First Songs of Spring

Breaching Musical Boundaries in Jersey City

January 23, 2012: Ladies On The Mic presents “First Songs of Spring”
on Friday, February 3, 2012 a concert event celebrating the midway
point between winter and spring. The highlights of the event are two
bands that both breach musical genre boundaries by intertwining their
roots in classical music with jazz, rock & pop. Double-Breasted the
trio from New Jersey proclaims their music to be “Couture Rock”. Band
members Kristy Chmura on harp, Ardith Collins on cello and Josh
Bicknell on percussion all share in the songwriting and also share
being lead vocalist. The group met while studying for their Bachelors
of Music degrees at the College of New Jersey. They will be playing
songs from their new CD “Suit Yourself” which comes out February 11,
2012.

The feature band Rose & The Nightingale is a powerhouse quartet of
female virtuosi who each have accomplished solo careers and have
played in famed places such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Radio
City Music Hall and other well known venues across the world. Band
members include cellist, composer and vocalist Jody Redhage who is
equally experienced playing classical, new music, jazz, rock, pop and
improvised music. Jody has premiered over 100 works and has played
with Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding’s Chamber Music Society, Jay-Z,
Beyonce, Meatloaf, The Roots, Clay Aiken and Enya, to name a few. Sara
Caswell originally from Bloomington Indiana began playing violin at
age 5 and is now one of today’s foremost jazz violinists. She has
soloed numerous times with New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
and also toured with Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, violinist Mark
O’Connor and Darol Anger’s Four Generations of Jazz Violin.
Keyboardist and composer Laila Biali has showcased her original music
and arrangements at Carnegie Hall, the North Sea Jazz Festival and The
Cotton Club in Tokyo. Her latest album Tracing Light was JUNO
nominated for 2011 Vocal Jazz Album of the year. Jazz vocalist Leala
Cyr rounds out this amazing quartet with her stunning vocal
improvisation and solid trumpet playing. She has toured
internationally which includes performances playing in legendary
Milton Nascimento’s band, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The View,
Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The David Letterman show.

Beth Achenbach the event organizer says, “Normally one would have to
travel to NYC or to NJPAC to hear music of this caliber. It's very
exciting to have these talented musicians coming to perform for us
on February 3rd at 7pm right here in Jersey City!”


Details: First Songs of Spring
Friday, February 3, 2012, 7pm – 9:30pm
arthouse production, 1 McWilliams place, 6th floor   Jersey City, NJ 07302

FREE admission. Food & refreshments available for purchase.

For Public Transportation take the PATH to Grove St. Street parking is
available.

More info visit (www.facebook.com/groups/130179847017004) or contact
Beth Achenbach at (bethseye@aol.com).

Caroling at Grace Space JC

Join us for an evening of caroling.
Dec 22, 2011  6 - 9 pm
All are welcome. Wassail, cider and hot coco after
at the Malmad house 302 and 1/2 4th St. JC.

We plan to begin caroling at the Hamilton Park Health Care Facility and Nursing Home on Monmouth. Then we will walk back down Coles St. Caroling as we go to 302 &1/2 4th St.

Teen open mic Grace Space JC

at Grace Church Van Vorst 39 Erie,
Nov 18, 7-10 pm

Teen mic:
So put down all those college and high school applications and let's blow off some steam!
Calling all; poets, writers, actors, musicians, singers, bands, dancers, comedians...whew and anyone else between the ages of 13-19 who wants their time on the mic.
Stay tuned we are planning a holiday Grace Space JC in Dec. as well...to be continued!

22nd annual Cathedral Arts Festival

The Cathedral Arts Festival has become one of the premiere arts events in Hudson County. It all begins on Saturday, November 12th 7.30 - 10.30 pm
at our annual champagne gala and exhibition.

Advance tickets can be purchased at http://www.gracevanvorst.org/
$40 advance
$50 at the door

Grace Van Vorst Church   39 Erie street, downtown  JC

Friday, July 22 · 7:00pm - 9:00pm  Grace Church, 39 Erie street, JC

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Do you write, perform, dance sing? Are you in a band, theater group, choir? Come show what you are made of and show off your talent at Grace Space JC open mic night for teens.

call for art, 22nd annual cathedral arts festival

“Something New for Something Old”

The Cathedral Arts Festival, the largest and longest-running celebration of artists and the arts in Hudson County, proudly embraces tradition in 2011. For over twenty years, the loyalty and creative gifts of our ever-growing pool of submitting artists, and the dedication and hard work of tireless and passionate art supporters, both behind the scenes and in the crowds, have helped to make Cathedral Arts Festival a treasured cultural institution in the county, and a crown jewel in the cultural fabric that is historic, downtown Jersey City. It all sounds so familiar, doesn’t it? But read on ...

Our gallery venue is, itself, a work of art. The beautiful, 158-year-old sanctuary of Jersey City’s beloved Grace Church Van Vorst is the permanent home for this annual exhibition and festival. Our traditional champagne gala will officially open the visual art gallery on Saturday, November 12th and the exhibition will remain open throughout the fall holiday season. The festival will end with the closing of the gallery on Friday, December 2nd. Tradition and celebration define community life at Grace Church; it reveals our spirit and informs our identity. That’s not going to change!

We now reach out to our local art community and beyond to find the artists and work that will be CAF 22, but this year we are looking for the unexpected! As always, artwork in all media and encompassing all subject matter will be considered, but in 2011 we are seeking surprise; something new from the familiar. As you consider your body of work, and what you’d like to contribute to the show, challenge your creative palette; excite and inspire us! The curatorial team asks that all submissions be new to CAF and our gallery space, not recently exhibited locally, physically available to CAF from drop-off weekend through the close of the festival, and reasonably priced so that visitors to the gallery might be encouraged and able to purchase original art of exceptional quality. All work is for sale with 60% of the sale going to the exhibiting artist and 40% to Grace Church.

Please submit up to six JPEGS (preferred) or prints of your work. JPEGs/prints should be of good quality, true to color, and named so as to be easily identifiable to the artist and for content. Please submit JPEGs that are 72 dpi.

For each submission please clearly note/provide the following:

• Artist name and contact information (address, phone(s) and email)
• Title of Work
• Medium of Artwork
• Dimensions (height x width x length)
• Price
• One-Page resume

We encourage all artists who can to submit work via email by forwarding all materials and info to: caf-art@gracevanvorst.org.​ You may, however, mail your submission or drop it off at the church. All submissions, however, must be received on or before September 17th to be considered. If you choose to submit by mail, send all information to Grace Church Van Vorst, Attention: CAF 22 Artwork Submissions. Decisions regarding accepted work are expected in mid October.

Accepted artwork must be delivered (ready to install; hardware included) to Grace Church Van Vorst on Friday, October 28th from 6pm-9pm or on Saturday, October 29th from 9am to 11am.


GRACE CHURCH VAN VORST – 39 Erie Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Phone: (201) 659-2211 / www.gracevanvorst.org

Shostakovich, Mazz Swift by Con Vivo String Quartett

January 23 at 4 PM, Grace van Vorst Church, 39 Erie street

the Con Vivo String Quartet will present the works of Glass, Shostakovich, and their own Mazz Swift.  Enjoy this wonderful free performance by a Jersey City treasure!

(image courtesy of destinationjerseycity.com)

Art Eat Up, funding event for artists

 

Pro Arts Announces it's third Art Eat Up on

Friday, January 14th, 7-10pm

Grace Church Van Vorst

39 Erie Street, Jersey City, NJ

 

What is Art Eat Up?
Art Eat-Up is a food, drink and entertainment event with a twist; for a small donation, guests eat a delicious meal, enjoy good company and musical entertainment, and vote for the most worthy art proposal on the menu that night. All profits collected go to the winning artists to realize their project, which will be displayed at the next Art Eat-Up event. It is a great way to network, meet new people, have fun and provide support for a local art project. Art Eat-Up provides individual grants for artists, connects artists to each other and to the greater community and promotes the artistic livelihood of our community.
Here's some more info.:


~Art Eat-Up is grassroots funding at its best: donations for the community dinner go directly to funding art-makers whose proposals draw the most votes from the diners. The process is purposely simple: Anyone can submit a proposal to Art Eat-Up. Community participation in the grant selection process is the key: through this process we hope to stimulate and support experimental, critical and imaginative projects that may not be eligible for formal funding.
~Art Eat-Up connects artists with artists, artists with the community, and the community with each other during Art Eat-Up dinners. It provides artists the opportunity to begin marketing their work before it is made. It creates momentum and awareness for art projects promoted during the event and possibly realized with the help of the Art-Eat-Up grant.

The Nutcracker, Nimbus dance works

 Dec 17 - 19, Grace Van Vorst church 7.30 or 6 pm
39 Erie Street

Nimbus Dance Works presents the inaugural year production of The Nutcracker! Retaining many of the essential elements that have made The Nutcracker a holiday classic for generations, Nimbus has reconceived the storyline to take place in a city not so different from Jersey City. Join your favorite characters: Mother Ginger, the Arabian couple and, of course, the Sugar Plum Fairy – all with a Jersey City twist! The production features professional dancers and talented (and cute!) youth performers from Jersey City Dance Academy and Next Step Broadway. For the program, Nimbus Dance Works will also present a new duet choreographed by company member Jean Paul Jr. drawing on influences from his upbringing in Haiti, and Six Chansons, choreographed by Nimbus Artistic Director Samuel Pott. Join us in the intimate and historic Grace Church Van Vorst for what is sure to become a Jersey City holiday tradition!
tickets, questions to

devon@nimbusdanceworks.org

Handmade Holiday Market, Jersey City Craft mafia

Garden Preschool Winter Festival (indoors)

Have some fun at Garden Preschool Cooperative's Winter Festival!
 
Garden Preschool Cooperative (GPC), located at Tenth St. and Jersey Ave. in the Hamilton Park neighborhood, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a Winter Festival. We hope many of the alumni will join us for some wintry fun! The Winter Festival is open to the public and will be held on Friday, December 10 from 5:30 – 8:30 PM at Grace Church Parish Hall, 39 Erie Street (Erie and Third), Jersey City.

It promises to be a fun-filled evening for all children, with activities including decorating gingerbread houses, free craft activities, a bake sale, wreaths and poinsettias available for purchase and much more. It will also feature Story Time led by award-winning children's author Helen Lester, as well as crafts with Emily Hecht of Chickhopper Studios.


• Decorate a Gingerbread House!*
• Free craft activities led by Emily Hecht of Chickhopper Studios
• Design-a-Plate for the holidays
• Tattoos and Facepainting
• Bake Sale
• Pizza and Drinks
• Hot Apple Cider
• Wreaths and Poinsettias for sale (and pickup for pre-orders)
• 50/50 Raffle
• Story Time with award-winning children's author Helen Lester!

story haven

The idea is simple: use story and drama to develop a child’s creativity, expression and confidence.  Veteran actress Anna Nugent recently envisioned Story Haven as a safe place for kids to create and play.  Combining her experience as a professional actress and over a decade of teaching drama in various settings with inspiration from the Montessori approach, Anna created this special program to provide affordable programs that ignite creativity in the children of Jersey City.
Story Haven workshops are taught in small group sessions by professionals in the fields of education and drama.  Each session includes a story followed by a time of wondering, warm-ups, ensemble-building activities, improvisation, drama games, presentation, and reflection.

Summer sessions for children ages 7-12 will be held:
2-5 PM
Mon - Thurs, July 19-29

Grace Church Van Vorst (enter via the red door on 2nd Street)
39 Erie Street, downtown Jersey City
Registration is required, and space is limited.
Cost: $200 per child for the two week session

Art Eat Up 2nd edition

Come and Celebrate Pro Arts' second Art Eat Up is taking place Friday, July 9th, 7-10pm at Grace Church Van Vorst. We hope that many of you will attend this event and vote to support an artist's project. Our last event was fun and a great success as attendees collectively award a $640 grant,
despite an apocalyptic rain storm.

Tickets are a suggested $20 donation, which includes a delicious dinner prepared by Made With Love, dessert, a cup for wine and beer and one ballot to vote on an art project to receive funding. The first 60 people get the full dinner. For those who are just thirsty, it is $10 for ballot and a cup. Votes can be cast for $5 without entry.

Art Eat Up is a grants process that gives an artist or artist group an unrestricted financial resource to realize a visual arts proposal, whether it is for one piece or an entire body of work.

July 9th Participating Artists and Project Titles:

* Erik Attia, Double Entendre
* James Frederic Rose, Truth, Blood and Love
* Ibou Ndoye & Liz Cohen, African Mask Making for Visually Impaired Students
* Tina Maneca, Exquisite Corpse, Quiltscapes, and Existential Dread
* Eve Gilbert, The War
* Diana Victoria Hutyk, Pyramid Under Rt 78
* Anne Terese McTernan & Sophie Penkrat, ReNew: ReUse: Reconnect
* Susan Warren, Canadian Trees

~*~MENU~*~

Dinner is provided by Made With Love, and dessert from Baked Sweets by Joelle.

Dinner:
Gazpacho with One Bite Cornbread
and
Moroccan Pocket Bread with Roasted Veggie Hummus and Lemon Garlic
Hummus
Dessert:
Mini Cheesecakes, Brownies and Mini Cupcakes

Art Eat-Up Call for Propsals

Grace Church (39 Erie St): Friday, July 9th from 7 - 10pm

Pro Arts is hosting another Art Eat-Up event on July 9th.  This is a great opportunity for artists and funding.  Proposals must be received by June 15th. Incomplete proposals will not be accepted

Submission Guidelines:

Answer all of the questions below and email it as a Word attachment to: arteatup@gmail.com

Attach any jpegs in your email. Incomplete proposals will not be accepted. Proposals must be submitted by June 15^th in order to participate in July 9th event. No exceptions. Email with any questions: arteatup@gmail.com.  

More details HERE

1. Name of artist(s):                       

2. Email & Phone:

3. Title of project:

4. Project Summary:

5. How will you use the grant towards your project (about $500-$1000?):

6. How will this project manifest itself in the 2010 Studio Tour (encouraged) and at the next Art Eat Up?

7. Why is this project critical?

Please attach 3 visuals in low-res jpeg format. Sketches and/or images of similar previous work are acceptable.

Wine tasting benefit for Grace Seniors and Feeding the Hungry

Central Avenue Liquors
&
Grace Van Vorst Community Service

Are Delighted to Present
a
Wine Tasting
Friday, April 30th
7:00pm – 9:00pm

$35
$25 in Advance
At
Grace Church Van Vorst
39 Erie Street at 2nd Street
(Enter on 2nd Street)
Taste Over 50 Wines from all over the world!

Hors d’oeuvres & Cheese and Crackers
To Benefit Grace Seniors and Feeding the Hungry

For Tickets:
Central Avenue Liquors 201 792 1500 210 Central Ave.
Grace Van Vorst Community Service 201 659 2211 39 Erie Street

coalition for medical marijuana, townhall meeting

On Friday, April 23, the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey (CMMNJ) will hold a Town Hall Meeting in Jersey City regarding New Jersey’s new medical cannabis law. Prospective patients, medical marijuana policy experts and local advocates will present updates on the law’s progress and then answer questions from the public and the media.

hours: 7 - 9pm, Grace Van Vorst Church

story haven, creativity program for kids

creativity program at Grace Church Van Vorst, each

session runs for 6 weeks and uses drama and story to explore
creativity, build confidence and have fun! The workshops start on the
9th and 13th of April respectively and are for ages 7-12.

www.StoryHaven.org
STORY HAVEN
A safe place for kids to create and play.
Partnering with Grace Church Van Vorst and their
Family Initiative,
actress and facilitator Anna Nugent
created a course program that uses
story and drama to develop a child’s creativity,
expression and
confidence.
Two six-week workshops* will be offered this
spring at Grace Church
Van Vorst, each workshop
costs $75.00 (this is a special rate for the
Grace Church Van Vorst Family Initiative -
normal cost is $120.00) per
child:
SH2: TUESDAYS, Ages 8-10, April 13, 20, 27,
May 11, 18, 25 (no session May 4th)
SH3: FRIDAYS, Ages 10-12, April 9, 16, 23, 30,
May 7, 14
4-5:30 PM in the Grace Church Van Vorst Sanctuary
Grace Van Vorst (enter via the red door on 2nd Street)
39 Erie Street, downtown Jersey City
All courses end with a final performance for
family and friends at 5PM
during the last session of the course

Grace Church Open Mic, gardening party, Grace Van Vorst Church

The Grace Church Open Mic Event is on Saturday (the 13th) at 7:30PM. This event only costs $5 and will be an evening full of fun! Come one, come all, and enjoy some local talent!

Calling all amateur gardeners (pros welcome, too...)! There's a gardening party on Saturday afternoon. Come by the church and help beautify our garden. A message fromDonald, the garden guru: "Let's make it wonderful and welcoming for the new life coming up." Very Easter, eh?

Con Vivo Bach Festival

February 13-27, 2010

Concert 1. Duo Figer-Khanina
Saturday, Feb. 13 8PM
Grace Church Van Vorst, 39 Erie St.

Concert 2. Guitarist Dan Lippel
Friday, Feb. 19 8PM
ArtHouse Productions,
1 McWilliams Place

Concert 3. Special Hoboken Celebration:
Saturday, February 20th 8pm
Shared concert
with the Cantigas Women's Choir
and United Synagogue of Hoboken Choir

Concert 4. "Ich Habe Genug" + Concerto for Oboe d'Amore
Saturday, February 27 8PM
Grace Church Van Vorst, 39 Erie St.