Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, Tuckerton Seaport support Rain Barrel Art and Top Ten Beaches projects

The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce and Tuckerton Seaport are among a number of individual sponsors for the 2014 Rain Barrel Art Project coordinated by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and Rutgers Water Resources Program. The project, which will showcase artists’ original designs celebrating the Jersey Shore using rain barrels as an innovative canvas, is a tie-in to the NJSGC’s and the Stockton College Coastal Research Center’s 2014 NJ Top Ten Beaches Project, which celebrates the Jersey Shore every year through an online vote for the state’s most popular beach destinations. The sponsorships help support the rain barrel project as well as other NJSGC education and outreach programs.

Photo via Plow Hearth
Rain barrels collect precious rainwater that can
be used to water gardens or indoor plants.

Dozens of New Jersey artists applied for a chance to paint the recycled containers, repurposed to catch and reuse rain water, and turn them into functional works of art. The artists were selected by a committee of representatives from Rutgers Water Resources, NJSGC and the Monmouth County Arts Council.

“Because we received such a high volume of applications, and so many designs were excellent and fit the criteria we set forth, in the end it was impossible to limit the selection to just 10 barrels. As a result, we were moved to add two additional barrels to the line-up that will be used as marketing and educational tools for this project and rain barrels in general,” Norma Wokas, the project’s artist group coordinator, said in a press release.

The barrels will be showcased at the 12th annual State of the Shore Media Event on Thursday, May 22, when the Top Ten beaches are also announced. The public will be invited to vote online for their favorite barrel for people’s choice after they are unveiled at the event. The barrels will then roll out on tour around the state throughout the summer for display at selected New Jersey beach communities and special events.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.