**FREE ART RECEPTION!**
For all those unable to attend our live event (or those who want to re-visit!) please join us for an open Art Reception - with refreshments!
Curated exclusively for the event by Jeremy Mossand Cat Delett Art of Good Crowd Events and our ArtHub team, the installation includes all of our community projects, and the work of six professional SOMa artists, each with an original take on the theme NORMAL. TEDxMaplewood is more then just amazing and inspiring talks... It’s an immersive sensory experience made possible by many talented SOMa creatives. We hope you join us in this opportunity to take a closer look at their work, and appreciate each piece as an individual, as well as part of a collective statement.
TEDxMaplewood is excited to be arriving at The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday 29th February 2020. A live recorded theatre style event TEDxMaplewood will explore the theme of NORMAL through the eyes of select local innovators, artists, disrupters, and free-thinkers. Soak up incredible stories, creative works, and unique perspectives through captivating talks which are being driven from our community. We’re excited to offer this thoughtfully curated and immersive experience to our hometown, a community rich with genuinely curious and spirited people. Speaker List: www.tedxmaplewood.com/speakers
We are busy building giant signs, curating art, preparing our ushers, and rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing! Not everyone can attend but everyone will have access to these ideas on film and we encourage you all to share your thoughts and feedback. Remember we are not a corporation, we are a group of your neighbors, creating a platform for us to develop as a community and we hope it will continue to grow organically as we move forward.
TEDxMaplewood is an independently organized event on license from TED. In any first event the audience is limited by license to 100 attendees. It has therefore been critical to us that we engage with the community in meaningful conversation beyond just the event itself and reflect the thoughts and ideas of SOMA in a visual conversation through our ArtHub projects. The ArtHub has included projects which will connect our community with the backdrop of the speaker stage and an immersive exhibition at the event, so we can all feel reflected in the final live recordings.
Jeremy Moss and Cat Delett of Good Crowd Events and our ArtHub Curators have worked with six local artists to create bespoke pieces around the theme of normal. It is a serious honor to have seen these pieces produced and we would encourage everyone to follow the work of our artists and see their work in person.
ArtHub: www.tedxmaplewood.com/arthub
James Manno, Head of Fine and Performing Arts for the South Orange Maplewood School District, and all the wonderful staff, have helped facilitate our schools art project around the idea of “what is normal to you?”. Over 1000 school students have illustrated their ideas and collectively represent every grade and school within our district – the commitment of the Art Staff in bringing this to fruition with their students and already busy schedule has been a tribute to our educators and creativity of our students.
Many of you may have written the word “normal” on a shipping tag. Simple enough but with over 2000 tags it’s a striking expression of our collective individuality – we have already started wiring the ceiling of the Burgdorff for this impressive installation. The professional pieces echo the shape of the shipping tags and we hang together as a community.
Last but not least, The General Store hosted a number of us who gathered together to knit, crochet and sew textile squares to create a community patchwork. Lacey Buccalleto of Oh!Canary facilitated this same project with children and young adults for MLK day and within her community classes. Danielle at Funky Art has also helped run projects with her senior classes.
The community is invited to see the installed art exhibition in an open show at The Burgdorff Sunday 1st March, (1-4pm), light refreshments will be available. The art installation will be reinstalled at a community gallery opening once a space has been secured – watch this space. In addition, we aim to create a series of screenings for the edited talks with facilitated discussion, hopefully at SOPAC, Words, Columbia High School and other community locations who may be interested. If you are a community group and are interested in hosting a screening or particular talks please get in touch with us. Screenings are anticipated once the videos are approved by TED estimated around May.
This event would not be possible without the extensive volunteer team who have given up a significant amount of time and energy to bring this together. We are so proud to have such a talented community who despite all the demands of life find time to make this all happen. Team list: www.tedxmaplewood.com/team
Our sponsors have been true collaborators. This is an expensive endeavor and without the support and guidance of our partners and those who have donated in kind, there would be no video cameras, no staging, no art, no venue and so it’s with this in mind we encourage everyone to take note of those helping the events that make our town vibrant. It’s easy to skip over a logo but these businesses have made this event come to life please support them so they can thrive and so can the future of this event and all those that make our towns rich in culture.
Sponsor List: www.tedxmaplewood.com/partners