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May 31, 2023 by David Mosca
JC Fridays returns this Friday, June 2, with a number of free art events taking place in various neighborhoods throughout Jersey City. Hosted by Art House Productions, the quarterly arts festival is held at the start of every March, June, September, and December.
Here are some of the events you can check out at the summer edition of JC Fridays:
Nate C Photography/The Box Gallery will present “The Natural Lens”, taking place at the Juice Box, 150 Bay St., on June 2 and will feature the works of photographer Nathanael Cox. The Natural Lens will explore nature from a global perspective via the lens of photographer Cox.
“Man has a natural inclination to explore,” says Cox. “Whether it be pushing the boundaries of our technical limitations or seeking to map out the world and the galaxy, exploration is a staple of the human experience. Through my photography, I seek to merge the technicality of digital photography with the beauty of nature in order to inspire the viewer to travel and expand one’s horizons.”
For more info on the photographer and his works, check out www.natecphotography.com.
In the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood, Natee Lambert of Greenville Arts will be showing his latest work, The Juror, at O’Leary’s Publik House at 788 Garfield Ave. from 7 p.m. to midnight.
The exhibition will feature paintings on canvas and varies textiles and was inspired by people watching.
“The idea for the show is that we’re all a jury, somehow sizing each other up, judging, and coming up with our own verdicts on each other,” says Lambert. “It’s basically a take on the human experience and how people are sharing their feelings through their facial expressions. It’s like eating lunch outside in Manhattan, where you just start looking at people and making assumptions. We’re all guilty of that, but I’m trying to take some of the pressure off. People say ‘don’t judge,’ but we all do it.”
Lambert has been working on his pieces for the show since March, which include works on velvet, embroidered sheer fabric, and Chanel fabric.
Project Greenville’s group art show, Awesome Pets, explores the relationship between humans and animals with paintings, drawings, photos, collage, and quilt work among other mediums at 128 Winfield Ave. The show, on Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3, takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday’s show will feature live music by Gary Van Miert of The Sensational Country Blues Wonders. Light refreshments will also be served.
Pro Arts Jersey City will present the artwork of students from St. Joseph’s School for the Blind, and the residents of St. Joseph’s and St. Ann’s Adult Medical Day Programs at ART150 Gallery, 157A First St. (formally known as 150 Bay St. The show is curated by Athena Toledo, known as @flora.athens, who is an art therapist who assists blind and visually impaired students, nursing home residents, and adults with neurodiversity.
At PS5, 3rd and Merseles streets, the PS5 PTA and students will collaborate on a live mural painting on the 3rd Street entrance outside the school, providing PS5 middle school students the opportunity to work with local professional artists.
Also returning this season is ACCESS JC Fridays, which focuses on inclusion and accessibility. Many of the venue partners have made their physical spaces accessible to all, including large print materials, ASL interpretation, captioning, and sensory tours.
Some of the spaces and exhibits featured in ACCESS include Comfort Zones, a group exhibition of work by artists with disabilities, at Art House Productions Gallery, 345 Marin Blvd., from 6 to 9 p.m. Comfort Zones explores the space between comfort and motivation. Artists will reveal who or what keeps them from completing their goals and express what kind of work gives them comfort or makes them actively work against being comfortable in order to garner more results in their work. Featured artists include Amy Burns, Angela Denise, Jim Fallon, Jon Gabry, Anna Kasperowitz and John Piccoli.
Also a part of ACCESS is ”Healing Voices: Caregiver Stories on Stage” by The Art House Theater at 345 Marin Blvd. and produced in partnership with the New Jersey Theatre Alliance. Healing Voices: Caregiver Stories brings together short works of prose, poetry, and theatre about personal caregiving experiences in a theatrical performance. This event is free to the public and reservations are encouraged. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and is expected to conclude at 8:30 p.m. Featured writers include Ann E. Wallace, Catherine Fries Vaughn, Hallie Stephenson, Jahayra Harrell, Laurel Hope Hart, N. West Moss, Nancy Davidoff Kelton, Naomi Miller, Pamela Booker, Phil Blechman.
An entire listing of events and neighborhoods participating in JC Fridays can be found online at https://www.jcfridays.com.