Morristown Artist Community Sticks Together Through Pandemic

MORRISTOWN, NJ—After teaching for several years at other facilities in the area, Julie Friedman opened ArtSpace Studio on Elm Street in Morristown in 2006. She never imagined, 14 years later, being at the hub of a community of artists who rent space and take art lessons from her.

"I have 14 artists that rent space from me," Friedman said. "It's a space where people from all walks of life come and forge friendships with people that they never would have had relationships with in their own communities in their own daily life."

Friedman said her tenants, and especially her students, come from all ages and backgrounds.

"Many of my students are in what I call act two of their lives," said Friedman, "they're retired, and this is something they always wanted to do."

Friedman teaches classes in her studio several days per week. Since March, things have, of course, looked different. Some of her students are in high risk groups. She discovered there was also another drawback to the quarantine.

"It was a really scary time for artists," she said, "because, for a lot of my students, this is their therapy."

One of those students, Emy Hyans, explained what the studio means to her.

"Art space studio is about so much more than art," said Hyans, "Of course art is the common denominator that brings us to the house on Elm Street, but each of us comes away with something more."

Hyans credited Friedman with being more than just a studio owner and art instructor.

"Julie Friedman is our teacher, our mentor and our cheerleader," Hyans said, "We are many individuals with very different abilities and yet we all come away from art space studio feeling special. "

When the state shut down in March, Friedman went into action, setting up Zoom classes to discuss and critique art and even setting up a "draw in the driveway" activity at her home once the weather got warm and restrictions permitted.

She even got to welcome a friend back once virtual art classes began. A student who recently moved to New Zealand was able to take her class again via Zoom.

Friedman said the most challenging part of keeping her small community of artists and students together is the volume of work.

"It's exhausting," she said, "constantly setting up Zoom calls, checking in on students virtually, I've never talked so much in my life."

Still, the artist made it through last spring with her close-knit group intact, something she's thankful for.

"It's a real community," she said, "and we've kept it together through very hard times."