West Orange Arts Council

The West Orange Arts Council (WOAC), located in West Orange, New Jersey, is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating community arts by offering workshops, exhibits, and activities for West Orange and the surrounding communities. The mission of the WOAC is to cultivate, inspire, and support the study and presentation of the performing, visual, and literary arts, and to foster public interest in and support of the artists in the community. WOAC strives to enrich and enliven the quality of life of all residents and locals and foster a sense of civic pride through programming offered predominantly at the West Orange Arts Center. The WOAC is a volunteer-run organization comprised of a ten-member Board and two liaisons.
Since its inception in 1998, the WOAC has a strong history of enriching the quality of life of residents through arts exhibitions, community outreach, and arts programming. The organization offers a program variety that inspires and connects our community throughout the year, including workshops, lectures, poetry, film screenings, and more. One of the greatest assets is the physical gallery space, the West Orange Arts Center Gallery and Gift Shop. With the opening of the West Orange Arts Center in 2015, the WOAC has been able to successfully expand programmatic offerings. Each year, programming consists of approximately ten art exhibits, six artist workshops, and various artist talks at the West Orange Arts Center and in the community. The WOAC has successfully implemented a wide variety of accessible arts programs and activities for the benefit of a diverse community. Engaging with West Orange schools, partnering with local organizations, and conducting outreach to ensure continued quality programming. Due in part to these efforts, West Orange Township now enjoys a strong, vibrant arts scene, as with other arts organizations like Luna Stage, they serve as an economic engine and cultural neighborhood destination of visual artists, musicians, writers, poets, designers, actors and dancers.