SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Performing Arts Center has been named “Favorite Small Performing Arts Center” in the 2015 Annual JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards. For the second year in a row, the competition saw a record number of nominees. Additionally, nearly 15,000 votes were cast for N.J. arts organizations across 16 categories.
“The South Orange Performing Arts Center is thrilled to be named as the first-ever “Favorite Small Performing Arts Center” in the Discover Jersey Arts Award,” said SOPAC Executive Director Mark Packer. “This new category reflects the diversity of places throughout New Jersey where people can enjoy the arts.
Small or large, gallery, festival or arts classes. New Jersey arts enrich and inspire us all! We thank all those who love and support SOPAC, a small and beautiful theater in downtown South Orange.”
The South Orange Performing Arts Center was one of more than 100 arts organizations and downtown arts districts nominated for this year’s People’s Choice Awards — the largest number of nominees since its creation in 2008.
Nominees were chosen by their peers through the Jersey Arts Marketers network, which is made up of hundreds of nonprofit arts groups across the state.
“The People’s Choice Awards allows us to honor our state’s incomparable cultural community and highlight the passion of its supporters,” said Adam Perle, president and chief executive officer of ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, the statewide arts service organization that coordinates the annual awards.
“The amazing amount of nominees and votes attests to the incredible impact the arts have on the daily lives of New Jerseyans.”
Public voting in the 2015 Annual JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards began on Thursday, Jan. 8, and ran through Thursday, Feb. 19.
Winners will be honored at the New Jersey Conference on Tourism, which takes place each year at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City.
For a full list of nominees and categories, visit www.JerseyArts.com/peopleschoice.