Last year Laurie Riccadonna applied for an artist fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, but money for artists was the first to be deep-sixed in the tanking economy, and there was no funding to be had.
But this year, the council had money available. They went back to the same pool of artists to look for recipients. Riccaonna’s 10 to 20 slides, artist statement, and resume were resurrected from some 200 applicants. A panel of judges deemed her work worthy, and of the 22 recipients, she is the only artist from Jersey City to win this year.
Considering the still rickety economy, the $7,000 take was pretty decent. Riccadonna has also received a fellowship from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.
Riccadonna has a busy life. In addition to being a grant-winning painter she is coordinator/assistant professor of fine arts at Hudson County Community College, having earned a bachelor of fine arts in painting/drawing from Pennsylvania State University and master of fine arts in painting/printmaking from Yale.
“There are a lot of opportunities for young artists to display their work.” – Laurie Riccadonna
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She’s lived in Jersey City for 10 years. She and her husband moved from downtown to the Journal Square area so that there would be more room for the kids – and more room to paint.
They lead a charmed artistic life. He works as an art conservator in New York City.
Following a pattern
As you’ll see from the painting on these pages, titled “Latitude 44.5,” as well as the details from the painting, Riccadonna loves patterns.
“My recent work explores the relationships between natural landscape and pattern,” she said in her artist statement … “Repetitive pattern establishes an order and structure that can be broken, disrupted, and disconnected. It is within this disconnect that I find beauty, secrets, and mystery.”
She explained, “I was always interested in art. In high school I had the opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts, a six-week intensive art program on a college campus that got me excited about pursuing art.”
Arts in JC
Riccadonna came directly from Yale to Jersey City, mainly because it was an affordable option close to New York City. “New York is such a mecca for artists,” she said. “I was always going to galleries and seeing new artists and fresh perspectives.”
She visited the Chelsea galleries, the Met, MOMA, the Guggenheim. “All of the above,” she said
But it’s not just the proximity to these storied institutions that attracted Riccadonna. “I just really liked the diversity of Hudson County and Jersey City,” she said.
As an art destination, “Jersey City has a lot of potential,” she said. “There are a lot of creative people here, whether artists or other creative types. There are a lot of opportunities for young artists to display their work.”
She cited restaurants and hair salons as well as galleries. She herself has shown her work here. A member of Pro-Arts Jersey City, she’s shown at Windows on Columbus, Victory Arts Project, and at the Jersey City Museum benefit art auction in 2002.
The museum closed its door this year, and its future is uncertain. “I’m sorry to see what’s happening with it,” Riccadonna said. “It was a great resource for the community. Hopefully something will work out.”
Kate Rounds can be reached at krounds@hudsonreporter.com..