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Mona: Framed Again

 The 41st Annual Art in the Park will be held April 30th, May 1 and 2, 2010. The three day event will take place on the grounds of the Montclair Art Museum. One of the Northeast’s premier events for arts and crafts, this year’s juried show features the work of 80 artisans presenting sculpture, glass and metal arts, ceramics, fiber arts, fine arts and jewelry for sale in all price points.

Here’s some information about the entertainment from last year’s show:

Live musical performances are ongoing throughout the weekend, including Montclair’s own Parents Who Rock. There will be food and refreshments, including a Whole Foods barbeque on Saturday, and a “make your own sundae” tent with Applegate Farms all weekend long. There will be arts and crafts activities for children, including doll making, beading, toobers and zots, tattoos and t-shirt decorating. There will also be a rock-climbing wall, ensuring that all family members will find this year’s event a memorable experience. For more details and directions, visit the Art in the Park website.

Since it began 41 years ago, thousands of artists and craft professionals have sold work at the annual Art in the Park. Because it is a juried show, only the finest quality work is presented, attracting arts and crafts collectors and enthusiasts from throughout the tri-State area. This year’s panel includes three esteemed jurors:

• Lucille Tenazas: Henry Wolf Professor, School of Art, Media and Technology, Parsons, The New School For Design, New York
• Lora Urbanelli: Director, Montclair Museum of Art
• Andrew Wagner: Editor in Chief, ReadyMade magazine

Art in the Park will be held for the third year at the Montclair Art Museum, creating a partnership between the area’s oldest regional art museum and a beloved community art event.  To learn more about the Museum and the exhibition, visit http://www.montclairartmuseum.org

Art in The Park is a highly anticipated event for the Montclair area and the surrounding communities. Revenues benefit progressive education at The Montclair Cooperative School, a small, private nursery-through-eighth-grade institution that prides itself on its diverse community of learners, and its dedication to the arts. The Montclair Cooperative School creates a nurturing environment where children flourish intellectually and where they develop exceptional skills along with a deep sense of community responsibility. For more information about the school, please visit http://montclaircoop.org.

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Night of the Arts (NOTA)

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ArtsCAP, the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, M Studio and local businesses have teamed up to preserve the city’s vibrant art scene with a recurring Night of the Arts (NOTA) event. This monthly series, premiering on Saturday, March 20, and recurring every third Saturday of the month, is made possible through the donated time and talents of local art professionals and advocates.

During each NOTA event, artists’ work will hang throughout multiple downtown locations in Asbury Park and galleries will stay open late to accommodate visitors supporting the arts. On March 20, Spoke and Art, a Monmouth County-based community organization, is sponsoring an Art Bike Ride starting at 7p.m. Beginning at the corner of Mattison and Bond, and riding with partner groups Asbury Park Dance and Yoga, M Studio and The Asbury Park Bike Church, the ride hopes to get people out on the street, using their bodies and their bikes as mobile art galleries.

In addition, March’s NOTA event will also include a variety of happenings throughout the city, allowing guests to conduct their own art tours and take in the diverse array of culture that permeates the city. All events are free unless otherwise specified and will occur rain or shine.

To learn more about Spoke and Art, please visit http://www.spokeandart.com/. To learn more about  Night of the Art events, please visit http://www.artscap.org/.

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Event Details:

Event Name: ASBURY PARK UNVEILS MONTHLY ‘NIGHT OF THE ARTS’ EVENT
Event Venue: Asbury Park
Event Street Address: Mattison and Bond
Event City: Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Event County: Monmouth
Event Date: Saturday, March 20 at 7pm
Event Admission: free
Event Phone: 732.455.8052
Event Website: http://www.artscap.org

Illusive Balance Exhibtion

“Illusive Balance: Transcendental Pattern & Layered Surface”

This Mary H. Dana Women Artist Series exhibition brings to the galleries four artists selected by a jury of visual arts professionals. Lisa Pressman and Debra Ramsay work primarily in encaustic; Marsha Goldberg and Nicole Ianuzelli paint with oil and acrylic. In each of their abstract works, we find a beauty of geometry, line, composition, and color.

Douglass Library Galleries
Rutgers University
8 Chapel Drive
New Brunswick, NJ
March 17-June 7
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Rutgers University Librarie

Motel Americana

Against all odds, Jersey Bred Guerilla Filmmakers Find Spotlight at Garden State Film Festival.

At this year’s annual Garden State Film Festival (March 25-28th), the coveted Saturday evening slot at The Paramount Theater in Asbury Park will be occupied by an unlikely gem: Motel Americana: Vol. II, an anthology of gritty, surprising motel stories made by three New Jersey Filmmakers.

Made with no budget to speak of, the shorts in the collection, all set in one dubious room off the Turnpike, run the gamut of film genres—horror, noir, gangster, comedy, surrealism, and love story—to weave a tale of mangy and sordid characters clinging to the underbelly of society.

Far from throwing their line into the mainstream, filmmakers Joseph Christiana, William Bourassa Jr. and Benjamin Valentine pull their ideas from the most oblique and disparate corners of the human spectacle: bullet-proof glass, fully loaded clown shoes, Mike Hammer nightmares, disembodied New Jersey knees, arch conservative doppelgangers, long beards long gone, and that strange sound coming from the motel room next door.  All that, all that and more, went into the kiln.

The film that emerged is a triumph of micro-budget filmmaking, defying the viewer to figure out how something so “cheap” could look so good . . . how so many old references, mixed together, could expose such freshness.  The truth is, these films feel like rough, sparkling life in all its elbow-throwing, slap-in-the-kisser power—because they were made on weekends and weeknights, after the kids went to bed or before the kids woke up, before and during and after jobs, before and during and after “life.”

So what’s a no-budget film, literally torn from life, doing on the dance floor at the big ball on a Saturday night? What makes this Cinderella so pretty in her tattered clothes? Well, an account from A.O. Cloud, the film’s accountant, might offer some insight.  He offers these words at the end of the notes included in the limited edition version of the DVD (which also includes original artwork from Joe Christiana):

These filmmakers, like all passionate individuals, paid the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears for the privilege of living alongside their imagined worlds.  Then, when they walked off the set and back into their lives, they reaped the reward of a lifetime: wakefulness . . . being fully open to participation in the entire human affair. You become what you do, what you are.  As you practice the art of making film with no money, you work the basic mines, extracting pure minerals.  You tend to dialogue, making sure it says what it has to and no more.  You look at faces, really tending to them.  You paint on walls and bodies.  You straighten the light.  You think deeply about exactly how long a lover should mourn the loss of her loved one . . . and what this might actually look like and sound like.

From this doing, this making of free and passionate films, you bring new existential skills to your own free life.  You learn to tend to story—your own and others’.  You learn to act with grace when that’s called for or to perfect anger, which is also sometimes called for.  When you practice over and over again crying over loss or kissing under wildest gain . . . when you coach someone to punch more honestly, to love the rough edge of a curse word, to hold another body better . . . you yourself get better.  You can’t help it.  Making low budget films is making life, inch by ever loving inch.  Or at least that’s what I learned when I spent a little time in the Motel Americana.

For more information visit http://www.christianaproductions.com.

Markeim Arts Center

The Ukrainian Egg Worksop at the Markeim Arts Center is in partnership with the Camden County Cultural & Heritage Commission.

Over 2000 years ago, Pysanky began as Ukrainian artists decorated eggs for spring.  Intricate patterns and colors emerge using hot wax and writing techniques.  Artist (and retired HMS teacher) Maggie Bauer is going to lead the workshop.  The workshop is open to adults and children ages 12 and up.

$15 per ticket.  Reservations are strongly suggested.  Tickets to the event can be purchased in person at the Markeim or the Haddonfield Information Center, or by calling the Markeim Arts Center at 856-429-8585.  Tickets will only be sold at the door if available.

If you have any questions, call the Markeim at 856-429-8585 or email at markeim@verizon.net

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Event Details:

Event Name: Ukrainian Egg Workshop
Event Venue: Markeim Arts Center
Event Street Address: 104 Walnut St.
Event City: Haddonfield, NJ, 08033
Event County: Camden County
Event Date: Saturday, March 27, 1-4 PM
Event Admission: $15
Event Phone: 856-429-8585
Event Website: http://www.markeimartcenter.org

The ShowRoom of Asbury Park, New Jersey

“From The Ashes” is a documentary chronicling the history, loss and rebuilding of a landmark, 125-year-old house known as Tick Hall. In 1997, a huge fire burned Tick Hall to the ground, leaving only the blackened chimney standing. The loss was a blow to the community and Tick Hall’s owners – talk-show host Dick Cavett and his wife, actress Carrie Nye – who lived there for 30 years. Because of its historic and artistic importance, the Cavetts embarked upon an ambitious three-year project – rebuilding Tick Hall exactly as it was. Join the director of this moving documentary at The ShowRoom after the film for a discussion and Q & A session.

About The ShowRoom:

Opened in April 2009, The ShowRoom is Asbury Park’s only independent cinema. Located on Cookman Avenue’s Art Bloc, The ShowRoom is renowned for its roster of critically acclaimed, independent, classic, foreign, family and festival-winning film. In addition, The ShowRoom endeavors to provide the community with a versatile space for business meetings, art openings, live performances, book signings and more. Owners Michael Sodano and Nancy Sabino are film-industry veterans with more than 25 years of experience in creative communications for corporate productions. With The ShowRoom, first-rate cinema has returned to Asbury Park’s growing downtown arts community. For more information, or to learn about film screenings, please visit www.theshowroomap.com or call 732-502-0472.

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Event Details:

Event Name: “From the Ashes: The Life and Times of Tick Hall” at The ShowRoom
Event Venue: The ShowRoom
Event Street Address: 708 Cookman Ave
Event City: Asbury Park, NJ, 07712
Event County: Monmouth
Event Date: Sunday, March 21 at 2 p.m.
Event Admission: $10
Event Phone: 732-502-0472
Event Website: http://www.theshowroomap.com

The ShowRoom of Asbury Park, New Jersey

The Showroom, Asbury Park’s only independent cinema, welcomes the return of the seven-piece instrumental ensemble Monkeyworks for the collaborative musical event “Off The Top” on Saturday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m. New York City spoken-word artist Rock WILK, along with fellow poets and performers Sabrina Gilbert, Jacob Victorine and Nadia Bourne, will perform live with Monkeyworks to create a one-of-a-kind, spontaneous performance for The ShowRoom’s audience.

Monkeyworks has earned a reputation for its interactive performances and impromptu compositions. Founded in 1997, Monkeyworks combines a unique blend of jazz, rock, African, Cajun, Middle Eastern, and ambient music.  With its improvised, eclectic performances, the group’s unique sound and concept has led to performances at famous musical events and venues such as the Guggenheim Museum’s WorldBeat Jazz concert series and the Knitting Factory.

WILK, a New York City spoken-word performance artist and musician, is known for his intense socially and politically charged shows. No stranger to The ShowRoom, this will be WILK’s fourth appearance at the intimate Asbury Park venue. His music and lyrics have been featured on TV shows such as MTV’s “The Real World” and “Making the Band.”

“Off The Top” at The ShowRoom promises to showcase the collaborative talent and improvisational skills of Monkeyworks, WILK and some of New York City’s hottest up-and-coming performance artists.  Tickets to the March-20 event are $20.00.

For more information on Monkeyworks, please visit www.monkeyworksmusic.com. For more information on Rock WILK, please visit http://www.rockwilk.com/news.html. To purchase tickets, or to learn more about The ShowRoom, please visit www.theshowroomap.com or call 732-502-0472.

About The ShowRoom:

Opened in April 2009, The ShowRoom is Asbury Park’s only independent cinema. Located on Cookman Avenue’s Art Bloc, The ShowRoom is renowned for its roster of critically acclaimed, independent, classic, foreign, family and festival-winning film. In addition, The ShowRoom endeavors to provide the community with a versatile space for business meetings, art openings, live performances, book signings and more.  Owners Michael Sodano and Nancy Sabino are film-industry veterans with more than 25 years of experience in creative communications for corporate productions. With The ShowRoom, first-rate cinema has returned to Asbury Park’s growing downtown arts community.  For more information, or to learn about film screenings, please visit www.theshowroomap.com or call 732-502-0472.

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Event Details:

Event Name: “Off the Top!” at The ShowRoom
Event Venue: The ShowRoom
Event Street Address: 708 Cookman Ave
Event City: Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Event County: Monmouth
Event Date: Saturday, March 20 at 8 p.m.
Event Admission: $20
Event Phone: 732-502-0472
Event Website: http://www.theshowroomap.com

The ShowRoom of Asbury Park, New Jersey

The Showroom, Asbury Park’s only independent cinema, will partner with Cookman Ave. bookstore words! and the online literary magazine SplashofRed.net Sunday, March 14 to continue their popular BookFLX series. The next event in the lineup will bring acclaimed crime novelist Wallace Stroby to The ShowRoom to discuss his latest book, “Gone ‘Til November.” The ShowRoom will screen Stanley Kubrick’s film noir classic “The Killing” at 4 p.m. with a discussion with Stroby to follow.

No stranger to the Jersey Shore, Stroby hails from Long Branch and the shore towns he grew up around frequently arise in his novels. His unique perspective on living and writing at the Jersey Shore promises to bring a local flare to the BookFLX series. Continuing the series’ mission of enmeshing and exploring the realms of book and film, Stroby will bring his literary insights to the celebrated film genre.

Also author of “The Heartbreak Lounge” and “The Barbed-Wire Kiss,” Stroby is known for his well-developed characters and tightly-wound, compelling plots driven by crime and consequence. In this capacity, it no surprise that Stroby is also an avid fan of the film noir genre of stylish Hollywood crime dramas typically derived from the 1940s and 1950s. The ShowRoom’s selection of Kubrick’s “The Killing” is a perfect choice for the BookFLX event, as Stroby will offer his insights to the film and compare the genre of film noir with his own crime novels.

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Event Details:
Event Name: March BookFLX at The ShowRoom
Event Venue: The ShowRoom
Event Street Address: 708 Cookman Ave
Event City: Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Event County: Monmouth
Event Date: Sunday, March 14 at 4 p.m.- discussion to follow
Event Admission: $10
Event Phone: 732-502-0472
Event Website: http://www.theshowroomap.com

Markeim Arts Center

This exhibit features artwork of nature’s beauty as seen through the eyes of talented artists.  The show includes floral-themed vintage jewelry, handcrafted pillows, cards and gift items.  Laurie Wolfson is the curator. The exhibit runs from March 5th to April 3rd.  Gallery Hours are Monday 9 AM to Noon, Tuesday-Friday 10 AM to 2:30 PM, and Weekends 1 PM to 4 PM.  The exhibit is free to stop by and see.

The Meet the Artists Reception is Friday, March 12th, from 6 PM to 8:30 PM.  Light refreshments and beverages will be served.  No charge for members, $5 suggested donation for non-members. If you have any questions, call the Markeim at 856-429-8585. Markeim is located at 104 Walnut Street in Haddonfield, New Jersey in South Jersey.

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Event Details:

Event Name: The Power of the Flower Exhibit
Event Venue: Markeim Arts Center
Event Street Address: 104 Walnut St.
Event City: Haddonfield, NJ, 08033
Event County: Camden County
Event Date: March 5-April 3, Monday 9 AM-Noon, Tuesday-Friday 10 AM-2:30 PM, Weekends 1-4 PM
Event Admission: Free
Event Phone: 856-429-8585
Event Website: http://www.markeimartcenter.org

Bourbon Street Blues Fest

Saturday, May 22
12:00PM-8:00PM
Gate Opens @ 11:30AM
Lebanon Twp Memorial Park
Bunvale Road
Lebanon Township, New Jersey

Featuring these artists:

• Cyril Neville
• Popa Chubby
• Deb Callahan
• Alexis P Suter Band
• Dave Keyes
• The Slam Allen Band
• Citizens Band Radio
• Robert Sands
• The HatMan Blues Band
• Fillmore Days

For More Info:
http://bourbonstreetbluesfest.com

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Event Details:

Event Name: Bourbon Street Blues Fest
Event Venue: Lebanon Twp Memorial Park
Event Street Address: Bunvale Road
Event City: Glen Gardner, NJ 08826
Event County: Hunterdon
Event Date: Saturday, May 22, 2010 12:00pm-9:00pm
Event Admission: $20.00 Adult
Event Phone: N/A
Event Website: http://www.bourbonstreetbluesfest.com