Arts Unbound Receives Generous Gift; Names Gallery in Honor of Dora Stern

ORANGE, N.J. - Nov. 18, 2015 - PRLog -- Contact Person: Margaret Mikkelsen, Executive Director
Arts Unbound, Inc
542/544 Freeman Street
Orange, NJ 07050
Tel:973-675-2787
Cell:  646-898-6901
mmikkelsen@artsunbound.org

Arts Unbound Receives Generous Gift; Names Gallery in Honor of Dora Stern

ORANGE, NJ: Arts Unbound, the non-profit art studio and gallery for people with disabilities and seniors, received an extraordinary gift in honor of an extraordinary woman. On November 6^th, Arnold Stern of Hoboken and his daughters Katherine Stern and Michelle Shepherd-Barron gave the organization $50,000 to honor the memory of a beloved wife and mother, Dora Stern. Arts Unbound’s gallery in the Valley Arts District in Orange will now be known as The Dora Stern Gallery.

Dora Stern (1924-2012) was a woman of great intellect and originality. She was not born into privilege and never received formal training in the arts. Nonetheless, she was a talented painter and a discerning collector who created a life that was rich with beauty and adventure. Her sensitivity to the hardships and inequalities experienced by many added to her appreciation of outsider art, whose power and intrinsic value she recognized early on. She believed passionately in the joy and possibility of art, and in its ability to transform lives.

"It is with enormous gratitude that Arts Unbound accepts the generosity of the Stern Family. This contribution represents the start of an endowment that will ensure Arts Unbound continues its educational programming and artist development support in the future. We will do our very best to make the Stern family proud and to honor the memory of Mrs. Stern," said Arts Unbound board chair Susan D. Young.

Arts Unbound is dedicated to the artistic achievement of people living with disabilities and the continued artistic enrichment of seniors. They provide visual arts education and professional development to help emerging artists compete in the retail market. Last year, they exhibited the work of 75 artists, many self-taught or “outsider” artists. By promoting the work of artists with disabilities and seniors, they focus on their art-making rather than any impairments, and by doing so challenge the stigma associated with disability and aging.

The Dora Stern Gallery at Arts Unbound is open Monday through Friday, 10am-4pm, and Saturdays noon-5pm. The address is 544 Freeman Street, Orange, NJ 07042. More information is available at www.artsunbound .org or by calling 973-675-2787.

Attached image: Mr. Arnold Stern presents the family’s donation to Arts Unbound executive director Margaret Mikkelsen under the new gallery sign honoring the late Mrs. Stern.