Reminder: Join Jersey City Free Public Library, I Love Greenville, and SafeStreetsJC for the 31st District 2025 Assembly Candidate Forum!  Cunningham Branch Library (275 Martin Luther King Drive)  Monday, May 12  5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from the candidates, learn where they stand on key issues, and ask your questions. It’s a great way to stay informed and engaged in your community! You can submit your questions for the candidates to address using this link  Gillian Sarjeant-Allen, the Secretary of the Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation and founder of Radical Solutions LLC, and Lewis Spears, Director of the Lee Hagan Africana Studies Center at New Jersey City University, will serve as moderators for the forum. DID YOU KNOW? Jersey City is split between two different state Assembly districts. Not sure which district you’re in? Look for your address on this map. Please register to attend this event with the link below.?

The post Your Voice Matters: Join the Jersey City Public Library for the 31st District Assembly Forum first appeared on River View Observer.

Leeâ€s Work Explores Mediaâ€s Impact and The Search for Hope in a Dystopian Culture

By Sally Deering

 We live in the Information Age where we eat, sleep and ‘digest†news 24/7. Since Donald Trump became the 45^th President of the U.S., and reports of Twitterbots and other Internet propaganda machines churning out lies have become the norm for news, it seems impossible for people to get a grip on the truth.

In an effort to make sense of media messages put out during Donald Trump and Hillary Clintonâ€s year-long presidential campaigns in 2016, and these dystopian times since Trumpâ€s election, mixed-media artist Joyce Yu-Jean Lee presents “State of The Dysunion” a new art installation on view at the Visual Arts Gallery on Culver Avenue adjacent to the NJCU campus. The show has been extended through Mar. 28.

When visitors enter the Visual Arts Gallery, Leeâ€s installation is a flight down to the basement where the space is partitioned by a black curtain. Entering the space can feel like stepping into the dark spaces of the mind, a daydream of color, images and words.

The main piece of the show, “State of Dysunion” hangs from the ceiling in the center of the gallery; a wide cylinder of white material serves as a backdrop for colorful images and words projected on it. The cylinder piece reflects the time thatâ€s passed since Hillary Clintonâ€s nomination for president to the time that Trump was elected, Lee says.

“The images and the text are gleaned from news, front pages of newspapers on those particular days,” Lee says. “They are sourced from the archives of the the Newseum in Washington D.C.”

Below the huge drum-like cylinder are pillows resembling rocks and visitors are encouraged to sit under the drum for a more interactive experience. Lee says: “For this particular show, I wanted to create a space that was quiet, where you could reflect and have this circle of energy.

In Water Wisdom, Lee shines a light on peopleâ€s media consumption. When she created the piece she asked herself important questions about her personal beliefs and the things she holds true; questions like “how do we navigate this overly saturated media landscape?” 

An adjunct professor of computer graphics at NJCU since 2014, Lee earned an MFA from the Maryland Institute of the College of Art. She works at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City and Cooper Union, where sheâ€s an academic support specialist. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Lee resides in Manhattan. She also has a background in media from her years as a media strategist in advertising.  

 As an installation artist, Lee says she enjoys transforming the gallery spaces where she exhibits. She plays with light and darkness and how and where the works will be hung. In this show, she projects images from current events like the Womenâ€s Marches, the California wildfires and the #metoo Movement.

“How is it our media landscape reflects the zeitgeist or socioeconomic public consciousness and is there any parallel with other things that are happening,” Lee asks. “Our country has a lot of ecologies that are out of balance, not just the media landscape. The Womenâ€s March, the #metoo and Black Lives Matter Movements, and now our ecosystem is out of whack.”

Gallery Director and Associate Professor of Art History at NJCU, Midori Yoshimoto, Ph.D. sees Leeâ€s installation as a wake-up call to the overload of information thatâ€s affecting peopleâ€s lives. She says Leeâ€s installation “helps us to be mindful of the way we navigate through news in our daily life.”

“I find Joyceâ€s video installation timely at a time when we are inundated by a flood of information and images from the media,” Yoshimoto says. “But it doesnâ€t present a simple critique on the state of politics. Rather, it allows us to meditate on what has happened and is happening.”

If you go

Now showing through Mar. 28

State of The Dysunion: Joyce Yu-Jean Lee

The Visual Arts Gallery (basement)

100 Culver Ave, JC

(201) 200-2496

www.njcu.edu

Gallery Hours: 
Mon – Fri, 11 am – 5 pm
or by appointment
 

The post ALIGHT IN THE DARK- Artist Joyce Yu-Jean Lee’s ‘State of the Dysunion’ Extended at NJCU through Mar. 28 first appeared on River View Observer.

Jersey City, N.J., November 9, 2017 – New Jersey City University (NJCU) will present an evening with Judith Jamison â€“ the iconic dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director Emeritus of the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – on Wednesday, November 15, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., at the NJCU School of Business, Skyline Room, Harborside 2, 200 Hudson Street in Jersey City.

As a dancer, Ms. Jamison became one of modern dance’s great performers and she was appointed Artistic Director of the company in 1989 at the request of Alvin Ailey, himself. During her tenure, she shaped the company into the foremost modern dance troupe in the country, and built a permanent home and school for them in Manhattan. Ms. Jamison has received many awards for her accomplishments as an artist and director, and she is being inducted into the 2017 Crain’s Hall of Fame this month, which honors leaders from business, philanthropy and the arts who have left a major impact on New York.

Sharon Ambis, Chair of the NJCU Arts Advisory Board and the Director of Marketing at Jersey City Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health, will moderate a Q&A after Ms. Jamison’s keynote speech.

This event is FREE with RSVP and open to the public. The program is part of NJCUâ€s 2017-18 Presidential Speaker series. RSVP now at http://bit.ly/2yIuUnD for An Evening with Judith Jamison. For more information visit www.njcu.edu/arts.

About JUDITH JAMISON

Judith Jamison joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1965 and quickly became an international star. Over the next 15 years, Mr. Ailey created some of his most enduring roles for her, most notably the tour-de-force solo Cry. During the 1970s and 80s, she appeared as a guest artist with ballet companies all over the world, starred in the hit Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, and formed her own company, The Jamison Project.

She returned to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1989 when Mr. Ailey asked her to succeed him as Artistic Director. In the 21 years that followed, she brought the Company to unprecedented heights – including two historic engagements in South Africa and a 50-city global tour to celebrate the Companyâ€s 50th anniversary.

Ms. Jamison is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them a prime time Emmy Award, an American Choreography Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, a National Medal of Arts, a “Bessie” Award, the Phoenix Award, and the Handel Medallion. She was also listed in “TIME 100: The Worldâ€s Most Influential People” and honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first White House Dance Series event. Last year, she became the 50th inductee into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance.

As a highly regarded choreographer, Ms. Jamison has created many celebrated works, including Divining (1984), Forgotten Time (1989), Hymn (1993), HERE . . .NOW. (commissioned for the 2002 Cultural Olympiad), Love Stories (with additional choreography by Robert Battle and Rennie Harris, 2004), and Among Us (Private Spaces: Public Places) (2009).

Ms. Jamisonâ€s autobiography, Dancing Spirit, was edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and published in 1993. In 2004, under Ms. Jamisonâ€s artistic directorship, her idea of a permanent home for the Ailey Company in New York City was realized and named after beloved chairman Joan Weill. Ms. Jamison continues to dedicate herself to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture, and she remains committed to promoting the significance of the Ailey legacy—using dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future.

ABOUT New Jersey City University (NJCU)

 The mission at New Jersey City University (NJCU) is to provide a diverse population with an excellent education. The University is committed to the improvement of the educational, intellectual, cultural, socioeconomic, and physical environment of the surrounding urban region and beyond.  Established in 1927 as a training school for teachers, today NJCU is among the most comprehensive universities in the state.  Located in Jersey City, NJ, and minutes from New York City, NJCU’s fully accredited College of Arts and Sciences, Education, Professional Studies, and School of Business offer 43 undergraduate degree programs and 27 masterâ€s programs and 2 doctoral programs, including emerging and interdisciplinary fields.

NJCU students engage in rigorous applied-learning experiences that include opportunities to study abroad, and cooperative education internships.  NJCU operates two additional campus sites—NJCU School of Business at Harborside Plaza 2 in Jersey Cityâ€s financial district and NJCU at Brookdale in Wall Township in Monmouth County.

The post NJCU Presents ‘An Evening with Judith Jamison’ Of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on November 15 first appeared on River View Observer.

Art House Productions’ hit show “In Full Color” is back for Women’s History Month with 20 more women of color from across the nation sharing their stories through monologues, poetry, song and dance.

“In Full Color” has four shows — Thursday, February 16th, Friday, February 17th, Saturday, February 18th at 8 PM and Sunday, February 19th at 3 PM. These performances will be at Transmission, 150 Bay St. Jersey City, NJ 07302, near the Grove Street PATH Station. Advance ticketing for General Admission is $12 and $18 at the door and $10 for Students/Seniors in advance and $12 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at http://www.arthouseproductions.org.

This year, “In Full Color” features women in California, Maryland and Virginia joining Tristate talents. Participants include Yhá Mourhia Wright, Sholeh Wolpe, Amel Khalil, Venida Cheryl Rodman Jenkins, Purvi Patel, Eileen Ramos, Diana Burbano, Yvonne Hernandez, Amanda Andrei O’Connor, Sarah Teed, Paula Ralph Birkett, Sky Ortiz, Ashlei Hardenburg,Tuere Ganges, Audrey Martells, Nancy Méndez-Booth, Dena Igusti and director Summer Dawn Hortillosa. Also, this yearâ€s winning graphic design is by local artist Shirin Terhune Vazir.

There will also be a contemporary dance number opening the show choreographed and performed by Autumn Perez and set to “Stop the World” by up-and-coming recording artist Donna Missal. Missal, who has performed around the country at festivals including Riot Fest in Denver and Chicago, has been featured on multiple music blogs and websites like Billboard and the Fader and has reached the top ten on Spotifyâ€s Viral chart and Hype Machine with her hit single “Keep Lying.”

Hortillosa, who created the concept for the show, says this year is about strength and hope.

“Last year, we almost had to cancel In Full Color when Art House Productions was flooded just weeks before we opened, but two things pulled us through to have yet another sold-out year — first, was community strength. Through the generosity and aid of BGT Enterprises, Jersey City Theater Center and other local sponsors, we were able to literally rise above the tide. Second, of course, was the courage and determination of our incredibly talented cast.

“In 2017, women of color around the country are facing their own tidal waves. Many of us are unsure about the future of our health, our happiness, our human rights. But what we can be sure about is the strength and support of the community around us, and of the strength within ourselves. And I am thrilled to have found the women of this year’s cast, whose stories will surely move, entertain and inspire.”

Audiences will also be able to purchase merchandise to support the program including the In Full Color anthology, a collection of monologues from the show’s first two seasons.

Proceeds will support Thinking In Full Color, an educational outreach offshoot that has brought In Full Color alumnae to schools and community centers. Previous venues include: WORD Bookstores (where the anthology is carried!), Hunter College, Rutgers University, the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour, New Jersey City University, TEDxJerseyCity and Raritan Valley Community College.

Art House Productions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the development and presentation of performing and visual arts programs in Jersey City, NJ. Art House presents theater, music, visual art, and dance programming as well as and the citywide arts festival, JC Fridays. For more information about our programs, please visit our website at www.arthouseproductions.org.

For accessibility requests and inquiries, please contact info@arthouseproductions.org or call 201-915-9911.

Made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, and by the County of Hudson, Thomas A. DeGise, Hudson County Executive, and the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

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The post Art House Productions and 68 Productions present In Full Color first appeared on River View Observer.

 Jersey City Summer Internship Program (JCSI), a youth employment initiative started by the Fulop administration in 2014 that connects Jersey City public high school students to paid internships at the cityâ€s leading companies and institutions while also earning academic credit was announced today by Mayor Steven M. Fulop  that the opening of the online application process has begun. JCSI is a part of the cityâ€s broader Jersey City Summer Works initiative, which has provided summer employment and enrichment for more than 3,000 young people in city departments and agencies, corporations and nonprofits since the initiative began.

In its fourth year, JCSI has provided over 175 Jersey City public school students with high-quality summer internships.

“This program was one of the first ones we implemented and is vitally important as it offers our youth opportunities with local corporations that previously had not existed,” said Mayor Fulop.  “It is opportunities such as these that help young people gain experience, develop their skill set, and build their professional network that will open many doors in the future.”

Developed by the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC), in collaboration with the Mayorâ€s Office and the Jersey City Public Schools, JCSI is part of the cityâ€s broader Jersey City Summer Works initiative, a comprehensive, multi-program youth employment and enrichment initiative that has served more than 3,000 young people from across Jersey City.

JCSI offers students the opportunity to receive professional exposure to industry leaders across a diverse range of companies and institutions, including finance, manufacturing, health care and the hospitality industries. The program enables participants to experience firsthand professions driving Jersey Cityâ€s economic expansion and development. Students accepted into the program are placed in six-week internships and they work four days a week, and participate in weekly career training seminars every Friday that enable them to successfully navigate the work environment.

“In addition to its strong record of placing Jersey City public school students in competitive internships, JCSI has measurably improved their career horizons,” said Mayor Fulop. “Jersey City is fortunate to be home to a wide range of private sector companies and non-profit institutions who share a deep commitment to engaging the community and helping young people reach their full potential.” 

Admission to JCSI begins with the online application, which requires students to submit, among other information, a transcript, report card, letter of recommendation, résumé, and three essays by March 6, 2017. Students who submit complete applications will then be interviewed by representatives of participating organizations.  Applicants will be notified whether they have been accepted to the program in May 2017.  As in prior years, application information sessions will be held at local public schools during January and February.

JCSI continues to garner praise from students and participating companies and institutions.  In 2016, 97 percent of responding supervisors reported that their intern was an appropriate match for their team, while 94 percent of students reported that they grew in each of a variety of skills over the course of the program. Participating companies have included JP Morgan & Chase, Scynexis, Inc., Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., Fidelity Investments, Women Rising, Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Goya Foods, Hyatt Regency Investors Bank, Jersey City on the Hudson, Saint Peterâ€s University, Mack-Cali Realty Corp., New Jersey City University, Jersey City Medical Center, Eastern Millwork, Inc., SUEZ Water, Tropicana, Liberty Science Center, United Way, and many more. This year, JCSI seeks to serve even more students and to welcome new businesses to the program.

All Jersey City public high school students who reside in Jersey City and are enrolled in their junior year are encouraged to apply, using the following link: https://jcsiprogram.wufoo.com/forms/jersey-city-summer-internship-program-application/

If you would like to suggest a company to host interns, please contact the JCSI team at jcsiprogram@jcnj.org or visit our website at www.jerseycityyouthworks.org to learn more about the program.

The post Opening of Application Process for the 2017 Jersey City Summer Internship Program Announced by Mayor Fulop first appeared on River View Observer.

Broadwayâ€s Unsung Artisans

 By Sally Deering

 When some folks see Broadwayâ€s Theater District for the first time they ooh, ah and buy tickets to the show theyâ€re dying to see. When Timothy White, Ph.D., an assistant professor of history at New Jersey City University first saw Broadway, he not only bought tickets, he began researching its glorious history.

Dr. Whiteâ€s curiosity centered on the artists behind the scenes, the nameless crafts men-and-women who sewed the costumes, built the scenery and provided the lights needed to spotlight all those chorus girls in musical showstoppers. Whiteâ€s curiosity led him to the Library of Performing Arts to write his dissertation for his Columbia University Ph.D. and the result is his first published book BLUE COLLAR BROADWAY: The Craft and Industry of American Theater (pub: University of Pennsylvania Press) now on the shelves of Barnes & Noble and online at Amazon.com.

 In chapters like “Second Hand Rose”: The Stage Before the Broadway Brand; and “A Factory for Making Plays” Broadwayâ€s Industrial District, White takes readers on a guided tour of what it was like when the shops and businesses in the theater district were all a part of the Great White Way, where theater artisans built the scenery, costumes, lights, and everything else that went into putting on a Broadway show for over a 100 years. Whiteâ€s book shines a spotlight on the history of those theater people barely remember in Broadwayâ€s theatrical history books.

Professor White took a few minutes of his busy schedule – he just had a performance/reading at Art House Productions in Jersey City with students of NJCUâ€s theater department singing shows from Broadway shows – and shared his passion for Broadway and its history.

RVO:  As a history professor, why did you decide to write a book about Broadway?

TW: I was trained as an historian, but I always loved theater especially when I moved from California to New York. It was 1999 and I dove head first into Broadway. I went to as many shows as I could. First off, I had to make up for long time so I went to see Cats and Phantom of the Opera and caught up on the old stuff like Thoroughly Modern Millie, a lot of great shows. Iâ€ve got the brain of an historian and my heart is in Broadway. When Iâ€m done teaching my classes, Iâ€ll drive off and do Community Theater for fun.

RVO: Why a book about the behind-the-scenes world of Broadway and not the stars?

TW: I became fascinated with the theater district and Times Square and I started doing research, I was studying business listings and Yellow Pages (phone directories) and I found backstage businesses were all over the Theater District. All through the 1940s, 50s and 60s, there were dozens of shops and stores in the Theater District – blue collar stuff. When I came to New York, they were no longer there. There are still people doing great craft work in Midtown, but nowhere near as many.

RVO: Where did you do most of your research?

TW: The Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library has the most important archive; the Billy Rose Theater collection is rich. On Broadway, thereâ€s a tremendous focus on design. The art of costuming depends on the sketch and design and itâ€s an art form. What I was interested in was who built it? Who stitched it together?  For my research, I spoke with the award-winning Broadway costumer designer William Ivey Long. He gave me a great perspective on the industry. I tried to balance my interviews with archival materials.

 RVO: Can you share an anecdote from your book?

TW: One of the stories in the book comes from Hal Prince, the incredible director and producer who has had an incredible Broadway career. It goes back to the original production of West Side Story, and in one of the pieces he wrote, he was explaining that in the original costume design, Irene Sharaff created pants the Sharks and Jets could dance in; the material was distressed, dyed and constructed to look like Leviâ€s. Prince was looking at his budget, and thought couldnâ€t he they just buy a pile of Leviâ€s blue jeans down the street? She said, no, absolutely not. The actors couldnâ€t do that kind of strenuous dancing in Leviâ€s blue jeans, it couldnâ€t be done. They could never kick as high as they needed to. That illustrates the importance of costume construction on Broadway Itâ€s also an example that you have to listen to your craftspeople. It makes the art of Broadway possible.

RVO: How about another anecdote?

TW: Another story connects to anyone who was in New York around the 1970s and knows it was such a different Times Square back then. I was tracking fabric suppliers, doing digital searches, and I got a hit on an address on W.45^th Street, a police report on a murder by a man who was on the run. A stage fabrics company had closed and in its wake, the empty space was being used as a hangout for criminals. This criminal they were looking for had dismembered a man and put the body parts in Theater District garbage cans. The closure of all these Broadway craft shops left the Theater District vulnerable to this type of activity. The musicals were still opening, but being built outside of Times Square. The decline in Broadway craft in Times Square left a lot of the buildings unrented and run down.

RVO: Your book is at Barnes & Nobles, Drama Book Shop and a new indie book store Little City Books in Hoboken. What was it like seeing your book on the shelf for the first time?

TW: It was a thrill.

RVO: Is there another book in the works?

TW: Yes. Iâ€m looking at the finances of Broadway; the behind-the-scenes of Broadway investments. Iâ€m going to try to argue that a Broadway flop helps to move the art of Broadway forward. You need flops in order to have a hit.

You can purchase Dr. Timothy Whiteâ€s book “Blue Collar Broadway” at:

amazon.com; Barnes & Noble; Little City Books in Hoboken; and the Drama Book Store in NYC.

 Excerpt from Blue Collar Broadway:

The Craft and Industry of the American Theater

 By Dr. Timothy R. White

 “…Had anyone developed a special curiosity about the people who hammered, painted, and sewed behind the scenes in the commercial theater, they would have been easy to find. Especially prior to the 1970s, such skilled workers were overwhelmingly clustered in one district: Times Square. Despite their ubiquity for many decades, previous histories of this quintessential urban space give short shrift to the carpenters, seamstresses, and other craft experts who brought stage shows to fruition They often operated major supply shops and theater-related contract businesses but have yet to Factor significantly into any history of Times Square.

From a single vantage point, Broadway between 48^th and 49^th Streets, one can easily trace the prominence of such shops throughout the twentieth century. In August 1936, for example, the visitor to this stretch of Broadway would have quickly encountered theater-related buildings, businesses, and workers. At midday he or she might have seen actors from the Federal Theatre Projectâ€s We Live and Laugh on their way to rehearsal at Ringle Studios, 1607 Broadway. Directly across the avenue, he or she may have spotted the proprietor Morris Orange or one of his seamstresses on lunch break from their costume rental store at 1600 Broadway. Immediately to the north, the visitor may have seen the cast and craftspeople of the play Stork Mad as they walked to the Ambassador Theatre next door.”

The post BLUE COLLAR BROADWAY: The Craft and Industry of American Theater first appeared on River View Observer.

By Sally Deering

Chances are if you moved to Hoboken, Jersey City or any one of Hudsonâ€s 13 cities and towns, you may not know much about where you live – the highs, the lows, the skeletons in the closet.

On Sat, Oct. 18^th, from 10 am to 4 pm, New Jersey City University (NJCU) and the Hudson County History Advocates team up for an all-day birthday bash to celebrate New Jerseyâ€s 350^th (1664-2014) with displays from over 50 Hudson County organizations and cultural groups, documentary films by local filmmakers, talks by authors who penned books about New Jerseyâ€s Whoâ€s Who and ‘Who Wasâ€, vintage photos and postcards, antique appraisals (just like “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS) and a treasure hunt and goody bags for kids.

In addition, the history fair will have an “Ask Granny” family history workshop led by the Hudson County Genealogical and Historical Society.

All this packed into one day to give locals, whether newbies or long-time residents, the opportunity to learn more about this wild and crazy place called Hudson County.

Carmela Karnoutsos, Professor Emeritus at New Jersey City University is one of the event planners, along with Robert Foster, Executive Director of the Hoboken Historical Museum.

“The History Fair is part of a state-wide initiative to celebrate New Jerseyâ€s heritage and all it brings to people today,” Karnoutsos says. “Itâ€s an opportunity to educate the public about the state, the individual communities, and the people who work in history at the local level. Here in Hudson, we have a number of people who help preserve Hudson Countyâ€s history on an ongoing basis.”

JERSEY BY THE BOOK

Several authors will give talks about their books and New Jersey history.

 Steve Hartâ€s talk may be of special interest to fans of the HBO hit series ‘BOARDWALK EMPIREâ€. Hart is the author of American Dictators: Frank Hague, Nucky Johnson, and the Perfection of the Urban Political Machine, and will give a talk about the former Jersey City mayor and other colorful Jerseyians. Hart also wrote The Last Three Miles: Politics, Murder and the Construction of America’s First Superhighway (The New Press, 2007).

Joseph G. Bilby, author of 350 Years of New Jersey History, From Stuyvesant to Sandy (with James M. Madden and Harry Ziegler) will share insights about his research of New Jersey. Bilby is Assistant Curator of the New Jersey National Guard and Militia Museum in Sea Girt, and columnist for The Civil War News.

 Holly Metz of Hoboken will speak about her book Killing the Poormaster: A Saga of Poverty, Corruption, and Murder in the Great Depression (Lawrence Hill Books). Metz has written extensively on legal, cultural, and social issues for the American Bar Association and for publications including The Progressive, Labor History, Metropolis, and The New York Times.

Architectural historian John Gomez, author of Legendary Locals of Jersey City (Arcadia Publishing 2014) will give a talk. Gomez holds a Masterâ€s Degree in Historic Preservation from Columbia University, and is the founder of the non-profit Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy. In 2012, he established the Historic Preservation Network, an online portal for architectural and preservation history, theory, discovery, discussion and discourse.

Neal Brunson, author of “AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN JERSEY CITY” will give a talk about the African American urban experience. Brunson is the director of the Afro-American Museum in Jersey City.

 JERSEY ON FILM AND VIDEO

Four documentary films about Hudson-living promise to be a highlight. The documentary “Hidden Footsteps,” narrated by former mayor Glenn D. Cunningham and produced by Arnold McKinnon in 1991 will be shown. The film is the result of Cunninghamâ€s statewide research to trace the beginnings of African slavery in Jersey City, the status of slaves under New Jerseyâ€s brand of abolition, the use of the Jersey City waterfront for the Underground Railroad, and the cityâ€s role in the Civil War.

NJCU professor Jane Steuerwald will introduce two video documentaries by students of the NJCU Media Arts Department: “Jersey City: 24 Hours in Public Places” an exploration of the diverse cultural, historic, gritty, and eccentric places in Jersey City, and “Immigrant Stories in Film and Video” which tells nine immigrants†personal stories.

The screenings will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

The Embankment Preservation Coalition will present “Jersey City: Soft Focus,” a film produced and directed by Vance Stevens, about Americaâ€s Bicentennial. The film tells the story of the Hudson area from glaciers to European settlement, and through the 1970s, using photos, film clips and animation. It covers the areaâ€s industry, immigrant populations and colorful leaders.

POSTCARDS FROM THE PAST

A huge treat at the History Fair will be highlights from the vintage postcard collection of Cynthia Harris, a researcher and archivist at the New Jersey Room of the JC Free Public Library. Harris will also give a talk and share insights into Hudsonâ€s past illustrated by postcards from the early 20th century.

PARTICIPATING GROUPS

It takes a village to put together an event this big, and the groups participating in the History Fair include the Afro American Historic and Genealogical Society, Bayonne Historical Society, Inc., County of Hudson Board of Chosen Freeholders, Free Public Library/Cultural Center of Bayonne, Friends of Liberty State Park, Friends of Loewâ€s Theatre, George Washington Society, Historic Preservation Network, Hoboken Historical Museum, Hudson County Genealogical & Historical Society, Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, Jersey City Parks Coalition, Joyce-Herbert VFW Post 226 Veterans Museum, Photographer Leon Yost, Lincoln Association of Jersey City, NJCU Dept. of History, NJCU: Past and Present Project, NJCU Office of Admissions, Old Bergen Reformed Church, Project Greenville, Provident Savings Bank Foundation, Richard La Rovere Historic Art Prints, South Greenville Neighborhood Assn., Stevens Institute of Technology, Thomas A. Edison Media Arts Consortium, and the West Side Community Alliance.

The History Fair is just one of many events happening state-wide all year long to celebrate New Jerseyâ€s 350^th birthday. To find other Jersey celebrations, go to www.officalnj350.com.

 If you go:

Sat, Oct. 18, 10 am-4pm

Hudson County History Fair

New Jersey City University (NJCU)

Gilligan Student Union Building

2039 Kennedy Boulevard

Free Admission and Free Parking

For more info:

www.hobokenhistoricalmuseum.org

www.hudsoncountynjgenealogy.org

www.officalnj350.com

The post Party like its 1664! – History Buffs Dust off Archives and Host History Fair to celebrate NJ’s 350th Birthday first appeared on River View Observer.

Hudson County Community College President Dr. Glen Gabert said the funding – which will be provided over a five-year period – will be dedicated to two major initiatives: (1) Expanding access and increasing student success and persistence through the establishment of a Center for Distance Education; and (2) strengthening the capacity of the College’s mathematics and technology programs.

“The College has been making huge strides in improving our technologies and making it more convenient for everyone to take courses via distance learning. Thanks to this grant, we will be able to make a giant leap forward in this area and we will also be able to enhance our studies in the Health, Science and Technology Division. We are grateful to Senator Robert Menendez and Congressman Albio Sires for championing the College for this award,” Dr. Gabert stated.

In the first initiative, HCCC will create a technology hub – the Center for Distance Education (CDE) – to expand its online course offerings. The funding will also foster the implementation of the CDE for distance learning by students, faculty and staff through a series of training workshops and a Summer Institute.

To strengthen its mathematics and technology programs, the College will dedicate the grant funding to acquire the cutting-edge equipment, materials and supplies that will result in improved enrollment, retention, persistence and completion of studies by students in the Health, Science and Technology Division.

This “Building a 21st Century Community College” grant was one of just three significant grants recently awarded to Hudson County Community by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hudson County Community College will also share a $3.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant to increase the number of Latinos in nursing and health-information management with New Jersey City University. Additionally, HCCC is part of a ten-college consortium that is receiving a $4.7 million U.S. Department of Health and Human Services million grant to work with local Workforce Investment Boards and train recipients of the U.S. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in the allied health professions. The $4.7 million is the first installment of a five year, $24 million grant.

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