ALERT! COVID-19 Resources & Information

     
Discover Middlesex County, NJ Regional Cultural Plan Arts & History Grants
LOGIN REGISTER LOGOUT ACCOUNT
SEARCH
             
MENU
  • Creatives at Work
    • Organizations
    • Artist Profiles
  • Marketplace
    • Creatives
      • Actors
      • Architects
      • Artisans
      • Dancers
      • Designers
      • Filmmakers
      • Musicians / Vocalists
      • Photographers
      • Teaching Artists
    • Opportunities
      • Auditions
      • Creative Skill Workshops
      • For Rent
      • For Sale / Trade / Barter
      • Funding Opportunity
      • Jobs / Internships
      • Leadership Development
      • Youth Opportunities
      • Professional Development Training
      • Promotional
      • Scholarships
      • Share / Collaborate / Partnership
      • Space / Goods / Services
      • Senior Citizen Art Contest 2020
      • Vendors
      • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Cultural Sites
    • Historic Sites
    • History Hub
    • Public Art Sites
    • Virtual Gallery
  • Creatives at Work
    • Organizations
    • Artist Profiles
  • Marketplace
    • Creatives
      • Actors
      • Architects
      • Artisans
      • Dancers
      • Designers
      • Filmmakers
      • Musicians / Vocalists
      • Photographers
      • Teaching Artists
    • Opportunities
      • Auditions
      • Creative Skill Workshops
      • For Rent
      • For Sale / Trade / Barter
      • Funding Opportunity
      • Jobs / Internships
      • Leadership Development
      • Youth Opportunities
      • Professional Development Training
      • Promotional
      • Scholarships
      • Share / Collaborate / Partnership
      • Space / Goods / Services
      • Senior Citizen Art Contest 2020
      • Vendors
      • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Cultural Sites
    • Historic Sites
    • History Hub
    • Public Art Sites
    • Virtual Gallery
  • Home
  • Artists
Facebook Twitter Linkedin
  • Damaris Isales
    Damaris Isales
    Folklorist; Theatre: Acting
    Damaris Isales is a working actor, choreographer, costume designer as well as a freelance educator based out of New Jersey. Isales has studied musical theater, script analysis, monologue, scene study and improvisation at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ. She has also studied Meisner technique and Stanislavski method at Playhouse 22 in East Brunswick NJ, while also taking classes at Alan Gordon Studios and Castillo Theater in New York. In addition to entertainment, Damaris has work experience in counselling, education, youth advocacy, criminal justice and law. Damaris Isales uses her diverse experience to generate a unique and innovative perspective to her performative practice and every day work ethic.
  • Gaston "Bonga" Jean Baptiste
    Gaston "Bonga" Jean Baptiste
    Folklorist; Music: Instrumentalist
    Gaston Jean-Baptiste, known as “Bonga”, is a musical virtuoso who has been performing and studying traditional Haitian drum, dance and song since the age of seven. He began playing drums in his family’s peristil in his hometown of Croix-des-Mission in La Plaine, an area of Haiti known for culture and history. Bonga is regarded as a master of the Afro Haitian drum, sought-after for his extensive repertoire of pan-African rhythms. A dynamic performer, accompanist, session player and educator, Bonga works on stage, in the recording studio, and in educational settings. He is one of the few drum experts and craftsmen outside of Haiti who continues to build traditional drums using techniques that are centuries old. As a core member of the seminal Haitian roots bands, Boukman Eksperyans and Foulà, Bonga was invited to the U.S. in the ’90s when musicians were becoming a strong voice for the Haitian people. Since then, Bonga has continued to play solo and in ensemble and at numerous worldwide venues. He is a featured performer with Peter Yarrow, Grace Jones, Dan Zanes and Urban Tap, to mention a few. His drums opened the NY premiere of the Rolling Stones “Voodoo Lounge” tour and he is prominently featured on recordings by Wyclef Jean and Salif Keita.
  • Olga Kobryn
    Olga Kobryn
    Designer; Folklorist
    Awarded the title of Master Artist of Pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) in 2003 by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA), Olga Kobryn has been practicing this intricate art form since she was a young child. Pysanky, which trace their pagan origins back to 3000 B.C., are an ancient tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation and is kept alive today by artists like Ms. Kobryn. Ms. Kobryn has has held annual pysanky workshops since 1999, sponsored by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission at East Jersey Olde Towne Village. She participates in ethnic festivals, presents and conducts pysanky workshops in various venues, and mentored the Ukrainian Easter Egg Club at Woodbridge Middle School, where she taught language arts for almost 25 years. Currently, Ms. Kobryn is studying the history and learning the skill of traditional Ukrainian Poltava Region embroidery under the tutelage of Master Artist and recognized tradition bearer Helen Dobusz. The New Jersey State Council of the Arts awarded the duo a 2016 Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant. Ms. Kobryn currently resides in Iselin, NJ, with her beautiful collection of pysanky, embroidery, and her adorable doggie, Rascal.
  • Natalie Warchola
    Natalie Warchola
    Designer; Folklorist
    Natalie Warchola is proprietor and lead event floral designer at Warchola’s Holiday Design where she teaches the art of Pysanky. Warchola learned how to create Pysanky as a child, using the traditional wax resist method. As an adult, she perfected her skills as a Pysankar and went on to teach this art by invitation at libraries, schools, and churches. Today, Warchola regularly holds classes and workshops in her studio for those who come to learn how to create Pysanky.
  • SHOW MORE

    Find Artists

    Search by Keyword
    Search by last name:
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
     

    Investing in the Arts, History & Culture

     

     

     

    TEXT CULTURE TO 56512

    It’s What To Do - Arts, history and culture at your fingertips.
    Use your Smart Phone to access and bookmark Middlesex County mobile website to get instant access to events and performances throughout the County.

    • CREATIVES AT WORK

      • Organizations
      • Artists
    • HISTORIC SITES

      • Alexander Hamilton Marker
      • Buccleuch Mansion
      • Cornelius Low House
      • East Jersey Old Town Village
      • All Historic Sites
    • MARKETPLACE

      • Auditions
      • Jobs & Internships
      • For Sale, Rent or Free
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • All Marketplace Listings
    • SUBMIT

      • Organization
      • Artist Profile
      • Marketplace Listing
    • ABOUT US

      • Overview
      • Contact Us
      • Privacy Policy



    middlesexcountynj.gov

    MIDDLESEX CREATES

    Middlesex County is not only at the intersection of the region, but also at the intersection of unique elements that come together to create an extraordinarily rich place to live, work and visit. Middlesex County is the place:


      Where Excellence Becomes Reality


      Where Arts and Culture Become Reality


      Where Collaboration Becomes Reality


      Where Opportunity Becomes Reality



    CONTACT INFO

    Division of Arts & History Services | 75 Bayard Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

    Division of Historic Sites & History Services | 1050 River Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854

    732-745-4489; TTY: 732-745-3888

    artsandhistory@co.middlesex.nj.us

     

     

    Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders  |  Middlesex County Department of Business Development & Education  |  Office of Arts and History

     


    Middlesex County · NJ


    Board of Chosen Freeholders


    Ronald G. Rios, Director | Shanti Narra, Deputy Director | Claribel A. Azcona-Barber | Charles Kenny | Leslie Koppel | Chanelle Scott McCullum | Charles E. Tomaro

    © 2023 - Middlesex County NJ - All Rights Reserved.

    Contact Us | Privacy Policy

    Artsopolis Network Members: Akron OH | Austin TX | Bainbridge Island WA | Birmingham AL | Boston MA | Cape Cod MA | Charlotte NC | Cincinnati OH | Cleveland OH | Colorado Springs CO | Columbia SC | DuPage County IL | Durham NC | Flagstaff AZ | Flint MI | Fort Lauderdale FL | Indianapolis IN | Kalamazoo MI | Kansas City MO | KeepMovingOKC | Macon GA | Main Line Area PA | Marin County CA | Marquette County MI | Mendocino County CA | Middlesex County NJ | Milwaukee WI | Montgomery County MD | Nantucket, MA | Napa Valley CA | Nashville TN | Niagara County NY | Oklahoma City OK | Orange County CA | Orlando FL | Ottawa IL | Palm Desert CA | Pittsburgh PA | Providence RI | Richardson TX | Sacramento CA | San Antonio TX | San Diego CA | Sarasota FL | St. Augustine, FL | St. Cloud MN | St. Croix Valley MN/WI | Stillwater MN | Tallahassee FL | Toronto ON | Utah | Ventura CA | York County PA