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Appel Farm's mission is "to provide people of all ages, cultures and economic backgrounds with a supportive, cooperative environment in which to explore the fine and performing arts." The philosophy of the Center encompasses the belief that the arts are an exciting and essential part of the learning process, and that artistic talent is innate and waiting to be developed in every person.
Appel Farm was founded in 1960 as a private summer arts camp for children. Albert and Clare Appel, both professional musicians and music educators, believed that the arts play a crucial role in developing a child's learning skills, encouraging personal growth, and instilling a sense of community and responsibility. They converted their 176-acre farm in rural Salem County, New Jersey, into a unique and supportive community of students, artists and art educators. Appel Farm Arts and Music Center was incorporated in 1978 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Trustees.
Now in its fifth decade, Appel Farm has evolved into a multidisciplinary regional arts center serving audiences, artists and students through local, regional, national and international programs. A steady commitment to facilities expansion and improvements has kept pace with our program growth, and has resulted in dedicated spaces and specialized equipment for visual arts, media and recording arts; music practice and ensemble spaces; dance studios; a theater and auxiliary facilities. The Center's unique, wood-fired noborigama kiln, built in collaboration with Perkins Center for the Arts in 2000, is at the center of a dynamic ceramics program and serves as a resource for professional artists and students alike. The Center's programs build on the Appels' founding principles, providing opportunities for arts education, arts appreciation and creative expression to more than 55,000 children and adults.
Major funding for Appel Farm Arts and Music Center comes from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Center's operation and programs are also supported by a broad and generous base of foundations, public agencies, corporations and individual supporters.
For the past fourteen years, the NJSCA has conferred its highest honor on Appel Farm, designating it a Major Presenting and Arts Service Organization "in recognition of the solid history of artistic excellence, substantial programming and broad public service" and as an organization that "stands among a group of organizations across the state which comprise its anchor organizations that contribute vitally to the quality of life in New Jersey." The Center was also awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council, a distinction given to organizations in New Jersey that "exhibit the highest standards of excellence in its artistry, operations, governance and public benefit." In 2005, Appel Farm was honored to receive the Thomas H. Kean Partnership in Philanthropy Award from the statewide Partnership in Philanthropy non-profit advocacy organization. In 2004 and 2008 Appel Farm was awarded the Governor's Award for Excellence In Tourism.
