Grace Church Van Vorst in Jersey City kicks off its annual Cathedral Arts Festival with a Champagne Gala this Saturday, May 6 from 7 p.m. to midnight. This is the 17th year for the festival, which has grown to include over 70 artists and 138 pieces.
The month long event includes: the opening night gala, a performance art showcase, a poet’s showcase presented by Art House Productions, a local film maker’s showcase and more.
Seasonal event
The 2006 festival starts with the annual event – the grand champagne gala. At the gala you will see all 138 works of art, hear music by American Watercolor Movement, and taste fine cuisine from area restaurants. In addition, there will be a silent auction of goods and services and a live auction of pottery and organ pipes.
According to Garth Kobal, Arts Coordinator of the festival, this is the church’s only fundraiser and it is used to keep various community outreach programs running.
Kobal is pleased with this year’s exhibit that was organized by the two curators, Nisha Drinkard and Jason Watson.
“There is a lot of color and texture in this show,” said Kobal. “I think it is a really powerful show compared to the other shows.”
Parties interested in purchasing the art can pick it up at the closing party on June 2.
The festival was made possible by the sponsors that include: Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, The Jersey City Municipal Council & Division of Cultural Affairs, The Provident Bank Foundation, The Jersey City Reporter and the Jersey City Magazine.
Salon style art
The two curators, Drinkard and Watson, had to organize 138 different pieces for the art show, which is hung salon style. (Salon style is a grouping of pictures on a wall rather than just one in a space.) The various work includes: sculpture, kinetic sculpture, metal, glass, fibers, ceramics, photography, painting, printmaking, drawing, digital images, stone and more.
“It’s a pretty big umbrella,” said Watson. “It incorporates a lot of media. It’s challenging because it is so broad, but you want it to be cohesive.”
“The merging is critical,” said Drinkard. “You want a visual flow to the work.”
Another component of this show was pairing the work in the visually powerful church itself. Grace Church Van Vorst is a 155 year-old neo-gothic cathedral that is beautiful without any added decoration. The old church has beautiful wood work and stained glass windows.
The work had to be arranged in a way that it wouldn’t get lost in the space.
“It’s such a strong space that you want the work to move,” said Watson.
The two worked to find an anchor for each of the areas and then they worked around that. “We keep the connections changing,” said Drinkard. “We want to keep it flowing.”
What you’ll see
The overall effect in the church is breathtaking. The light and color calls out to the viewer from every direction. You’ll want to take a moment to let it all sink in. When viewing an individual wall, you’ll be amazed at the similarities in form or texture or color in the individual pieces.
Some look like they were conceived with the same idea in mind even though they were created by different artists.
According to Kobal, working with art in the church is exciting because the church is organic.
“When the art comes together, the art simply transforms the space,” said Kobal.
Grace Church Van Vorst is located at 39 Erie St. in Jersey City. For Gala tickets call (201) 659-2211. For event information, visit: http://gracevanvorst.dioceseofnewark.org.
Cathedral Arts Festival Events
Champagne Gala, art show, auction, & live music, Sat., May 6, 7 p.m. to midnight, ($40 in advance, $50 at door, $25 for student/senior/artist.)
Pop & Tell, performance art showcase, Sat., May 13, 6 to 11 p.m.
Gallery Talks, a discussion with some of the artists, Mon., May 15, 7 p.m.
Elevation, poetry showcase by Art House Productions, Wed., May 18, 8 p.m.
Nimbus Dance Works and Riedel Dance Theater, Fri., May 19, 8 p.m. ($10)
Senior Showcase, Sat., May 20, 3 to 5 p.m. ($5)
Local Film Showcase, area artists show work, Fri., May 26, 8 p.m.
For more information, please call (201) 659-2211.