Artist Spotlight: Claire Sinclair
“Tuscan Art Camp" by Claire Sinclair
3rd Place Winner Maplewood 2020 Phot Contest
Photo on display at 1978 Arts Center, 1978 Springfield Avenue, Maplewood through end of January 2021
Long-time Maplewoodian and Tuscan School kindergarten teacher, Claire Sinclair, was awarded 3rd place for the Maplewood 2020 Photo Contest with her entry titled, ‘Tuscan Art Camp’. This award-winning photograph captures Maplewood’s magnificent Tuscan School Tudor façade adorned with campers displaying their beautiful, eye-popping art.
”The Umbrella Project was run by our amazing art teacher Andrew Dean who had the students create beautiful umbrellas and then we found places around the school where we photographed our young artists with their masterpieces.” — Claire Sinclair
‘Maplewood Clock at the Holidays’ by Claire Sinclair
Born and raised in Maplewood, Claire is the daughter of life-long SOMA residents; her dad grew up in Maplewood and her mom in South Orange. Just like her parents, Claire met her husband Dave at Columbia High School (CHS) and their two sons both graduated from CHS. Claire, a teacher for 25 years, teaches kindergarten in the same classroom she attended kindergarten at Tuscan School and where she has been for the last 14 years. Claire has taught at Our Lady of Sorrows, South Orange; Our Lady of Lourdes, West Orange; St. Philips Academy, Newark; and Morrow Memorial Preschool, Maplewood; and in the summers at the PTA Sponsored Tuscan School Camp; and this past summer Claire was the Director of Kids Camp for Maplewood Division of Recreation.
“I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl and getting the chance to teach at a school I went to makes it that much more special. I teach in the same class I went to Kindergarten in! Teaching brings me so much joy. Teaching virtually has been quite an experience, one that I have learned so much.” – Claire Sinclair
Claire’s love of photography combined with her focus on community events led her to be a contributing photographer for The Village Green since their 2014 launch, and New Jersey Patch prior to that.
“My favorite things to photograph are flowers and candid moments of joy in our community. I love being able to photograph stories that capture the essence of our two towns. The Halloween Parade, Dickens Village, and The Duck Races are just a few of these events where I can depict our two towns in all their glory, it makes me proud to live here.” — Claire Sinclair
Claire’s Mom, Ellie Gianni, started the Memorial Day Duck Races over 20 years ago and they have become a much anticipated Maplewood Tradition and Fundraiser. Claire’s 2013 Tuscan School Kindergarten class dedicated a bench to Ellie Gianni which sits in Memorial Park near where the Duck Races take place each year. The Duck Races are run by the South Mountain YMCA and in 2020 they went virtual. 25% of the proceeds went to local SOMA small businesses and the rest to YMCA programming and pandemic services.
‘Pink Bloom’ by Claire Sinclair
‘Anantomy of a Dandelion - Seed Dispersal’ by Claire Sinclair
‘Cherry Blossom Branch’ by Claire Sinclair
“One of my favorite things that I did during quarantine was take my phone with me on walks and just photograph the flowers. I took hundreds!”
‘Red + Orange Tulip’ by Claire Sinclair
‘Dragonfly on the Edge’ by Claire Sinclair
‘South Orange Duck Pond’ by Claire Sinclair
‘Maplewood Memorial Park Foot Bridge’ by Claire Sinclair
‘Golden Duck from Memorial Day Duck Races’ by Claire Sinclair
‘Peeking Inside, Dicken’s Village’ by Claire Sinclair
‘Santa, Dicken’s Village’ by Claire Sinclair
‘Family Time on the 4th of July’ by Claire Sinclair
‘Watching the Memorial Day Duck Races’ by Claire Sinclair, An event started by Claire’s Mom 20 yrs ago
Claire is committed to the community; a do-gooder who brings smiles to many faces from her students and campers to the recipients of her charitable work. Diaper drives, pajama drives, sock drives, food drives…Claire is the driving force behind Feed SOMany Facebook Group which she founded in 2017, a board member with MEND (Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity) since 2018, and a volunteer at OLS Food Pantry.
Claire Sinclair with Robin Peacock in front of The Green Bean - MEND’s Mobile Food Pantry
“I spend most of my free time running two Facebook groups, Feed SOMany — a neighborhood food collection group, and Habitual Gratitude 365 — a group that offers a prompt a day to promote conversation and to celebrate all that we are grateful for.” – Claire Sinclair
Habitual Graditute 365 started with 30 members and has grown to 1,400 in its first year. Claire’s favorite part of everyday is to read the responses, sometimes from complete strangers. Funny, serious, reflective…It has been an amazing thing to witness says Claire.
Claire Sinclair with her future husband Dave
CHS Prom Photo Class of ‘88
South Orange - Maplewood Kiwanian Ellie Gianni Bench in Maplewood Memorial Park
Mrs. Claire Sinclair’s Tuscan School Kindergarten 2013
Claire Sinclair Buried in Diapers for Feed SOMany
Feed SOMany was started to support the local food pantries and now has 50 donation drop off locations and lots of coordinators. To make donating easy, people can order through Amazon with free shipping to a designated location.
MEND, is a hunger relief network for food pantries in Essex County: MEND Hunger Relief Network of Essex County, NJ | Together, we feed our community. You may have seen The Green Bean converted school bus - now a mobile food pantry or their Sweet Pea van out on the road delivering and picking up food.
Claire Sinclair
Email: HifromClaire@yahoo.com
Facebook: @clairegiannisinclair
Instagram: @Clairesinclair
[MEND] Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity: www.mend.org
[OLS] Our Lady of Sorrows Food Pantry: www.foodpantries.org
Village Green NJ: www.villagegreennj.com
Feed SOMany Facebook Page
Habitual Gratitude Facebook Page
Claire Sinclair is a member of SOMA Arts Registry, a free online hub serving Maplewood, South Orange and neighboring towns. It focuses on artists, arts professionals and arts organizations, with the goal to extend their local, regional and national market reach. SOMA Arts Registry was created by the Township of Maplewood and Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture to support the local arts community.