Dear Editor:
Much is known about the power of art to enhance the quality of life of neighborhoods, to add vitality and hipness to an otherwise bland location and make it a desirable place to live. A great example of this effect is the amazing transformation of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, through the power of art, from a run-down, nondescript hood to one of THE most sought after places to live on the planet.
Hoboken, 20 years ago, seemed to be on a similar path as Williamsburg. Somehow though, for whatever reason, the arts became less of a priority here and artists found themselves banished to the city’s frontier (as if quarantined), holed up in the Newman Leather building and Monroe Arts Center. In startling contrast, Williamsburg has some 40 plus world-class galleries situated within walking distance of each other throughout the community.
A welcome change has recently come to Hoboken, in the form of two new galleries that have sprouted up on Washington Street – like daffodils poking through the frozen grounds of early spring. And the Hoboken Museum, led by Bob Foster, continues to provide a quality space for art, culture and local history. We even have a cake “Boss” who makes ephemeral art out of cakes, perhaps also mining a cozy nostalgia for the vanishing American family business. Might we, though, if we were culturally ambitious, also ponder the creation of more venues for theatre, dance, and independent film? Jersey City sets the pace with its thriving visual arts scene (and the performance art projects of Christine Goodman’s Art House Productions); and Union City, with its majestic Park Theatre and Yardley Arts Complex, has the diamond-in-the-rough potential to be the next happening scene.
As an educator interested in the transformative power of art, I’m especially concerned with spaces where people can talk about art. Projects like the All Saint’s Reader’s Circle, a magic space for literary talk for over a decade, come to mind. Equally crucial, though, are community spaces to dialogue on politics, or to simply renew social ties, of the kind Robert Putnam refers to in Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. The former Hoboken café Park Pastries used to serve such a purpose, and thank goodness we still have Symposia Bookstore, with its guitar circles and poetry readings and, now, my Public Voice Salon TV Show (8 pm Thursday’s on channel 19) where the voice of the ordinary citizen can be heard above the din of the talking heads.
Such a community gem as Symposia, though, might not have lasted had it not been for the generous support of former mayor Dave Roberts – whose philanthropy sets a fine example of enlightened, forward-thinking political leadership for the entire county.
Reactions to this letter are welcome at jfbredin@hotmail.com.
John Bredin