By Sally Deering

 Dreams can be interpreted as a means to a deeper understanding of our innermost thoughts, feelings and desires. When Jersey City artist Carlos DeMedeiros dreams, he interprets his dream as objects dâ€art.

DeMedeiros†dream-inspired works are whimsical, playful, and sometimes religious and political, and will be on view in the new exhibit CABINET OF CURIOSITIES: THE WHIMSICAL WORLD OF CARLOS DEMEDEIROS opening Sat, Feb. 18 as part of Guttenberg Arts Centerâ€s new gallery series.

DeMedeiros, a self-taught artist and former Monk, takes found objects and deconstructs, then reconstructs them into unusual, dreamy, and sometimes kooky objects dâ€art. A lightbulb affixed with legs becomes a baby chick; a hammer transforms into a winged bird; a watch sprouts money – DeMedeiros†sculptures are playful, trippy and one-of-a-kind. At Guttenberg Arts gallery, executive director Matt Barteluce and curators Meyken Barreto and Elvis Fuentes re-create DeMedieros†studio environment – his “personal universe” so that visitors can experience DeMedeiros†“fabulous, unique and extremely creative thinking”.

“All of my pieces are reflections of my experiences,” DeMedeiros says “I truly believe that art is a tonic for the human spirit. Twelve years ago, or so, I quit my job and went to a place that offered a studio for artists. I didnâ€t have much of a budget. I wondered, what can I do to use that studio space? Someone suggested found objects. One thing about found objects, they are connected to my daily life.”

Brazilian-born and a former Monastic scholar, DeMedeiros lives in Jersey City and has participated in exhibitions at the New York Public Library, Art Students League of New York, the Bakehouse Art Complex in Miami, Bluffton Universityâ€s Grace Albrecht Gallery in Ohio, and the Outsider Art Fair in New York.

“When I was in the monastery, Dominican priests†days are divided by eight: eight hours to sleep and rest, eight hours to study, and eight hours of leisure,” DeMedeiros says. “My eight hours of leisure were dedicated to doing ceramics and engaging with artisans. My circle of friends had become so much bigger than my church friends. I realized I wanted to engage with everybody.”

CABINET OF CURIOSITIES is part of Guttenberg Arts new exhibition program that focuses on artists living and working in New Jersey. This new series takes place in two locations: the Guttenberg Arts Gallery in Guttenberg, and the Lake House at James J. Braddock Park in North Bergen. Barteluce and his Guttenberg Arts team see New Jersey as a hotbed of raw talent like artist Carlos DeMedeiros, he says.

“Guttenberg Arts is excited to extend our exhibitions program to include shows by practicing artists working in New Jersey,” Barteluce says. “We are grateful to curators Meyken Barreto and Elvis Fuentes for connecting us with incredible artists like DeMedeiros.” 

As for DeMedeiros, he says he will always create art with an open heart and upbeat perspective. Heâ€s been this way since he was a kid.

“I was talking to my mother last night and she said something funny,” DeMedeiros says.  “She said used to call me ‘Alice in Wonderland†because it didnâ€t matter how difficult the situation, I was always seeing bright colors and things in a positive perspective. This has helped me to survive. I wish everybody had this mindset. There is always something good you can squeeze out of something bad. I apply this to the art I do.”

If you go

Sat, Feb. 18 – Fri, Mar. 24

Opening Reception Sat, Feb. 18, 6-9 pm

Cabinet of Curiosities: The Whimsical World of Carlos DeMedeiros

6903 Jackson St, GTNBRG

www.guttenbergarts.org

The post THE CURIOUS ARTIST Carlos DeMedeiros Jersey City interprets Dreams as Objects d’art first appeared on River View Observer.

Artists create Art, give Workshops, and ‘get†Hudson

By Sally Deering

A community can be judged by the people who live and work there; and in the past two years, Guttenberg – a mile or so north of Hoboken – just got a lot more hip with the Guttenberg Arts Center on Jackson Street. A former dental factory, the open single-story space now houses paints, easels, clay, printing presses and other tools of the artistâ€s trade. It also serves as a place for emerging artists to create and present their work in exhibitions, artist talks, and free workshops that share their artistic vision with the Hudson community.

Guttenberg Arts Centerâ€s ceramics director Phoebe Deutsch with founder and ceramics artist Sara Barteluce

Guttenberg Arts Centerâ€s Winter 2016 Artists-in-Residence are Joiri Minaya, Chris Bors, and Sarah Nicholls. Each artist works in a different medium and as artists-in-residence, each will offer workshops and talks with the community during certain exhibit hours. Director Matt Barteluce, who holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, says he and Guttenberg Arts Co-founders Don Barteluce, Sara Barteluce, Russ Spitkovsky, and Phoebe Deutsch opened the center in May 2014 to meet the needs of emerging artists looking for a space to create; and in the almost two years since it opened, Guttenberg Arts has brought a new energy and excitement to its urban blue collar neighborhood.

“Our community of artists originally came from Carrier Pigeon, a quarterly magazine we produced four times a year,” Barteluce says. “It was a venue for artists, writers, and illustrators to showcase their work without restrictions. The Guttenberg Arts Center and artists†residency was a way for us to give artists space and time to produce the work in the magazine. The Center used to be a dental factory. We bought it and then thought why not go for a non-profit status so we can do good for the community and artists. So thatâ€s the origin of it. Weâ€re still very new and weâ€re still trying to get our name out there and let people know what weâ€re trying to accomplish.”

Guttenberg Arts Centerâ€s director Matt Barteluce, co-founder Don Barteluce, artist-in-residence Sarah Nichols, ceramics director Phoebe Deutsche and co-founder Russ Spitkovsky

The mission of the Guttenberg Arts Center is to give artists a space and time to create new work, and to engage the public. In June 2015, Guttenberg Arts Center staff worked with the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs to sponsor an art festival in James J. Braddock Park (Hudson County Park) in North Bergen.

“Programs like that make us feel like weâ€re doing something necessary for northern Hudson County,” Barteluce says. “Thereâ€s lots of stuff happening in Jersey City and Hoboken. When people think of Hudson County they think of those two cities, but there are a myriad of other towns that are celebrating the artists that live and work there. We like to call ourselves the cultural anchor of northern Hudson County.”

Guttenberg Arts at 6903 Jackson Street Guttenberg NJ

BODYCASTING, PRINTMAKING: FREE WORKSHOPS

The Guttenberg Arts Centerâ€s workshops are conducted by the artists-in-residence and so far, there have been a dozen free workshops offered to the community like Mono-print Madness, a class on printmaking taught to children at the Union City Music Project run by artist Johanna Winters.

Winter 2015 Resident Artist Johanna Winters  teaches the art of mono-printing to students at the Union City Music Project.

“Johanna liked working with kids and getting them interested in printmaking methods, so we worked with another local non-profit, the Union City Music Project and their students,” Barteluce says. “We came to the Park Theater in Union City where they teach classes and brought one of our mini-presses. The kids got to paint something on a piece of Plexiglas and we ran it through the press.”

Hands from Roberto Visani’s Body Cast Workshop

Local artist Roberto Visani conducted a Body Cast Workshop for adults this past fall. The process involved filling quart buckets with a fast-setting plaster, and then making a quick mold.

“Workshop participants would put their hands in the quart bucket, it dries in a few minutes and then you pour plaster and you can get a plaster mold of your hand,” Barteluce says.

Summer 2015 Resident Artist Pavel Acosta (standing) teaches a collage workshop to adults

“Each year, our resident artists teach nine workshops and theyâ€re free to the public,” Barteluce says. “Whoever signs up, gets in. Each one is different. Weâ€ll be teaching a letterpress class in March and two other artists are currently figuring out what they want to do.”

 WINTER 2016 ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE

This winter, three artists are in residence at the Guttenberg Arts Center: Chris Bors, who paints  and silkscreens; Joria Minaya who makes videos, large scale silkscreens and plaster casting; and Sarah Nicholls who creates books and pamphlets.

Artists-in-residence are asked to work an average of 40 hours a week, like a normal work week, Barteluce says. Itâ€s a three-month residency in the fall, winter and summer, and submissions are now being accepted for the May 1-to-July 31 summer residency. Open call for the summer residency begins Fri, Jan. 15 and runs through Sun, Feb. 14. Interested artists should submit 10 images, an artist statement, a letter of intent, and CV. (See the website for details.)

“We select a panel of jurors, curators, museum directors, and artists, and we give them a month or so to view the submissions online and vote,” Barteluce says. “Once we reduce the submissions to the top 70, we have a slide show. From 70, we go down to 12. They are all so talented, at that point itâ€s a matter of finding a good group that could work together well, and the mediums donâ€t ‘interfere†with each other. On average, we get 200 submissions.”

Artists receive a $3,000 stipend for the 3-month residency.

“Three-thousand is not a lot of money, but we feel itâ€s enough for them to commute to the space, get some artist materials and have a warm meal in their stomachs,” Barteluce says. “Weâ€re hoping to raise a larger amount of money or increase the number from three to six artists. We can have the space filled with a dozen artists.”

Sarah Nicholls, an artist who makes books and resides in Brooklyn, is one of the three current artists-in-residence at Guttenberg Arts. Nicholls recently held an artist talk at the center where she discussed her work creating mono-prints, pamphlets and books like the one she wrote and illustrated on extinct birds. During her residency at Guttenberg Arts, Nicholls says she plans to work on a new book. Familiar with artist residencies – she did one last year at Governorâ€s Island in New York – Nicholls says Guttenberg Arts†residency program is very generous to artists.

 Art Prints by Sarah Nicholls are now on exhibit at Guttenberg Arts Center

 

“It offers great facilities, exhibitions, feedback and community,” Nicholls says. “It offers opportunities to present your work in public and time and support to start something new to focus on. Because we have a key we can make our own schedules. Itâ€s an interesting place and well-equipped. Thereâ€s a lot of space and a lot of equipment. Itâ€s great.”

If you go

Guttenberg Arts Center

6903 Jackson St, Guttenberg

(201) 868-8585

Hours: noon to 5 pm, Tuesday through Sunday

By appointment to see the exhibitions

www.guttenbergarts.org

To submit work: https://guttenbergarts.submittable.com/submit

The post Guttenberg Arts -Guttenberg Arts Center’s Artists in Residence first appeared on River View Observer.