People are invited to don their chaps and cowgirl or cowboy hats on Aug. 12 for an afternoon of music and food for the hob’art Chili Throwdown Fundraising Bash at DC’s Tavern in Hoboken. Special guests Shana Scott, executive producer of Food Network’s “Stuffed: Food Hoarders,” radio host Amy Scott, and television producer Rich Schlansker will judge the chili competition, which will include beef, turkey, and vegetarian chili.
Event host hob’art co-operative gallery hopes to raise funds to support artist member exhibitions and future programs for free art workshops at the Hoboken Shelter and the Hoboken Library. The event takes place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Bringing community together
“This is really our way of bringing the community together,” said Heidi Curko, Hob’art member, artist, and organizer of the Chili Throwdown. She said the goals of the event include creating greater visibility about the cooperative and cultivating understanding about the importance of the arts in a local community.
“Any community is a very bland place to live without artists and musicians,” she said.
A member-run organization, hob’art was founded in 2002 and is the first co-operative gallery in Hoboken. The cooperative is located at the Monroe Center for the Arts and has 56 general members and 30 gallery members from the northern New Jersey area.
“The gallery has a larger mission to reach out to the community and so this is a nice way to make a connection.” – Heidi Curko
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After success with a wine and cheese fundraiser at DC Tavern earlier this year, Curko thought it would be a good idea to follow up to keep the positive energy flowing.
“It was a financial success,” said Curko about the fundraiser held in the late spring.
“We are pushing to make every new event even more successful.”
Vying to be chili champ
The Chili Throwdown will include bar fare, music spun by a DJ, an original postcard-sized piece of artwork that was donated by a hob’art artist, and of course, lots of chili.
Event goers will have the opportunity to sample all of the chili prepared by four to five previously chosen contestants who will face off in the chili competition.
“We are in the hands of wise judges,” said Curko. She noted that the criteria the judges will use to select a winner will include taste, texture, and the balance of flavors. Winners will get a traditional trophy.
The judges come from different backgrounds in the entertainment industry. Two of the judges, Amy and Shana Scott, are neighbors of Curko in Jersey City. The Scotts run the production company Modat, which offers media and voiceover training. Amy Scott has a background in television and radio as VH1 classic VJ and a DJ for JackFM while Shana has produced a show for the Food Network. Schlansker owns Electric City Pictures, and recently produced the original comedy series “Stand Up For Family 2012” with comedian Bill Bellamy.
Curko anticipates that gallery members, DC Taverns clientele, which includes many musicians, along with the extended artists’ community, will attend the fundraiser.
“People are coming out for the experience of hanging out, socializing, enjoying the food and music,” said Curko.
Supporting local artists
Hob’art hopes to raise thousands of dollars to help support their work and free art classes given by member artists in various media such as mask-making, wire jewelry, drawing, and painting.
Hob’art’s Chili Throwdown Fundraiser is Aug. 12 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at DC’s Tavern. Admission is $20 per person. For more information, visit: www.hob-art.org
Adriana Rambay Fernández may be reached at afernandez@hudsonreporter.com.