07/24/2025
**Where Did the Name Come From?**
A few people have asked where the studio name came from, and it’s actually a pretty special story.
It all started when I was about six years old, taking art lessons from my mentor, George Kaizar , at his parents' house before he opened his own studio. Sometimes my mom and dad would be a few minutes late picking me up, and I’d sit on the steps waiting, until George’s mom, Cookie, and his father, George Sr., would insist I come inside and join them for dinner (even if my parents were only five minutes late).
I spent many years from elementary school through college learning art techniques from George and eventually began working at his new studio. The studio was my second home. What I didn’t realize at the time I was younger was that Cookie and George Sr. were also deeply involved in restoring the Olde Stone House after the devastating fire in 1980. They fought hard to preserve its history and, after years of dedication, successfully restored the house before retiring from the historic society.
Years later, I married Candice Atkinson-Appice , whose grandfather was the last person born in the Olde Stone House, the very place the historic site is now named after. Together, we began volunteering with the historic commission, continuing the Kaizars’ mission to revitalize the village. Through this journey, we’ve had many warm conversations about the restoration, the challenges they faced, their accomplishments, and the hopes for the site’s future.
From childhood memories to community restoration and personal legacy, the Olde Stone House Historic Village - Washington Twp., Gloucester Co., NJ has always had deep, personal connections for us, both through friendship and family.
Today we carry on the art legacy of my friend and mentor George, while also preserving family history at The Olde Stone House Historic Village. Intertwined through community volunteering, history, art and most importantly, family.
That’s why it became the perfect name for the studio.
