By  Sally Deering Hobokenâ€s been doing it for years; Jersey City does it, too; and now, Bayonne has joined the ranks of local towns holding their very own arts & music festivals.  Where artists go, others follow, Joe Waks, a professional artist and member of the Art Circle of Bayonne says. More and more artists are planting roots in Bayonne.

 To celebrate that trend, Mayor Mark Smith and his administration are sponsoring Bayonneâ€s first-ever Arts & Music Festival on Fri, June 14^, from 6 pm to 11 pm. Sixty artists from the Art Circle of Bayonne, a collective of painters, photographers, sculptors and other artists will exhibit their works inside the Bayonne Community Museum on Broadway between 9^th and 10^th Streets. Artists will also give free painting and drawing demonstrations outside the museum.

 “The Art Circle of Bayonne is an organization that came about organically,” Waks says. “Our first exhibit was at the Bayonne Community Museum in March 2012.  The city sponsored the exhibit and everyone found out that there are a lot of people who do art in Bayonne. Thereâ€s a lot of enthusiasm, too, a hunger by artists who want to show. An amazing number of people came to that show in March and weâ€ve had several more shows since then.”

 Artists participating include Patty Mulligan, Bill Zblyut, Dina Six, Raymond Greaves, Ellen Greaves, Caryn La Greca, Fernando Fernandez, Kevin Delaney, Gerald Glover, Joan Rosen, Tom Hart and George Weir.The festival will feature music by the Bayonne High School Jazz Band and the Ziggy Christie Band and several vendors will be selling refreshments including the 8^th Street Broadway Diner and Bistro, R&Bâ€s, Sarelliâ€s, and Tonyâ€s Pizzeria.

 

“We have a captive audience here,” Waks says of the festivalâ€s 9^th Street location. “There are great places to eat and drink here on 9^th and 10^th Streets on Broadway.”

 

The new Bayonne Music & Art Festival seems to be a great way to spend a Friday evening and a great new reason for the city to show off their artist community and use of a grand building. The Bayonne Community Museum was designed in the Beaux Arts style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Used for special eventslike this, itâ€s a great place for the artists to exhibit, thanks to some forward-thinking by Mayor Smith. Waks says: “Mayor Smith had the vision: ‘We have this beautiful building letâ€s use itâ€.”

 

If you go:

Fri, June 14, 6-11 pm

First Annual Bayonne Arts and Music Festival

Bayonne Community Museum

229 Broadway (between 9^th & 10^th Streets)

Bayonne

(One block from the Hudson-Bergen Light Railâ€s 8^th Street Station; Raindate, Sat, June 15, 6-11 pm) Art Exhibit will also be open to the public: Sat, June 15, 6-10 pm; Mon, June 17- Fri, June 21, 5-7 pm; for more info: (201) 858-6033

Free Admission to the Museum

 

The post Art Venue Nouveau – Bayonne Spotlights Artist Community with First-Ever Art & Music Festival Friday June 14th first appeared on River View Observer.

Pictured at the first annual Citywide Art Show at the Bayonne Community Museum at 229 Broadway, at the corner of 9^th Street is (far left ) Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, and  Joe Waks ( far right with blue shirt)Bayonne Municipal Services Director  and the many Bayonne artists whose works were on display.

The opening reception  which ran from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  drew many Bayonne dignitaries,  residents, and family and friends of the  artists who participated.

Light refreshments were served.

The show will be open to viewers on weekdays, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. from Monday, April 16, through Friday, April 20, and again from Monday, April 23, through Friday, April 27, 2012.

Mayor Smith said, “I was looking forward to this inaugural show. Many talented local artists have showcased their works in this  beautiful setting at the Bayonne Community Museum. I invite the public to come and enjoy the art.  Art is alive in Bayonne”

The show  includes work by sixty-six artists who are residents of Bayonne. A jury of Bayonne residents headed by Anthony Sienkiewicz, painting instructor at the 4^th Street Senior Center Art Club, judged the entries and chose the works  exhibited. The jury organized the event in association with Municipal Services Director Joseph A. Waks. The display boards and lighting at the show were courtesy of the Department of Music and Art of the Bayonne Board of Education, Tim Craig, Director.

The post Bayonne Community Museum Opening Night April 13th, 2012 first appeared on River View Observer.