Supporters and friends of Art House Productions made the streets of Jersey City come alive with the music of a Dixieland style jazz band on Sept. 6 as they paraded from Hamilton Park to their new headquarters on Journal Square.
One of the mainstays of visual and performing arts in Jersey City, Art House became the latest organization to locate in what is expected to become a Times Square-like neighborhood in Jersey City, setting up shop in a building owned by KRE developers.
“We’ve massively increased our space,” said Art House founder Christine Goodman.
The move more than doubles the group’s space for production. On the ground floor of a building that abuts the back entrance to the PATH and bus terminal, with a lot of public window exposure, the space will serve as both an art gallery and small performance space, while a black box theater farther inside will allow the group to hold full scale productions.
“We’ve always struggled for space,” Goodman said, noting that at times, performance groups had to break down sets in order to accommodate other programs run by Art House. The new facility provides separate spaces that will allow multiple functions to go on simultaneously.
Mayor Steven Fulop, who attended the ribbon cutting on Sept. 8 but did not march in the parade on Sept. 6, celebrated the change of space, welcoming Art House and the arts community to what is to become one of the central hubs of Jersey City social activity.
The parade on Sept. 6 had about 60 people, many of whom dressed up for the occasion, some carrying props from various Art House functions of the past, giving this symbolic move the colorful air of a fiesta.
Steadily growing stronger
This is the second significant move for the group, which started in early 2001, at Victory Hall on Grand Street.
“Each move is better,” Goodman said, recalling the primitive conditions that the group started with. Thanks to the Silverman brothers, a pair of art-conscious developers in Jersey City, Art House was able to relocate to Hamilton Park where it expanded both the scope and quality of its offerings.
But with plans to renovate the Silverman building, Art House once more needed a new home, and Silverman reached out to KRE – another well-established developer in Jersey City – to allow the art company to use space near Journal Square.
KRE has just broken ground for a three-building complex on Pavonia and Summit Avenues next door to the new Art House space. The project includes towers that reach 70 stories, and is expected to transform Journal Square into a modern residential and commercial Mecca similar to Times Square in New York City.
Art House is expected to bring to the Journal Square area a wide range of programming for adults and children, and will, along with the nearby Landmark Loew’s Theatre, become a staple of arts in the area.
The move comes at an opportune time, since Art House usually doesn’t jump into its fall schedule of events until October, allowing the group to settle in before beginning many of its public events.
“We’ll probably have our open mic in early October,” Goodman said.
This has been a popular feature of the group since its inception, featuring local poets and musical acts. But Art House has become a key feature in the community, holding its primary fundraiser early in the year called The Snow Ball, as well as organizing the growing art and performance event called JC Fridays that takes place four times a year and features activities throughout the city.
“This is really a good move for us,” Goodman said. “I’m very excited about it.”
In touring the new facility on Sept. 8, Goodman noted that the organization now has significant office space as well as performance space, and with the gallery area facing the entrance to the PATH station, Art House will have a prominent public face for perhaps the first time since its creation.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.