New Bus Tour Makes Stops At Art Creations In Homes, Yards, And Public Spaces Throughout South Jersey

On September 29, Perkins Center for the Arts will lead a one-day-only bus tour to introduce roadtrippers and art lovers to unique outsider art creations hidden throughout South Jersey private homes, yards, and public spaces.

The South Jersey Artscapes Guided Tour is an all-day adventure, led by New Jersey folklorist Marion Jacobson and “outsider” art expert Sally Willowbee, who will guide participants through some of the region's most stunning art environments created from stone, scrap metal, and natural materials. Visitors will meet with some of the creators to discuss their passion projects.

Expect to see roadside robots fashioned from auto parts. A fantasy avian sanctuary made up of exquisitely crafted birdhouses. An 18-spiral-domed castle crafted from glass shards and cement.

Some stops are well-known landmarks such as Vineland's Palace of Depression and the Deptford front-yard fairy garden of stone, glass, tiles and shells on Route 41.

“This tour embodies all that's truly unique and special about South Jersey,” said Perkins Folklife Center Director Marion Jacobson. “Whether working in recycled or discarded materials from their occupations and everyday lives, these individuals capture the time, place and spirit of their region.' 

Itinerary also includes:

• Old Pine Farm: Sally's sculptural whimsies created on her 300-acre farmhouse and land 

• Arbuckel Liberty House: New Jersey's “other” Statue of Liberty! 

• One or two additional bonus stops on the route (time permitting) 

This tour is the culmination of a project that began in 2011 when the Perkins Center partnered with activist and artist Sally Willowbee, who had spent the past 20 years traveling around North America documenting “outsider” artists, taking people on a tour of “found artists” works. She is the author of Found Artists: On the Country Roads, Side Streets and Back Alleys of South Jersey. Sally is a founding member of the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers, a group of artists, collectors and creators who are passionate about keeping things out of the trash stream. She has exhibited her work at a variety of exhibitions, including the 2023 Dumpster Divers exhibition at Perkins Collingswood. 

The tour leaves and ends at Perkins Center for the Arts in Collingswood at 11 Irvin Avenue. Tickets are $80 for the general public and $75 for Perkins Center members. Tour bus transportation included. There will be a brief lunch stop at a local restaurant (not included in the price).

Learn more.

Artscapes, Landmarks and Curb Creations of South Jersey and the South Jersey Artscapes tour is a co-sponsored project of the Perkins Folklife Center and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition, this project is made possible in part with the support of the South Jersey Cultural Alliance.

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