A Call for Artists Was No Joke in Haddon Twp.

When Jocelynn Tice first heard of a call for artists going out in Haddon Township, she thought it was a joke.

"I think it was like 12 years ago, the mayor then, Kathy Hogan, said she wanted to see how many artists were in Haddon Township and about 50 of us showed up at the library," Tice said. "I was like looking around, going, dude really, there's this many. We had no idea."

"How many people have continued to paint pretty pictures since they were 5? Like three. I thought maybe five people would show up. I thought I'd just go for the joke of it. But it wasn't a joke."

Tice said that's when she first met Kate Burns, who is now the director of the township's business improvement district. Burns is featuring Tice and more than a dozen other township artists on Haddon Township's annual calendar this year.

Burns said the township's burgeoning arts district on the White Horse Pike will be prominently represented on the calendar, due out later this month.

"We'll feature over 20 pieces of art," she said.

That's just fine with Tice, who operates My Studio, a studio and art school on the White Horse Pike, which also feature Soha, a 10,000-square-foot loft and teaching space and the Ritz Theatre.

"It's a little different what they are doing this year," Tice said. "They're not just featuring fireman or politicians cutting ribbons. There are a lot of talented people in this town."