SOMA Living December 2025

SOMA SNAPSHOTS

MORE ARTISTIC GEMS At Jespy House, I admired stunning resin jewelry and bowls crafted by talented artists. Later, in a cozy backyard gallery, I met Kevin O’Connell, who paints the iconic South Orange gaslights. He began painting them as gifts for friends twenty years ago and now sells them to the public. I couldn’t resist buying a mini canvas! A DELICIOUS BREAK Mid-tour, I grabbed lunch at Medusa Greek Street Food. Their halloumi gyro? Absolutely delicious. HALLOWEEN MAGIC Just days before the Studio Tour, I explored the MAPSOSCARY Google Map tour, which features homes decked out in Halloween decorations. The creativity was off the charts! MORE TO EXPLORE The best part? SOMA is full of tours and activities like these. I can’t wait to discover more and share them with you soon.

Hi! It’s me, Skylar Mass again—and I’m back to share more of what I love about SOMA. This time, I want to tell you about some fun and inspiring tours I recently took around town. STUDIO TOUR SOMA This self-guided event lets you follow a map to meet local artists, explore their work, and even purchase pieces directly from them.

What makes it special is the chance to step inside galleries, businesses, and even homes to connect with the artists themselves. One highlight was meeting Helena Chywski at The Loft at SOPAC. Helena has synesthesia-a neurological trait where senses intertwine. I’d read about it in the book A Mango Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass, so I was thrilled to meet someone with this gift. When Helena hears sound, she sees color. After listening to my voice, she described seeing navy, purple, magenta, pink, silver, and hints of green and yellow. We talked for nearly an hour! Her painting “New York Pigeon” was one of my favorites.

Skylar Mass is a proud SOMA/MapSO kid most often found at an ice rink, reading a book, or hanging out with family and friends. She has lived in SOMA for half her life! Photo credit: Jessica Reiss Photography

This monthly column gives kids from South Orange and Maplewood a chance to share their insights and experiences for three consecutive issues. We hope you enjoy seeing SOMA through the eyes of our young writers! To apply to be a writer, please submit a 250 word essay with an introduction and your feature of a special place, activity, or event in SOMA to: somalivingmagazine@gmail.com

A Wilderness Canoe Tripping Camp for Boys Ages 7-16 camppathfinder.com

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DECEMBER 2025 | SOMA LIVING 25

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