This weekend, the 2014 Jersey City Art & Studio Tour will feature more than 130 galleries, artists’ studios, and pop-up exhibition spaces on Oct. 18 and 19, from noon to 6 p.m.
This self-guided tour is a celebration of Jersey City’s diverse and ever-growing art scene that features over 600 artists and venues that include galleries, studios, public art, live music and performances, food, drink and parties. This year’s exhibitions include visual art, multimedia, film, music, performance and everything in-between.
Celebrating its 24th year, the tour, which has grown in recent years, showcases the work of professional artists who live and create in Jersey City, but whose art may be unfamiliar to the larger community. While many sites along the tour route are located downtown, organizers said there will be several dynamic group shows in the Jersey City Heights, Greenville, and Bergen-Lafayette communities as well.
Sponsored by Mayor Steven M. Fulop, the Jersey City Municipal Council, and the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs, Bank of America and SILVERMAN, the tour usually attracts thousands of visitors during its two-day run. The Jersey City Art & Studio Tour is New Jersey’s premier art and cultural event, and is free and open to the public.
“Jersey City has one of the most vibrant arts communities in the region and the Annual Studio Tour is a way for residents and visitors to view the art, meet artists, purchase artwork and support our growing arts community,” said Mayor Fulop. “In addition to dozens of new sites throughout the city, the tour this year also includes an interactive website with a geolocation feature and mobile apps. This year’s Jersey City Art & Studio Tour (formerly the Jersey City Artists Studio Tour) seeks to bring awareness and exposure to our community’s robust cultural community.”
The city Office of Cultural Affairs saw a significant increase in individual artist registration and open studios with curated group exhibitions, thanks in part to a digital application that allows for stops to be added right up to this weekend.
The Village neighborhood in Downtown Jersey City has flourished over the past year and will be bustling with events over the weekend, including “The Whiskey Rebellion” at Village West Gallery, The Original Fifty8 Reunion Show at Mary Benson Gallery, and The Raven Gallery’s Group Exhibition “Nesting.”
The Bergen/Lafayette and Greenville neighborhoods have also expanded their participation with more than 15 separate exhibitions that include an afternoon of visual art and music in Ummi’s Living Village Community Garden at 612 Communipaw Ave. on Saturday, Raku and Pottery Throwing demos at Evening Star Studios, and a “Glass Jam” at the glass art studio of Larry Feldman.
This year’s Jersey City Art & Studio Tour features a personalized online guide at www.thejcast.com that makes it easier than ever to find clusters of activated arts areas in all major neighborhoods. Visitors can find events nearby with an advanced geolocation feature that pin-points your neighborhood and offers event suggestions in your radius with walking and driving directions. Visitors can search by artist, venue, and neighborhood with the advanced search tool and get up-to-date details on what’s happening.
Tour highlights
In Bergen/Lafayette, Stephan Garin, Sam Sowryda, and dancer/choreographer Tzveta Kassovava join Shua Group of Jersey City for a performance of live percussion, dance and light. Audiences move through an environment of immersive drumming on steel beams, hand-held spotlights, and ghostly movement, set in a former metal working garage and the space of artist Elaine Hansen.
In the Heights, a community exhibition featuring over 50 participating artists, including the curated show “Don’t Play With Fire” will be held at 500 Palisade Ave. Meanwhile, at 126 Sherman Ave. artist Bojana Coklyat and Michael DiFeo have created new works in their “artnest.”
In the Journal Square area Mana Contemporary will open its 2nd, 4th, and 5th floors on Saturday only, from noon to 6 p.m.
Art House Productions will show off their new digs at 136 Magnolia Ave. with an inaugural visual art showing of how contemporary artists engage with obsolete ideas, materials, processes or technology.
Canco Lofts, at 150 Dey St., will have a group exhibition and multimedia displays.
In the Downtown section The Drawing Rooms, 180 Grand St., will offer full floors of group exhibition. The Alley Cat Gallery – Alley on Coles between 4th and 5th streets will feature Beth Achenbach and The Silver Sculptor; Iris Records at 114 Brunswick presents work by Michael Ambrose. A community exhibition at 29 McWilliams Place will feature mural artist Mark Samsonovich, Reviv JC, The Farm Mechanic and more.
Bar Luca at 247 10th St. will also host a community exhibition “Book Arts & Literary Wonders” with Instigatorzine, Lucy Rovetto, and more.
Take one of the tours
Printed Tour Maps can be obtained from Tour Welcome Tents at the Grove Street PATH Plaza, City Hall and various locations around Jersey City during the weekend. Complimentary upgraded shuttle busses will run in 15 minute intervals on the following routes:
Route 1: Grove Street PATH; 150 Bay St.; Erie Street & Pavonia Avenue; 500 Palisade Ave.; Perishing Field (the Heights); Newark Ave. / Brunswick.
Route 2: Grove Street PATH; Newark Avenue & Brunswick Street; 399 Halladay St.; 11 Monitor St.; 612 Communipaw Ave.; 660 Grand St.
Route 3: Grove Street PATH; 136 Magnolia St. / Art House Productions; 888 Newark Ave. / Mana Contemporary (Saturday only); 50 Dey St. / Canco Lofts; 2039 Kennedy Blvd. / NJCU Galleries; 128 Winfield Ave. / Project Greenville; 140 MLK Drive / Bethune Center.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.