Make Perkins Center the "People's Choice"

Think Perkins Center for the Arts is the premier arts institution in the state? Show your support by voting in the annual JerseyArts.com People's Choice Awards. 

Perkins, which has firmly established its reputation as a distinguished arts center in South Jersey, has been nominated in three categories: Favorite Art Gallery, Favorite Place to Take an Adult Arts Class and Favorite Place to Take a Kids Arts Class.

Associate director Diane Felcyn said this is the third year in a row Perkins has been up for an award.

"We're really honored this is turning into an annual nomination for the center," she said. "It would be even better if we won. We really need the community to support this nomination."

Felcyn said Perkins stands out primarily because it offers classes taught by career artists.

"You get more than just a lesson in art," she said. "You get to talk to people who are living life as an artist. We pride ourselves on having professional, active artists."

Although there are no monetary benefits that go along with a People's Choice Award that would help the nonprofit's coffers, it would certainly boost Perkins' cred to win, according to Felcyn.

"It would give us more of an ability to brag in a different way when we're promoting the center," she said. "Get out and vote; spread the word."

Online voting runs through Jan. 22.

Discover Jersey Arts is a partnership between the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and ArtPride New Jersey Foundation to increase awareness of and participation in the arts in the Garden State. Other participating organizations include the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, South Jersey Cultural Alliance and New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism.

The complete list of nominees is below:

Favorite Performing Arts Center
Mayo Performing Arts Center
State Theatre
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Appel Farm at The Landis
South Orange Performing Arts Center 
Union County Performing Arts Center 
Bergen Performing Arts Center
Peak Performances at Montclair State University

Favorite Theater to See a Musical
Paper Mill Playhouse
Surflight Theatre
Bickford Theatre
Ritz Theatre

Favorite Theater to See a Play
Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
George Street Playhouse
McCarter Theatre
Cape May Stage
Luna Stage
Two River Theater Company

Favorite Art Museum
Montclair Art Museum
Newark Museum
Zimmerli Art Museum
Princeton University Art Museum
Noyes Museum of Art
Grounds For Sculpture
Wheaton Arts Museum of American Glass

Favorite Art Gallery
Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
Arts Council of Princeton
George Segal Gallery
Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art
Arts Guild New Jersey
Perkins Center for the Arts
Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts
Artworks Trenton

Favorite Symphony/Orchestra
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO)
Symphony in C
Princeton Symphony Orchestra
Bay-Atlantic Symphony
The Discovery Orchestra

Favorite Choral Group
Masterwork Chorus
Westminster Choir
Princeton Girlchoir
New Jersey Choral Society
Harmonium Choral Society
Newark Boys Chorus
Princeton Singers

Favorite Opera Company
Opera New Jersey
New Jersey State Opera
Boheme Opera NJ

Favorite Dance Company
American Repertory Ballet
New Jersey Ballet
Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company
Freespace Dance
Atlantic City Ballet
Umoja Dance
Outlet Dance Project

Favorite Music Festival
Appel Farm Arts & Music Festival
Cape May Music Festival
XPoNential Music Festival
South Orange International Blues Festival

Favorite Film Festival
Montclair Film Festival
New Jersey Film Festival
Cape May Film Festival
Black Maria Film + Video Festival
Garden State Film Festival
Newark Black Film Festival

Favorite Place to Take an Adult Arts Class
Montclair Art Museum - Yard School of Art
Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
Grounds For Sculpture
Arts Council of Princeton
Perkins Center for the Arts
Peters Valley Craft Center

Favorite Place to Take a Kid's Arts Class
Camp Newark Museum
Appel Farm Arts Camp
Perkins Center for the Arts Summer Camp
Montclair Art Museum - Yard School of Art
Grounds for Sculpture

Favorite Downtown Arts District
New Brunswick
Red Bank
Newark
Millville
Montclair
Princeton