After six years, 902 Brewing’s doors officially opened on May 12 in the midst of a pandemic. The rooftop deck may not be open nor the bar finished, but the founders are selling four-packs of beer for pickup at their location at 101 Pacific Ave in Bergen-Lafayette.
The parks will be open for residents to enjoy the fresh air from dawn to dusk for jogging, walking, and all non-contact activities following the health and safety protocols in place.
Heather Warfel Sandler, chair of the Jersey City Arts Council, added, “The JCAC fully intends to see this Arts Trust effort through.” That said, she did note, “We have one chance to ask the voters, so carefully weighing the best time to generate support for this is crucial.”
Jersey City has been a favorite backdrop of film directors for decades. So, as you hunker down until the “all clear” sounds, why not enjoy a few flicks that were shot in part in Jersey City? It might make you feel a little less disconnected from the life you’re waiting to resume.
The following titles, fiction and non-fiction, for adults and young readers might just help you thrive in the brave new world that’s currently causing all of us so much anxiety.
Today, those rooms are silent. The global health crisis has emptied out the galleries and closed the doors of our creative spaces. Most of the arts institutions in Jersey City work on thin margins. Even in good times, it’s difficult to keep galleries solvent. Frozen in place and with few ways to act, local curators face an unprecedented challenge.
“One Year After,” a retrospective exhibition that will be on view at the Art House Gallery through the end of March, places those simpler works in the company of others that aren’t quite so guileless and establishes Manzueta as a painter of considerable breadth and talent — more than just our homegrown answer to Daniel Johnston.
The show opened with the funeral, as the comedian mused on the irony of grieving while organizing the event, which is essentially a party for other people. Later, Steffé invoked his late father who delivered the moral of the story in a bit about a trip to a strip club that involved blood. Be nicer to women, his dad urged.
Since the last time we rounded up performance spaces, the town has lost a cornerstone: FM, the comfortable, decent-sounding downtown venue that was, for more than a year, the most reliable local spot to catch an independent act. FM had a real stage and lights and a dedicated PA system run by soundmen who took pride in their skills. It was a true rock club in the time-tested style, booked by people with roots deep in the community and a clear vision of the kind of venue they’d like to run and scene they want to cultivate.
JC Fridays stands as our quarterly reminder that Jersey City is a visual arts town. It’s what we do well, and it’s a comparative advantage the city has over other municipalities in the Garden State (and beyond). We love to look at pictures and sculptures and photographs and off-the-wall installations. The annual Jersey City Art and Studio Tour turns the entire town into a giant open gallery. While there are plenty of other cultural events on the calendar, JCAST feels like the anchor of local culture.
