Grace Church Van Vorst celebrates Art and Community

 By Sally Deering

Back in the late 1980s and early 90s, many considered downtown Jersey City a tough and gritty place for off-the-grid artists and blue-collar workers. It was during that time Grace Church Van Vorst, an Episcopalian parish in downtown Jersey City opened its big red doors on Erie Street, and welcomed local residents, many of them artists, to participate in the Cathedral Arts Festival.

On Sat, April 18, Grace Churchâ€s big red

doors will open once again, this time for the 25^th anniversary of the Cathedral Arts Festival beckoning local residents and friends to once again enjoy a gala of art, entertainment, food and drink. Under the leadership of Reverend Laurie Jean Wurm and congregants Bayla Kallstrom as chairwoman, Amy Elise as head art curator and other dedicated artists and residents, the Cathedral Arts Festival will once again bridge art and community in this neighborhood parish.

“The artist community has a long relationship with Grace Church Van Vorst, a lot of parishioners are artists, one gentleman has his own reggae band,” Rev. Wurm says. “Art is essential to how Grace Church is known in downtown Jersey City. Thatâ€s one thing Grace has always embraced.”

The April 18^th gala will feature refreshments from area restaurants, an open champagne bar, music, dancing, a silent auction and a special performance by members of Nimbus Dance Works of Jersey City. Sixty-five artists will be exhibiting and selling their works with a percentage of each sale going to Grace Churchâ€s special programs like the Grace Senior Center for Healthy Living, and Graceâ€s Breakfast Plus program which provides weekend meals to hungry and homeless people in Jersey City.

“Art is vital to the life of the church,” Reverend Wurm says. “It can be beautiful and unifying. One of the things I love is when the paintings are hung up in the church. For me itâ€s a way to see whatâ€s going on around the world.  Bringing struggles, triumphs and joys that come with paintings and objects of art, and putting them in a sacred setting allows us to see the world in a sacred way.”

COMMUNITY & ART

Chairwoman of the curating committee, Amy Elise, has been a Grace Church congregant since 2008 right after she moved to Jersey City.

“The first time I walked through the doors, I saw art on the walls,” Elise says. “The sanctuary was an incredible space and the service was beautiful. Thereâ€s this creative energy in the church that immediately embraced me. I wanted to be involved.”

Artists from Jersey City and other towns like Newark, Morristown and New York City will be exhibiting their works chosen by Elise and four area curators – Farah Nuradeen (Greenville); Meghan McKee (the Heights); Andrea Artemis Morin (downtown); and Joe Velez (Union City). They picked artists whose work reflects the vibrancy and diversity of Jersey City.

“Jersey City is gentrifying, especially downtown, and that has to be represented because thatâ€s part of our reality,” Elise says. “We also wanted the gritty aspects of Jersey City to be represented in the art. The neighborhood that Grace Church is in currently used to have a different feel. We wanted to respect the artists who are in the downtown neighborhood now and the artists and arts that would have been in the neighborhood 25 years ago.”

 Artists exhibiting at the  25^th Cathedral Arts Festival are Beth Achenbach, Seth Alexander, Paul Andress, Ray Arcadio, Howard Berelson, Miguel Cardenas, Thomas John Carlson, Miroslaw Chelchowski, Jerome China, stephen cimini, Lisa Collodoro, Liz Defrain, Peter Delman, Martin Ramone Delossantos, Dave Dziemian, Dylan Egon, Thomas Egan, Ben Faresich, Eileen Ferara, Mark Finne, Julia Forrest, Geraldine Anderson Gaines, David Gazzo, Jamaila Hernandez, Miguel Hernández, Kayt Hester, Ann Hjelle, Lina Hsiao, Christine Johanns, Norman Kirby, Kortez, Lex Leonard, Béatrice Lebreton, Tatiana Lopez, Beatrice Mady, Julie McHargue, Meghan McKee, Andrea McKenna, Michael F. McKenna, Kathryn Mecca, Rajendra Mehta, Fermin Mendoza, Volha Mikhnevich, Andrea Artemis Morin, Ibou Ndoye, Amy Neufeld, JoanMarie Palmer, Diane Revels, Orlando Reyes, Vira Rublevska, Angelo Rusciano, Monique Sarfity, Lucille Scurti, Anthony Sienkiewicz, Elsie Sienkiewicz, Panda Suwann, Marianne Trent, Janna Maria Vallee, Herman Velez, Joe Velez, Diane Whitebay, M. H. Yaghooti, William Zbylut, and O_O.

Local Jersey City businesses have always been big supporters of the Cathedral Arts Festival and this yearâ€s sponsors include Shoprite – Inserra Supermarkets, Inc., JPMorgan Chase, Capital One Bank and PNC Bank. Some of Jersey Cityâ€s most popular restaurants are participating like GPâ€s Restaurant in Hamilton Square, The Hamilton Inn, The Bistro at Grove Square, Rustique Pizzeria, Gypsy Grill and Tommy2Scoops. The Festival will also have Le Bouquiniste, a mobile art kiosk from Curious Matter, and a live interactive weaving skill-share by relational artist Janna Maria Vallee.

The Cathedral Arts Festival is meant to bring new people into the Grace Church community, Elise says. And with Bayla Kallstrom as chairwoman, everyone is benefiting from her wisdom of what things were like 25 years ago when she and then curator artist Charles Kessler knocked on doors inviting artists to participate.

“Our theme from the very beginning was community, creativity and diversity,” Kallstrom says. “We feel artistry is a universal language. Itâ€s very spiritual. Itâ€s like religion, it floats above. It contains many voices, viewpoints and can pull people together in a spiritual way. A lot of people who came to Grace Church werenâ€t Christians but wanted to be a part of our community and every human being is better when they are part of a community; where people gather to help people become the best they can be. Thatâ€s a committed community and thatâ€s always our goal.”

If you go:

Sat, Apr. 18, 7:30 pm-12 midnight

The 25^th Annual Cathedral Arts Festival Champagne Gala

39 Erie St. (Downtown) JC

Admission:  $40 in advance; $50 at the door.

For tix:  www.gracevanvorst.org

For more info:  (201) 659-2211

 

The post 25th Cathedral Arts Festival to be held Apr. 18th in Downtown Jersey City first appeared on River View Observer.

The Powerhouse Lounge is a Jersey City nightclub with food service, mostly loved for their incredible pizza, and sushi.  It opened three years ago in 2010 and now you donâ€t have to journey into New York City for a classy trendy club because itâ€s here.

There is a doorman so always dress to impress – bring your corporate I.D., and wear business attire to get in – especially if you are interested in the corporate happy hour from 5-to-8 pm.  Itâ€s a deal offering food and drinks for just $20. 

Once inside youâ€ll notice the ambiance is very stylish: dark leather seating, a cascading waterfall behind the bar, and 3 gel-fueled, wall-mounted fireplaces.  According to the General Manager Walter Sawicki, “We wanted to create a dark, sexy, trendy, place equal or better than any New York City lounge”.

There is a bottle service deal and the cost varies according to the liquor brand you choose.  Average cost for 4 people is $220 and up.  On Friday, and Saturday nights there is a live DJ accompanied by a percussionist.  On Thursday nights all their large screens play the video of the Top 40 music the DJ is playing.

The seating is very well arranged in sections.  There are V.I.P. areas where you and your friends can have privacy but are still right in the mix.  If you feel like dancing you have plenty of room to bust out that move, or you can just sit at the comfortable bar and chill or make new friends.

There is a coat check policy which is great since winter is coming and you donâ€t want to lug around your outer wear. This is not your neighborhood sports bar so be prepared to indulge in a classy treat.

If you go:

The Powerhouse Lounge

360 Marin Blvd. Jersey City

(201) 918-5125

www.powerhouselounge.com

Hours: Tues-Thurs, 4 pm-2 am

Fri, Sat, 4 pm-3am

The post The Powerhouse Lounge in Jersey City-A Classy Treat first appeared on River View Observer.

Our newest feature looks at the Club scene in Hudson County 

By Martin Ramone Delossantos

Photos by Martin Ramone Delossantos

 Five West Supper Club is one of Hobokenâ€s most chic nightspots.  It is on Fifth and Madison Street exactly nine blocks down from Washington Street.  They have a free shuttle you can call for pick up, and ride home for one to fifteen people!

The club used to be known as BARNONE, and reopened as 5 WEST SUPPER CLUB in 2010.  The interior is tastefully decorated with dark, tri-colored, wood flooring, tall booths, a large dance space with a great sound system, and energetic lighting.

“The real bonus is the service,” General Manager Chris Lowther said.

He has created a fun, exciting place with a selective menu of delicious appetizer-style dishes to bring people together.  It reflects the clubs ambience, “to create a people-to-people environment,” Lowther said.

There are two full bars at each end of the nightclub.  The cocktail menu is creative with popular drinks like the “Virtue” and “Fetish”.  The selection of craft beers is current, and changes seasonally.  There is bottle service, and open bar available to share with good friends.

The club appeals to a diverse crowd ranging from early twenties to late thirties.  The dress code is “look good.”  DJâ€S such as “CREAM AND ALDEZ”, “GARY W”, and “PRISTIGE” pump out popular sounds to the crowdâ€s satisfaction.

Lowther has new plans for the club – his concept is called “two becomes one” although he wonâ€t share any details yet. Customers will have to wait till Sept. 6^th to see what changes heâ€ll be unveiling.  One thing wonâ€t change is his concept of the surprise experience he wants for his club guests: “Keep guests guessing what surprise entertainment will show,” Lowther said.

For private events, catering, evening reservations, and shuttle pickup:

5 West Supper Club

505 Madison St.

Hoboken

(201) 792-2244

www.thewestfive.com           

Hours: Tue–Thurs, 7pm–1am; Fri-Sat, 6 pm–3am

Closed Sun & Mon

 

The post In the Clubs: Chic and Craft-y 5 West Supper Club in Hoboken Serves Craft Beers and Tasty Apps in Upsale Digs first appeared on River View Observer.