b'WWHHOO??WWHHATAT? ? WWHHEERREE??Two artists keep us in the know about local eventsBY ELLEN DONKERCat Delett and Chrissy McIntyre are the duo behind SOMAPSO, an online events calendar, weekly newsletter and podcast.I ts Friday afternoon and youre won- definitely not a website genius.was a chance to make good on the idea. It also deringhowtostartyourweekend.helps that McIntyre had spent some years at There was that live music event youSiriusXM radio as a producer and knew how heard about, but was it at the Burg- to edit audio. She says, Part of my job there dorfforFoxandFalcon?Andthewaswritingdownfunnyparts,tryingto Maplewood Library is having a poetrykeep my ear out for things that would make reading,butwhereisitbeinghelda good little bit [that] you could inject in since the main library is under construction?the show to make people laugh. Thats what Life in Maplewood and South Orange can beI do now.busy. And with so many events planned by organiza- But Delett is a trained graphic designer and narra- The duo held a few practice episodes at McIntyres tions, retailers, arts groups and more, keeping themtive painter (meaning she likes to tell stories through all straight can be tough.art) who has been working in the digital space for Thats what Catherine (Cat) Delett thought too.a long time. She also has plenty of experience pro-As the executive director of the Maplewood Villageducing and marketing events from her time working Alliance, she says, I saw this need that I kept hear- with Valley Arts and other volunteer organizations ing from residents, but also from the people workingas well as in her present job with the alliance. Thats and trying to plan events, that we never know whatsprobably why she can make it all seem effortless.going on in other places. Its really hard. Thinkingthatitwouldbehelpfultopairthe So she decided to do something about it and inwebsite with a weekly podcast, Delett approached the spring of 2022, Delett started a website calledher friend and fellow artist Chrissy McIntyre, whose SOMAPSO with a calendar feature to list all of theniche is mixed media collage. The two had met years eventsthatsheknewwerehappeninginthetwoagoperhaps at the Artwalk in 2014, they thinktowns. Delett already had the talent and experienceand remember bonding over their fascination with to build a website and says, This is probably like mythe Serial podcast, even flirting with launching theirThe SOMAPSO podcast comes out every Thursday to sixth Squarespace site. They make it really easy. Imown series. Although that never came to pass, nowkeep residents in the know about local events.feature story /35'