TRENTON — Do you have a favorite Cape May County museum, performing arts center or festival? If so, you can help to give your favorite nonprofit arts groups the recognition they deserve.
JerseyArts.com is inviting the public to vote for their favorites in its first annual People’s Choice Awards.
The online survey, found at www.jerseyarts.com, includes 15 categories: professional theater, community theater, performing arts center, art museum, art gallery, symphony/orchestra, choral group, opera company, dance company, music festival, film festival, adult art class, kids art class, arts/theater camp and downtown arts district.
Each question gives between four and six specific groups to choose from but there is also an “other” area where you can write in your favorite local selection. Named specifically in the survey were the East Lynne Theater Company as well as the Cape May Film and Jazz Festivals.
According to a release, the Jersey Arts Marketers (JAM), a regional network of cultural institutions throughout the state, nominated their peers for the online poll with the provision that they could not nominate themselves. Those receiving the highest number of nominations in each category made it onto the final list and public vote will determine the winners.
Not the Oscars or the Emmys, this poll is more of a popularity contest.
“These are not ‘Best Of’ awards, that’s why we’re calling them ‘People’s Choice’, because ultimately the public will decide who wins,” said Jim Atkinson, program manager for Discover Jersey Arts.
The public has until midnight, December 30, 2008 to cast their ballot. One lucky voter will be selected at random to receive a $100 Jersey Arts Gift Card, honored for purchases at more than 40 cultural locations statewide. Winners will be announced on JerseyArts.com on January 8, 2009.
“It’s all in good fun,” said Ed Kirchdoerffer, marketing director at the Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown. “Still, we would love to win bragging rights and intend on getting our audiences behind us.”
This county knows about bragging rights. In a recent survey of New Jersey beaches, seven of the top 10 were right here in Cape May County.
So if you have some favorite local arts groups, vote for them and give the county something else to brag about.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com
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