23rd Annual Jersey City Artists Studio Tour

Somewhere in my long lists of posts on this blog there lies one about my participation years ago in one of Jersey City's annual Artists Studio Tours. I am not sure what I named the post or what labels I tagged it with, since repeated searches of this blog have turned up nothing. I'm pretty sure, however, that I did blog about one (was it 2009, the one fall between 2000 and 2012 that I was here? before? after?), and that I posted pictures. Where they are among this blog's many posts, though, I can't say.

So I will just note that recently, I went to my first Artists Studio Tour in a long while. For whatever reason (the Hurricane? being out of the loop?) I missed last year's version, but I did receive advanced notice about this, and moseyed over to the Powerhouse Arts District (i.e., gentrifying-again downtown), where a number of artist buildings and studios are located. There was a kickoff celebration on October 5 at the Tenmarc Building on Communipaw, not far from where we used to live, but I missed that, just as I missed the closing party the next day down at 150 Bay, another major arts spot. Between the two, however, I did explore into some of the studios, starting at the Warehouse Café and proceeding on foot to as many spaces as I could.

A party and performance in one of the studio spaces

Along the way I received a free T-shirt, saw quite a bit of affordable art (some of it so economical I almost didn't believe the prices), met a few friendly artists and art lovers, and reconnected a bit more with the local arts scene. With 75 spots (some with up to 10 or more artists) spread out of the city, the tour will require a bit more time--two days, very comfortable shoes, a little bag to hold art if it's affordable and appealing--next year. Below are a few photos from the tour.

Warehouse Café, with DJ

In one of the sizable studios

The rest of the studio/loft space, with handmade
furniture and art objects

A photography exhibition around the corner

One of the signs alerting people on the tour
to an exhibit inside

140 Bay Street

In one of the studios 

People speaking with one of the artists

Ribbons of Hope exhibit

Ribbons of Hope exhibit
(mine is one of the illegible blue ones)

A band performing in one of the studios

Another studio

Artist Jonathan Wolf (at right)

A piece by artist Chantal Lamour
(those are painted eggs)

The view from one of the windows
(the towers in the rear are the old Jersey City
Medical Center, now a condo cluster)