Moorestown’s past, present, and future are colliding in the innovative art fund raiser Windows on Main Street Moorestown.
Real window sashes, rescued from old Moorestown homes, have been given to 20 area artists, who are our lens through which we see the present.
The artists will transform these windows, which will be on display in area businesses for several weeks this spring.
The exhibition will culminate May 8, with an auction event that will raise money to support the future of Moorestown’s community center, the independent, non-profit Moorestown Community House.
The artists are doing amazing things with the raw window sashes, using all types of media, including stained glass, metal, paint, even quilted fabric.
The artists include Erin McGee Ferrell, “Recycled Designer” Wayne Urffer, Paul Gordon, Hala al-Shawaf, Dolores Poacelli, and many more.
While the artists are completing their works, local kids are participating in a poster contest. Kids ages six to 18 were asked to look out of their windows and describe how they see Moorestown. All participants will get a prize on Feb. 7 during a poster viewing open house at the Community House.
The works will also be judged by artists and the top winners in each age category will be awarded art-related gift certificates including passes for a class at the Perkins Center for the Arts.
These top winners will also have their posters displayed during the May 8 fine art auction at the Community House.
The Windows on Main Street Moorestown project is the brain child of local resident and business owner David Schill.
As a housing contractor, Schill has spent many years replacing windows around town.
“Being the historic preservation nut that I am, I couldn’t just throw these great windows out. I thought there must be something I could do with them. As time went on, I just kept adding windows,” Schill said. “Some of the buildings no longer exist. I guess, in my mind they still do as long as I have the windows.”
After a few decades, Schill amassed a collection of roughly 50 windows and realized it was time to do something with them.
“I’m not an artist, but I thought maybe someone who is could do something really neat with these windows,” he said.
Schill has served as the membership chairman of the Moorestown Improvement Association for 20 years.
Since the MIA has historic preservation and heritage appreciation in its mission statement, Schill brought his window up-cycling idea to them.
At the same time, the Moorestown Community House saw itself in need of financial assistance, so MIA agreed to launch Windows on Main Street Moorestown to support the Moorestown Community House.
Please visit www.thecommunityhouse.com/ winonmain.htm for additional information. Some artists on the list maintain Web sites of their works; links and images are available upon request.
