Somewhere in my long lists of posts on this blog there lies one about my participation years ago in one of
Jersey City's annual
Artists Studio Tours. I am not sure what I named the post or what labels I tagged it with, since repeated searches of this blog have turned up nothing. I'm pretty sure, however, that I did blog about one (was it 2009, the one fall between 2000 and 2012 that I was here? before? after?), and that I posted pictures. Where they are among this blog's many posts, though, I can't say.
So I will just note that recently, I went to my first Artists Studio Tour in a long while. For whatever reason (the Hurricane? being out of the loop?) I missed last year's version, but I did receive advanced notice about this, and moseyed over to the
Powerhouse Arts District (i.e., gentrifying-again downtown), where a number of artist buildings and studios are located. There was a kickoff celebration on October 5 at the Tenmarc Building on Communipaw, not far from where we used to live, but I missed that, just as I missed the closing party the next day down at 150 Bay, another major arts spot. Between the two, however, I did explore into some of the studios, starting at the
Warehouse Café and proceeding on foot to as many spaces as I could.
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| A party and performance in one of the studio spaces |
Along the way I received a free T-shirt, saw quite a bit of affordable art (some of it so economical I almost didn't believe the prices), met a few friendly artists and art lovers, and reconnected a bit more with the local arts scene. With 75 spots (some with up to 10 or more artists) spread out of the city, the tour will require a bit more time--two days, very comfortable shoes, a little bag to hold art if it's affordable and appealing--next year. Below are a few photos from the tour.
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| Warehouse Café, with DJ |
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| In one of the sizable studios |
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The rest of the studio/loft space, with handmade
furniture and art objects |
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| A photography exhibition around the corner |
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One of the signs alerting people on the tour
to an exhibit inside |
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| 140 Bay Street |
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| In one of the studios |
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| People speaking with one of the artists |
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| Ribbons of Hope exhibit |
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Ribbons of Hope exhibit
(mine is one of the illegible blue ones) |
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| A band performing in one of the studios |
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| Another studio |
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| Artist Jonathan Wolf (at right) |
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A piece by artist Chantal Lamour
(those are painted eggs) |
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The view from one of the windows
(the towers in the rear are the old Jersey City
Medical Center, now a condo cluster) |
