Brush strokes of history

Perkins Center for the Arts will host an evening revolved around history and creativity on Saturday, June 6.

To honor Arts As (R)Evolution and America’s 250th anniversary, the organization’s “250 Brushstrokes: Palettes and Pours” will reflect on the power of the arts to capture history as it unfolds, and to shape the stories going forward.

All proceeds from the event will directly support the Perkins Scholarship Fund. Perkins provides up to $40,000 in financial aid each year helping to ensure that arts education is accessible for children, families and individuals across the region.

As a partner with NJ Families First, Perkins is committed to removing financial barriers so more people can take part in creative programs that build confidence, connection and opportunity. For Perkins, the ability to fill the scholarship fund through Palettes and Pours is important because it helps to achieve Perkins’ mission of making the arts accessible for everyone in the community and not solely through free programming, said executive director Kahra Buss.

Palettes and Pours will feel like a casual garden party, where guests will find a unique En Plein Air (a French expression for painting “in the open air”) by talented regional artists that capture Moorestown’s historic Witness Houses. Live music will be woven through the galleries and grounds. There will also be wine and beer tastings, hors d’oeuvres and a space to connect, talk and support the community through arts investment.

It’s also a precursor to Perkins’ 50th anniversary next October.

“This institution has been a community asset for half a century,” Buss explained, “and looking at the connection that we have to the community now, the way that we interact with residents here in Moorestown and Collingswood and soon to be Evesham, we’ve really expanded our reach and our ability to do that work really depends on the support from the public.”

Nonprofits can’t survive on grants alone, but Perkins is fortunate to have great grant partners, Buss noted. Its granting partners only support about 20% of the organization’s operational costs, so the center works hard to ensure there is also a good public support base.

Fundraisers like “Palettes and Pours” are essential to helping Perkins attain the funds needed for those who may need financial assistance. Earlier this year, the center was also honored with the 2026 Community Enrichment Award by the Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce at its annual Voice of Business Awards.

To see Perkins recognized for all it contributes shows the impact of the organization and how important the arts are in the community, according to Buss.

“The arts are foundational to education, they’re foundational as an economic driver, they’re foundational to our health and well-being,” she pointed out, adding that the arts are “a cornerstone to a healthy community.”

“Perkins is truly a creative space, and every day is something new,” Buss related. “It’s really a unique place and we get to see amazing creativity every day, and we get to participate with the community in so many things. It’s an amazing feeling to think that this organization holds a special place for the community and because of that, it’s always new, it’s always different, there’s always a new opportunity, a new partnership, a new collaboration …

“It’s a really great place where you get a real 360 view of the arts.”

Depending on who you ask, Buss explained, the arts mean something different to each person. Some might think of the arts as painting and drawing, or poetry or music. It’s not an either/or, Buss said, but the arts are all of those things available for everyone Perkins.

For tickets to Palettes and Pours, visit https://canvas.perkinsarts.org/events/410.