HOBOKEN–On Friday, April 23, at 5 p.m., hob’art cooperative gallery will inaugurate its first empty storefront temporary exhibition, entitled “Art Works,” at 716 Washington St., Hoboken. Council President Peter Cunningham is arranging a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the occasion and to honor the determination of hob’art President Liz Cohen and Public Relations Director Roslyn Rose, to make this a reality. Mayor Dawn Zimmer, County Freeholder Anthony Romano, Councilman Dave Mello, and Cultural Affairs Supervisor Geri Fallo are also expected to attend.
Spurred on by a New York Times article describing the luring of artists to empty storefronts, Cohen and Rose pursued the idea for months before meeting with the owner of 716 Washington St., Barbara Tulko, who opened the store to hob’art artists. “Art Works” was taken as the title for this show in honor of Rocco Landesman, the new Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Landesman has stated that art works to attract people and eventually jobs. He has started a pilot program, Our Town, to support local arts districts.
The hob’art artists invited to exhibit in this first show are board members of the gallery. It is a way of thanking the board for the hard work and dedication they have devoted to furthering the mission of the group.