Opening Reception is Sunday, March 11th from 4-7 pm

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FIRST Chance to See ALL Captivating Images in One Exhibit and Meet
the Photographers at the Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC, West Orange

Selected from thousands of images capturing the faces and places of West Orange, A Day in West Orange: A Photo Documentary will open on Sunday, March 11, with a Reception, 4:00-7:00pm, at the Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC, 760 Northfield Avenue, West Orange.  The public is invited to celebrate this community collaboration, which is the first chance to see all the West Orange images in one exhibit.  The exhibit runs through Sunday, April 29.

On Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 17 energetic area photographers canvassed West Orange for 24 hours.  Their goal was to create a dynamic documentary that would capture the essence of the township’s diverse population, and reflect daily community activities in the workplace, public schools, businesses, recreational facilities, and houses of worship.  All of the images were created during the 24 hour period between midnight on Wednesday and midnight on Thursday.

The project was organized by West Orange Arts Council Vice-Chair Mansa K. Mussa, a documentary photographer. Many of the photographs at locations such as Edison National Historical Park and West Orange Public Library were set up prior to the day’s shoot, but some of the best photographs were candid images of township residents working at food pantries, biking in the South Mountain Reservation, or delivering water to a convenience store.

The exhibit at JCC MetroWest, which will be featured in four different areas of the Cooperman JCC, will offer a special A Day in West Orange JCC Challenge. Adults and children are invited to identify various photographs around the JCC from hints such as “the photo with a blue balloon.”  Completed Challenge sheets will then be entered into a drawing for a framed photograph from the JCC Challenge.

The photographers who participated in the documentary were Terry Boddie, Mayer Chalom, Bill Cofone, Tony Cordoza, Nancy Heins-Glaser, George Kopp, Annette Kushen, Nathea Lee, John Mitrano, Mary Ellen Morrow, Mansa K. Mussa, Amelia Panico, Yves Norton Pierre, Marian Rubin, Heidi Sussman, Joya Angola Thompson, and Doug Zacker.

The West Orange Arts Council is planning additional satellite exhibits at various township locations as well as programs for schools and local organizations. For more information about the exhibit at the Cooperman JCC, contact Lisa Suss at 973-530- 3413 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or the West Orange Arts Council at (973)324-9100 or , http://www.wophotoproject.com/.