A Thousand Artists Display Works in Hundreds of Venues

 By RVO Staff

Art lovers everywhere are invited to share in the love that is the 26^th annual Jersey City Art & Studio Tour where more than 1,000 artists will fling open the doors to hundreds of venues for viewers to see their paintings, sculptures, mixed-media and other exciting works.

The Jersey City Art & Studio Tour (JCAST) takes place Sat & Sun, Oct. 8 & 9, from 12 noon to 6 pm throughout Jersey City. (For a map of whoâ€s who and where to go visit Jersey City Hall, local restaurants, clubs and other business establishments in the city.) The JCAST is presented by Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop, the JC Municipal Council and the Office of Cultural Affairs.

Many artists are exhibiting in groups in lots of galleries like the Mary Benson Gallery in Jersey City. There, photographer Beth Achenbach will be joined by David Dzemian (painting), Renee Dwyer (ink on paper) and Kayt Hester (tape on canvas).

A highlight is the city-wide photography project, “A Day in the Life of Jersey City†sponsored by Honey and the Moon Photography in Jersey City. The professional photographers put a call out to local residents to take pictures on Sept. 18 and then upload them to Instagram. Forty-eight pictures were chosen and will be on display on a banner in front of City Hall and at the JCAST Flagship Gallery at 150 Pacific Avenue in Jersey City throughout the tour.

The JCAST weekend also features plays, live music performances and cultural programming in open studios, galleries, public spaces and mixed-use venues.

“The JCAST showcases the vibrant cultural landscape that is Jersey City from the Heights, to Greenville, to Downtown, to the West Side, to Bergen Lafayette and Journal Square,” Mayor Fulop states on the JCAST website (www.thejcast.com). “Support our local artists by visiting their exhibits and purchasing their work, and engage with your neighbors during one of the biggest annual art events in the region. Itâ€s an event you donâ€t want to miss!”

The Jersey City Art & Studio Tour provides opportunities for artists, performers, musicians, residents, visitors, supporters, sponsors, businesses, and the community to get involved in Jersey City’s arts and cultural scene during the event weekend.

There will also be interactive activities for kids.

Galleries participating in the JCAST include The Raven Gallery & Boutique, Merseles Studios
Curious Matter, Mary Benson Gallery, 313 Gallery, The JCAST Flagship Gallery and many, many more.  Painting, drawing, dance, film & video, fashion, glass, murals, public art, printmaking, sculpture, theatre, and weaving will be on display all weekend. (The JCAST Flagship Gallery will be open on weekends throughout October.)
Village West Gallery
Archetype Gallery/660 Studios
St. Joseph’s School for the Blind
S Panepinto Galleries
Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation (ESKFF)
Project Greenville
107 Bowers Gallery & ArtSpace
LITM

• CURATORS •
Meghan McKee
Pro Arts
Andrea Morin
Blair Urban Art & Design
Honey and Moon Photography
Heidi Curko/JC Public Schools
Andrea McKenna
Nyugen Smith

• PERFORMERS •
Art House Productions
Nimbus Dance Works
Speranza Theatre Company
Jersey City Theater Center
No Peeking Theatre

• FILM GROUPS •
Jersey City Parks Coalition
Stephanie Daniels
Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City
Jersey City International Television and Film Festival-JCITFF
Black Maria Film Festival

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
TRANSPORTATION

150 Pacific is located approximately 2 miles from the Grove Street and Exchange Place PATH stops and approximately 3 miles from Journal Square.

150 Pacific is conveniently located near Exit 14B on I-78. The Flagship is accessible via car, bicycle, NJTransit buses, and the Light Rail.

The JCAST will provide transportaion to and from the flagship location and select official JCAST stops via shuttles service from 280 Grove Street, City Hall. Stay tuned for times and locations.

Community bike advocacy group Bike JC will run free bike tours throughout the event weekends.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

#JCAST2016 • October 8th & 9th, 2016 • Presented by Mayor Steven Fulop, the JC Municipal Council and the Office of Cultural Affairs

The Jersey City Art & Studio Tour provides opportunities for artists, performers, musicians, residents, visitors, supporters, sponsors, businesses and the community to get involved in Jersey City’s arts and cultural scene during the event weekend.

Be a part of our 26th year celebration this October and support #JCArts!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
THANK YOU TO OUR 2016 SPONSORS:

• Eden Wood Realty: www.edenwoodrealty.com
• State of New Jersey: http://nj.gov/
• Jersey City Economic Development Agency: http://www.jcedc.org/
• Freeman Design
• Goldman Sachs: www.goldmansachs.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2016 PARTNERS:
• Art House Productions • Bike JC • Citi Bike JC • Freeman Decorating

For more information, please visit: www.thejcast.comIf you go

Sat & Sun, Oct. 8 & 9, 12 noon-6 pm

26^th annual Jersey City Art & Studio Tour

Throughout Jersey City

www.thejcast.com

 Pick up a Studio Tour Map at Jersey City Hall and other locations

The post ART CITY    Jersey City Art & Studio Tour Weekend kicks-off Sat & Sun, Oct. 8 & 9 first appeared on River View Observer.

Our interview with Samuel Pott

 By Sally Deering

The Jersey City dance company Nimbus Dance Works†repertory of dances blends contemporary with classical and newbies with professionals; and Artistic Director Samuel Pott likes it that way.

Nimbus Dance Works celebrates its 10^th season in Jersey City this year with new works by guest choreographers, a performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and a brand new dance studio on Third Street. The school has expanded tremendously since the move from the Barrow Mansion and class registration is in full bloom for the spring session which begins Feb. 2^nd.

Pott founded the company with the mission to “focus work on the intersection between high-level dance and innovative ways of involving communities and audiences” and he has stayed true to that mission. Nimbus has a lush repertory of dances and its resident company performs regularly in New Jersey, New York and regionally. Nimbus dancers are top-tier drawn from companies like Ballet Hispanico, Ailey II, and the Martha Graham Dance Company, where Nimbus company member and Pottâ€s wife PeiJu Chien-Pott is a principal dancer. Nimbus†annual performance of JERSEY CITY NUTRACKER casts student dancers from local schools in pivotal roles, and in addition to Pottâ€s choreographies, Nimbus commissions international choreographers like Pedro Ruiz (Cuba/USA), Huang Yi (Taiwan), Korhan Basaran (Turkey), and Xiao-Xiong Zhang (Australia/Taiwan) to create dances for the company.

Nimbus Dance Works offers Hudson resident, both kids and adults, a high level of artistic excellence and guided by Pottâ€s vision, the company continues to provide inner-city kids opportunities to learn and perform dance to spark their individual creativity and inspire a life-long appreciation and involvement in the arts.

RVO: Samuel Pott, how would you describe Nimbus Dance Works†style?

SP: Weâ€re a contemporary dance company. The dancers are all highly trained in ballet and modern dance which are the backbone of technique for the work we do. Itâ€s also very theatrical depending on the piece. We try to do work with great music, from jazz to classical to contemporary. Our company is made up of seven dancers and three apprentices.

RVO: Howâ€s the school doing at the new location?

SP: The move from Barrow Mansion to our new studio on Third Street was a big move for us, and enabled us to build up the school quite a lot. We now have classes for kids, adults and a pre-professional program. We focus on ballet and modern dance. That gives students a strong base and real preparation if they want to pursue dance professionally or in college dance programs. Theyâ€ll have the foundation that will really benefit them. In addition, we have dance programs after-school and during school in 11 schools. Educationally weâ€ve been able to keep expanding and giving children the opportunities to see performances and take classes. We have a lot of kids that perform in (the annual holiday show) JERSEY CITY NUTCRACKER.

 RVO: Why do you think itâ€s important to teach dance to inner-city kids?

SP: When I was dancing with ballet and modern dance companies it was an amazing experience in an artistic sense, but one thing I saw over and over was that audiences were largely made up of senior citizens. Audiences were diminishing and it was becoming increasingly hard for these companies to draw young audiences. So what I wanted to do with Nmbus was find a way to connect with people who didnâ€t feel like the world of concert dance was open to them or representing them. And thatâ€s young inner-city kids. Those underserved audiences have the most potential to have their lives changed through dance. Those who have discretionary income to see ballet, theyâ€re going to have plenty of options available to them no matter what. Whereas the audiences we try to reach and the community we try to reach, they donâ€t have a lot of other options available to them. I thought that was a compelling reason to focus our attention on how to bring dance into their lives. Teaching children dance to not just to teach them about the art form, but what it means to take something seriously, invest in themselves.

 RVO: Are you trying to get a permanent performance space?

SP: Jersey City is growing so fast, its cultural organizations are being left behind. We still lack performance spaces and funding for the cultural organizations that are here in Jersey City. Itâ€s lacking compared to other areas in the country. We have luxury high-rises, but youâ€d have a hard time pointing to one cultural group in Jersey City thatâ€s established financially. I donâ€t think thereâ€s one organization in Jersey City that has a budget over $300,000. It would be great to see Jersey City promote its own arts groups, support them financially and help spread the word.

RVO: What are the companyâ€s plans for its 10^th season?

SP: Weâ€re trying to propel the companyâ€s profile to another level. Weâ€re doing a show at BAM in May. Italian choreographer Luca Veggetti is creating a new piece for us. Weâ€ll be going up to Vermont in March and western Massachusetts for out-of-town engagements. Weâ€ll be performing at Drew University at the end of April. In the spring, we will present two important historic modern dances, LYNCHTOWN from 1936 by Charles Weidman, one of the early pioneers of modern dance. Itâ€s a political piece based on when he witnessed a lynching in his home town in Nebraska. Weâ€re also doing a company premiere by Pearl Primus. She did a piece in 1942 called STRANGE FRUIT, a solo dance about a woman expressing her grief and anger about a racial killing. These two pieces are important historically and get people talking about issues. I think itâ€s important to keep the audience entertained and feel theyâ€re glad they came out and bought a ticket. Ever since the start of the company, I have focused on how we move beyond pure entertainment and make an impact on the audience and community.

For more info:

Nimbus Dance Works

209 3rd Street

Jersey City

(201) 377-0718

www.nimbusdanceworks.org

The post   Samuel Pott, Artistic Director of Nimbus Dance Works , Jersey City gives Dancers a Place to Soar first appeared on River View Observer.