This June saw the first annual Braddock Park Art Festival, a sprawling, day-long celebration of art activities, technique demonstrations, and art installations featuring works of all media and participants of all ages. Many intriguing pieces from the festival are now on view at the Secaucus Public Library until Sept. 30.
Upstairs in the second floor Panasonic Room is a selection of 4’x8’ prints from artists Martin Mazorra, Matt Ellis, Justin Sanz, and Rob Swainston. The images were created as steamroller prints – a process whereby an artist’s original woodcut is inked, a fabric laid overtop, and a steamroller driven across it.
“I went out and I bought my own steamroller,” said artist Stephen McKenzie, who arranged the steamroller exhibition at the festival. “Those are nothing but presses that you can drive.”
Among the other items on display are a 50’x4’ steamroller mono print created by the public in a colorful, communal art jam. The piece currently hangs in the children’s section of the library, while the lobby display features ceramic tiles created by festival attendees and handmade paper and art from Combat Paper NJ, fashioned from recycled military uniforms.
Secaucus Community Outreach Coordinator Lee Penna is responsible for bringing the pieces to the library as part of an ongoing series of art exhibitions held in the second floor space.
“This gave me the opportunity to show the work to a different group of people who may not have come to an art gallery,” said Penna.
“Our goal is to be a cultural anchor of North Hudson County.” –Matt Barteluce
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‘A creative and cultural incubator’
The Braddock Park Art Festival, held on June 14 at James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park, was sponsored by Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise, Freeholder Anthony P. Vainieri, Jr and The Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders, The Hudson County Division of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, and the Hudson County Division of Parks.
The festive event was initiated, arranged, and hosted by Guttenberg Arts, a one-year-old gallery housed in a former industrial building in Guttenberg.
“Lee has been a really great patron of Guttenberg Arts since the very beginning,” said Director Matt Barteluce. “When she heard we were looking for space for the exhibit, she offered August and September at the library. We thought it was a perfect location, a community oriented building, since it was a community event.”
The exhibition serves as a true cross-section of art, with pieces created by professional artists mixed with pieces crafted by children and amateurs. The steamroller prints were painstakingly carved by hand, while many of the ceramics were first-time attempts by novice artists.
Among the most striking items is an installation art piece entitled “The Un-falling of Our Parts,” by New York based artist Christina Pumo. “We thought that was perfect for an eye-catching sculpture when you walk in,” said Barteluce.
“Your eye is caught by that awesome Rubik’s Cube-looking sculpture,” agreed Penna. The huge, boxlike structure depicts a portrait of the artist’s father on each segmented side, with the images progressively smeared symbolizing disease and degeneration.
Guttenberg Arts is more than just a gallery. With onsite facilities for ceramics, photography, printmaking and more in their 4,500 square foot workspace, they sponsor three-month residencies for selected artists.
“Our goal is to be a cultural anchor of North Hudson County,” said Barteluce. “A place where artists from all over the world have access to our space and surrounding communities in North Hudson and New York. And also for us to be a creative and cultural incubator for those artists.”
Working artists can apply for a residency in any artistic discipline. Each quarter sees three resident artists, who receive $3,000 and access to the tools and exposure in the gallery. In exchange they interact with the community by offering a free public talk and an interactive workshop.
Applications for the first quarter of 2016 are open until Sept. 13 at guttenbergarts.org. Also available on the site are memberships for the general public. Supporters receive a tote bag and discounts at area establishments.
Rotating art shows
“You need to look at it a little while to realize there are chickens in there,” said Pat Galietti, a 52-year resident of Secaucus. He was referring to one of the steamroller mono prints on the second floor of the library.
“What is it, one chicken or two? That must be part of a chicken down here,” said Ronnie De George, inspecting the image and discovering hidden layers. “There’s 12 heads,” she concluded.
Galietti and De George were among a number of patrons who come to the second floor every week for the free film screened in the midst of the rotating art shows sponsored by the library. “I come for the movie every Tuesday and they have a lot of shows in here. I like flowers or trees,” said De George of her art preferences. “But sometimes they’re crazy. I don’t like the weird ones, the real dark ones.”
“The last one was very good,” said Audrey Brinkman, another moviegoer. “The man who did pictures of the Secaucus area. And there was one who painted all the apes. He’s very, very good.”
Frances Fedaenheuer was intrigued by the process behind the woodcut prints lining the walls.
“That’s like when you take a penny and put a piece of paper over it and you rub with a pencil,” she said. “Or you go to an old, old cemetery and you do a rubbing on the tombstones.”
“This library is great,” said Galietti. “They have a lot of things here. I just like coming here.”
Library Director Jenifer May added, “I’m really excited that the library is able to host this two month exhibition featuring the works of several Guttenberg Arts members, as well as the public art initiative on view in our lobby display case. I’m hoping that library users see the clay tiles and sculptures in the case as well as Christina Pumo’s larger-than-life installation and find that their interest is piqued to go upstairs and view the other half of the exhibition. I find the works currently on display very thought-provoking and beautiful, and am also looking forward to the new works that will be rotating in during September.”
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.