re:view E-Newsletter Fall 2008

review The Newsletter of Jersey City Museum bull Volume 14 bull Fall 2008

Dear Friends Welcome to Fall 2008 edition of review the museumrsquos online newsletter Fall is a season of transition and as the trees change their leaves and the days grow shorter here at Jersey City Museum we change each of our nine galleries and fill them with new exhibitions

Be sure to see the long awaited retrospective ldquoDeliverancerdquo THE ART OF BEN JONES 1970 ndash 2008 which spans Joness career as an artist professor mentor and community activist and be sure to check out the beautiful hardcover exhibition catalog as well as an in-depth documentary DVD Both were created exclusively for ldquoDeliverancerdquo and are available for purchase at the museum store Ben Jones is a dear friend of the museum and we are proud to present this monumental exhibition in celebration of his achievements Also on view is A Community Collects an exhibition featuring artworks loaned by art collectors from throughout New Jersey A highlight of the exhibition the masterwork Still Life with Fruit by the noted American still-life painter Severin Roesen The painting was brought to the museumrsquos attention in early 2008 by a New Jersey collector who was unaware of the workrsquos importance After being conserved and cleaned it is now for the very first time being publicly displayed in our galleries Be sure to visit The Boudoir a fanciful recreation of an early twentieth century bedroom as it might have appeared in a Jersey City home which features objects from the museumrsquos

collection We remain grateful to Bank of America for their generous support of A Community Collects

We are also delighted to inaugurate the museum ninth exhibition space The Garciacutea Gallery Thanks to a generous gift from Trustee Ofelia Garciacutea the space was transformed from an underused reading room to a gallery devoted to the exhibition of works on paper Currently on view is The Gift which features a small selection of works donated to the museum by Ms Garciacutea

In the Project Gallery yoursquoll find RoCa Jersey Style by the wonderful New Jersey artist Rodriguez Calero whose cast of collaged characters are made from a variety of borrowed images that move challenge and disturb And be sure to check out our new 1x1s whose diverse works can be spotted throughout the museum

Please visit us soon to take in these exciting changes for yourself

Marion Grzesiak Executive Director

Severin Roesen Still Life with Fruit c 1860s (before and after restoration) Oil on canvas 30 x 40 in Private collection

Born and raised in Paterson New Jersey and a Jersey City resident for over 40 years Ben Jones has been a mentor teacher and artist to many Jones helped bring black culture to the front of American popular culture as a member of the Black Arts Movement (BAM) in the late 1960s and early 1970s His professional art career began in 1967 when he was appointed Professor of Art at Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University)

Jersey City Museum is proud to present this very important exhibition which documents the career of one of our most beloved artists and gives people throughout the region the opportunity to experience his powerful works for themselves

The exhibition catalog for ldquoDeliverancerdquo is available for purchase at the museumrsquos Gift Shop or online at wwwjerseycitymuseumorgtheshop

This anxiously awaited major retrospective of the work of Ben Jones features a complete survey of the artistrsquos work dating from the mid 1970s through his most recent projects ldquoDeliverancerdquo explores various aspects of the artistrsquos body of work and delves further into its close relationship to religions of the African Diaspora and the marriage of the both political and spiritual Many of the artists key works are in the exhibition including the iconic Black Face and Arm Unit from 1971 (State Museum Trenton) and his more recent never before exhibited Washed in Blood Series Organized by independent curator Edward Spriggs whose relationship with Mr Jones dates back to the early 1970s when Spriggs was director at the Studio Museum in Harlem and Ben Jones was exhibiting his work there this survey is an unprecedented examination of this important American artistrsquos work

rocajersey style

This season Rodriguez Calero-or RoCa- fills the museumrsquos Project Gallery with her colorful cast of characters that include dancers children fashion models and pop culture icons Born in Puerto Rico raised in New York and for the past 15 years working and residing in New Jersey the artist fills her inimitable impulsive collages with images inspired by the local urban landscape Each figure is made up from a variety of borrowed images all gathered together from a

selection of disparate sources mostly contemporary urban magazines Drawing on the history of collage-making and particularly on collages from the Cubist and Dada movements the artist creates a postmodern hip-hop version of these early twentieth century models

Most of these collage works have never been shown publicly making it the first opportunity to see a large selection of RoCarsquos trademark works

Image credits (top)Ben Jones High Priestess of Soul 1972 Mixed media on board 40 x 30 in Collection of Newark Museum

(bottom from left)RoCa Natural 2007 Collage 10 14 x 7 14 in Courtesy of the artist Barrio Boogie Movement 2007 Collage 14 x 18 in Courtesy of the artist Slam Master 2007 Collage 11 14 x 8 12 in Courtesy of the artist

(next page)Severin Roesen Still Life with Fruit c1860s Oil on canvas 30 x 40 in Private collectionOgoni tribe Eastern Nigeria Mask early 20th century Wood and pigment Collection of Professor Marshall and Caroline MountInstallation of The Boudoir Jersey City Museum CollectionInstallation of The Gift Jersey City Museum Collection

ldquoDeliverancerdquo is made possible by a lead grant from the National Endowment for the Arts with additional funding provided by The Joan Mitchell Foundation Inc the Lucius and Eva Eastman Fund The Puffin Foundation Ltd and other generous individual donors

This year Jersey City Museum has given its Collection Galleries over to a selec-

tion of brilliant collectors from our area for A Community Collects The idea for this exhi-bition was born when an important painting from a private collection came to light A rich sumptuous still life by the well-known nineteenth century American painter Sev-erin Roesen this work is a prime example of the artists oeuvre The impressive painting has been conserved and restored specially for the exhibition Among the collectors whose works are included are Nathan and Nancy Sambul Selma Spivak Benjamin J Dineen and Dennis Hull City Council Chairperson Mariano Vega and Sonia Vega Ofelia Garciacutea Mariano Molina and his wife Alina James Koback Jr and Carol Johnson and Con-gressman Frank Guarini from the collection of Caroline L Guarini Highlights from this exhibition include works from Africa Japan nineteenth cen-

garca gallerythe gift

Get an insiderrsquos take at an online gallery for A Community Collects at wwwjerseycitymuseumorgjcmedia

A Community Collects is presented by Bank of America

tury America and contemporary art Adding to the international dimension of the exhi-bition Mr Sambul has loaned eight wood-block prints from a series of 100 prints by Yoshitoshi the nineteenth century Japanese master of Ukiyoe or woodblock printing In addition Professor Marshall Mount and his wife Caroline have loaned a selection of five masks from Mali Nigeria and Cocircte drsquoIvoire to A Community Collects

The museum is extremely grate-ful to all of the lenders in the exhibition for their generosity and their love for objects of beauty

Jersey City Museum is proud to inaugurate a new second-floor exhibition space the Garciacutea Gallery Devoted to the exhibition of works on paper mdash prints drawings photographs and works in mixed media the creation of this gallery has been made possible through a generous gift from Ofelia Garciacutea a longtime Trustee of the museumrsquos Board and Chairperson Emerita Over the last

decade she has donated numerous gifts of art to the museumrsquos collection This gift establishes the museumrsquos ninth gallery space

The Garciacutea Galleryrsquos first exhibition The Gift features a representative selection of Ms Garciacutearsquos gifts of art which have

helped to enlarge the museumrsquos holdings in this increasingly popular and

important discipline With The Gift we are pleased to honor Ms Garciacutearsquos generosity her passionate support of art and her commitment to the Jersey City Museum

Like its early twentieth century precursor The Parlor Jersey City Museum presents a new installation of a period room with The Boudoir This re-creation of a how a

bedroom in an early twentieth century Jersey City home might have appeared features a nineteenth century sleigh bed a lovely marble-topped dresser and a painting by August Will that was recently conserved and framed

also on view the boudoir

1 x 1 projectsamp mediaworks

This fall season Jersey City Museum invites its audiences to enjoy a host of new 1 x 1 mediaworks and 1 x 1 projects in the museumrsquos various spaces Perhaps most significant is a solo video retrospective for the conceptual and performance artist Papo Colo The founder of New York Cityrsquos widely respected Exit Art Papo Colo is deeply involved in the production of his avant-garde theater project Trickster Theater Prior to this however the artist had a long and varied career as a performance artist This exhibition will feature performancevideo works that range in date from 1971 to 2008 The other mediaworks project is by Jersey City sound and performance artist Damien Catera On the faculty at Rutgers University Mr Catera has been creating avant-garde sound works for many years His work was also featured this fall in the

museumrsquos contribution to the 2008 Jersey City Artists Studio Tour in his project titled Soundwalk organized in conjunction with the Friends of Van Vorst Park Current 1 x 1 projects also feature new work by Nyugen Smith and the Agitators Collective a group of artists who aim to engage the Jersey City community as a creative asset Nyugen Smithrsquos project is titled Bundle House Worldwide (Soon Come) and is made from found objects installed atop a map of the globe Each of the seven continents is represented with the artistrsquos signature ldquoBundle Housesrdquo crowding each one In the museums front window the Agitators Collective present Be Wary (The Evil Eye) a colorful installation which plays on superstition

JCMedia is a recent addition to Jersey City Museumrsquos website where you will find museum related podcasts videos and photos so that you can experience a bit of what whatrsquos going on at JCM from home Here you can watch and listen to select audio and video straight from the internet or you can subscribe to an RSS feed This option will allow you to be automatically updated when something new is added to JCMedia as well as have the option to listen or watch on-the-go with your media player of choice

Be sure to check it out at wwwjerseycitymuseumorgjcmedia

Current JCMedia Highlights

Go on a video tour of the exhibition SPRAWL with Jersey City Museum Curator Rocio Aranda-Alvarado and artist Leslie Sheryll The video was produced by Jersey City Museum

Summer 2008 intern Natalie McKeever who recently graduated with a BFA in Visual Arts from Mason Gross School of the Arts Rutgers University

View photographs of the exhibition ldquoDeliverancerdquo THE ART OF BEN JONES 1970 ndash2008 including some behind the scenes photos of the artist at work in the museumrsquos galleries

Listen to a clip of 1x1 artist Damien Caterarsquos experimental sound piece titled The End of History V 3

what is

Image credits (above)Nyugen Smith Bundle House Worldwide (Soon Come) 2008 Mixed media Dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist Papo Colo Documentation of performance Performeos Courtesy of the artist

Just what does the education department do you might ask Well this month we are gearing up for a very active winter season Noaa Stoler our very efficient Manager of School Programs is busy designing tours and workshops for school groups of all ages that both align with New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards and are exceptionally fun and rewarding experiences for young tour goers Check the education section of our website for in depth descriptions of group tours and workshops

Noaa is a graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education as well as an artist As both an educator and an art practitioner she shares her enthusiasm for interpreting

an update from the education department

museum exhibitions with her young students Adults can also benefit from Noaarsquos expertise when we embark on our ambitious and much needed Docent Program If you have ever wanted to make a difference in the artistic life of young people and you are available during school days please contact Noaa about Docent Training Look for notice of new training sessions beginning in 2009 As the leading cultural institution for contemporary art in our region and the repository for many things New Jersey we have countless ways to broaden and deepen your volunteer experience

The education department is also responsible for all the public programs the museum presents throughout the year Programs that interpret our collections and exhibitions or that explore issues in contemporary American art are at the core of our planning for adult audiences Thanks to the efforts of artist and Program Coordinator extraordinaire Brendan Carroll we have a well-deserved reputation for presenting stimulating programs that make the most of our close relationships with area artists Watch your inbox for new programs like Get Your Art On Conversations with Contemporary Artists

This new speaker series features the diverse contemporary American voices of both established and emerging artists some of whom are represented in the collection of Jersey City Museum Funded by the Joan Mitchell Foundation it brings Jersey City audiences in contact with internationally known American artists like Pepon Osorio in conversation with emerging local talent

We continue to welcome seniors families and children to the museum for programs designed especially for them Afternoon Delight is in its third season of monthly Friday afternoon programs in which we aim to please and appeal to the wise and worldly Four times a year we host Seasonal Family Celebrations with crafts and performances geared for every age group And once again Victory Arts Projects Art for Kids produces high quality Saturday afternoon art classes for children Last but not least we are hard at work planning meaningful professional development workshops for artists and teachers Check our website frequently for these not to be missed events

Our website makes keeping up to date

easy---visit it and us frequently

a note from collections

In addition to recent scholarsrsquo visits and requests for Rights and Reproduction of pieces from Jersey City Museumrsquos Permanent Collection the museum is currently being represented by a loan at Drumthwacket Drumthwacket is a historic house museum and the New Jersey Governorrsquos residence The museum lent an oil on canvas painting by August Will entitled Three Cities mdash View from Montgomery St Jersey City Heights The impressive painting hangs among other loans from New Jersey Museums such as the Montclair Art Museum the Newark Museum and Princeton University Art Museum August Will is in the company of artists such as Charles Wilson Peale Benjamin West Asher B Durand and many more wonderful artists relating the story of New Jersey Tours can be arranged to view the mansion every Wednesday Please visit their website for more information at wwwdrumthwacketorg

Noaa Stoler works on an art project with students from the Jersey City Recreation Department

August Will (Germany 1834ndashUnited States 1910) Three CitiesmdashView from Montgomery St Jersey City Heights 1870 Oil on canvas 10 x 24 in Museum purchase 1923

the jcm gift shopnews from the store front

An exciting new arrival in the museum Gift Shop is the brand-new exhibition catalog for ldquoDeliverancerdquo THE ART OF BEN JONES 1970-2008 This lush exhibition catalog features full color reproductionsmdashmany which have never before been publishedmdashof the artistrsquos most significant works With essays by Edward Spriggs Kellie Jones PhD Associate Professor of African American African Diaspora and Latin American art at Columbia University and a dialogue with the

artist by Alejandro Anreus PhD Associate Professor of Art History and Latin American Studies at William Paterson University this publication is a substantial and scholarly catalogue that serves as a document of and create access to Ben Jonesrsquos significant body of work Price $50

Stop by the Gift Shop or visit wwwjerseycitymuseumorgtheshop to order your copy

NEW The Shop is online

Now you can browse and shop for items from the museumrsquos Gift Shop

online and from home at wwwjerseycitymuseumorgtheshop

JCM Invites You to Become

a Member todayFamilies and individuals alike benefit from being a member at the Jersey City Museum Whether it be attending a family project day with the whole bunch or enjoying art and conversation at one of our art talks or openings JCM members gain a sense of belonging in the museum as well in the community Most importantly becoming a member of the Jersey City Museum supports the museumrsquos mission and greatly contributes to the cultural life of our area

Basic Membership Benefits include free museum admission a subscription to review JCMrsquos e-newsletter invitations to member events advanced notice of special events 10 discount in the Museum Store amp members-only discounts during special shopping days and a complimentary subscription to MutualArtcom

membership levels (Visit wwwjerseycitymuseumorgmembership for more info)

To become a member or for more information contact Nancy Shannon at 201-413-0303 ext 103 or nshannonjerseycitymuseumorg Or purchase your membership today online at wwwjerseycitymuseumorgtheshop

friend $50

friends amp family $80

patron $125

contemporary $250

benefactor $500

august will circle $1000

NARM is the North American Reciprocal Museum Program with privileges that entitle JCM members who join us at the Patron Level or higher to receive equal benefits from the over 200 museums in the NARM network Simply present your JCM membership card with a NARM sticker affixed to receive free admission and other valuable benefits at participating museums

NEW SUPPORT

We thank the National Endowment for the Arts The Joan Mitchell Foundation Inc the Lucius and Eva Eastman Fund The Puffin Foundation Ltd and other generous individual donors for supporting the exhibition ldquoDeliverancerdquo THE ART OF BEN JONES 1970-2008 The museum also thanks Bank of America for making possible the exhibition A Community Collects

CONTINUED THANKS

Jersey City Museum remains grateful to the City of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy the Municipal Council and Council President Mariano Vega Jr for their continuing support

JCM also receives major funding for its exhibitions and programs from the New Jersey State Council on the ArtsDepartment of State a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts which recognizes the museum with designation as a Major Arts Institution and the Hudson County Office of Cultural amp Heritage Affairs Thomas A DeGise County Executive and the Board of Chosen Freeholders

We also offer thanks to our major corporate and foundation supporters the Geraldine R Dodge Foundation for their ongoing support which helps us provide programs and services in the coming year and JPMorgan Chase for a capacity-building award that helps us develop and implement new programs sustain existing programs and train the next generation of museum professionals

Additional thanks to Hartz Mountain Fidelity Investments Goldman Sachs amp Co Johnson amp Johnson Liz Claiborne Merrill Lynch Panepinto Properties Pershing Roosevelt amp Cross Sims Metal the Sovereign Endowment Fund at the Independence Community Foundation Target UBS and Wachovia for their continuing support

Our education programs are generously funded by Jersey Cityrsquos Division of Community Development through a Community Development Block Grant New Jersey State Council for the ArtsDepartment of State a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts through an Arts Education Special Initiative

award The Geraldine R Dodge Foundation JPMorgan Chase and Jersey City Board of Education Additional funding is provided by the Bank of America Foundation County of Hudson County Executive Thomas A De Gise the Division of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and the Board of Chosen Freeholders Turrell Fund Goldman Sachs amp Co the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation the Prudential Foundation and the Wachovia Foundation

We are also grateful for the support of our many other generous corporate foundation and individual donors and our museum members

artist spotlight mel leipzigThis year Jersey City Museum staff members were pleased to be painted from life by renowned New Jersey artist Mel Leipzig The large-scale piece was done as part of his series of paintings of public art exhibition sites throughout the state As he does with much of his work Mel worked directly from life and used only a reduced palette of four colors blue red yellow and white

Mel Leipzig born in Brooklyn in 1935 resides in Trenton NJ where he is a professor teaching painting and art history at Mercer County Community College Graduating with a BFA from

Yale and an MFA from Pratt Institute of design Mel has had over 40 one-man shows including a retrospective at the New Jersey State Museum His work is in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum the Cooper-Hewitt Museum Montclair Art Museum and Jersey City Museum to name a few He has recently been elected to the National Academy in New York and is currently represented by Gallery Henoch NYC

In early 2008 Leipzigrsquos painting Jersey City Museum will be on view as part of his

solo exhibition at Villanova University Pennsylvania In addition Leipzigrsquosrsquo oil on canvas titled Zara at Long Branch is currently on view in Jersey City Museumrsquos new exhibition A Community Collects

Jersey City Museum is proud to have Leipzigrsquos work in their Permanent Collection-and with this new series-be a small part of his impressive and ever growing body of work

Board of Trustees

Nathan J Sambul ChairJames B Kobak Jr Vice ChairAmy Kauffman Sweeney SecretaryMark S Rodrick Treasurer

John J BellDudley BenoitJudith K BrodskyBenjamin J Dineen IIIOfelia GarciacuteaMarion Grzesiak ex-officioLynn M McCormickThomas J McDonnellMariano D MolinaStephanie PanepintoEugene T PaolinoRonald E SchwarzJack Tiemann

check out

JCM is a section of the Jersey City Museum website which features artworks and exhibitions curated by the museum and on view throughout the community as well as museum recommended art events going on in Jersey City and beyond

Visit JCM at wwwjerseycitymuseumorgexhibitions

JCMrsquos new gallery hours

Wednesday 11amndash5pm Thursday 11amndash5pmFriday 11amndash5pm Saturday 12pmndash5pm