which kept attendees and staff refreshed and fueled all day.

In the afternoon, we explored the power and impact of words with a writing workshop and literary open mic in the auditorium. Both activities were led by ARTS By The People and had a great turnout, with participants creating and sharing work that was poignant and powerful. The audience for the open mic was an enthusiastic crowd who were moved by all the work that was shared.

We are so grateful to everyone who made this event possible, including the artists, event partners, sponsors, volunteers, attendees, and staff. Thank you all for making the All Abilities Art Fest such a huge success!

We’ve already got some great ideas for the next Art Fest! But for now, enjoy the photos from this year’s event below.