9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Art Exhibit Hidden Under the Sea by Poramit Thantapalit at the Bergen County Administration Building in Hackensack, NJ.
8 p.m.: West Side Story presented by The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC in Englewood, NJ.
8:30 to 11 p.m.: Summer Movies in the Park presents the Lego Batman Movie at the Van Saun Country Park in Paramus, NJ. more
“As a sculptor and installation artist, I could relate to the animals’ collecting of materials, selecting a site and planning the building process,” said Donna Payton, curator and artist of Animal Architects: Influences on Human Creativity on display now in the Main Gallery of the Monmouth Museum through September 3, 2017. Through-out the summer there will be workshops by the artists in the Meyer Art & Nature Area of the Museum. Dates, and times can be found on the Museum’s website: monmouthmuseum.org. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
In the early 1800s, the southern banks of the Navesink River bustled with steamboats, sailboats, and commercial fishermen transporting shellfish and local crops to New York City. In 1908, the area was incorporated into the town of Red Bank, whose name is attributed to the clay found along its coast. Come 2017, you’ll still find sailors and fisherman along these red banks, but you’ll also find young professionals on their way to stand-up paddle yoga. Indeed, some of Red Bank’s 12,200 residents start their day floating on the Navesink River with Flow Paddle Yoga. Others grab a Rook Coffee before walking their dogs past the shops on Broad Street. more
By Doug Wallack
On Saturday, June 10, the Chatham Borough Department of Community Services will hold the annual Fishawack Festival in downtown Chatham. Inaugurated in 1971, the festival — which takes its name from the Lenni-Lenape term for the Passaic River — is a day-long celebration of the region’s culture and history. The festivities will include local art exhibits, live music and dance performances, a car and truck show, a petting zoo, a climbing wall, an exhibition on Lenni-Lenape history, and more. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
On the east side of the Watchung Mountains sits Montclair, New Jersey, an unhurried, charming town in Essex County that’s lined with thousand-year-old trees and architecturally significant homes. It boasts six historic districts and 43 locations on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Charles Shultz House, known as the Evergreens. A three-story Victorian mansion built by a respected New York architect in 1896, the home provides unobstructed views of the city skyline, marking the close connection between the suburb and New York City. Many Montclair residents commute to and from Penn Station for work, and with them come metropolitan influences. The small town is home to 39,000 people, seven train stations, two cinemas, a theatre, an art museum, and an endless array of cultural experiences. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
Furs and leathers are surrounded by controversy for their use of animal skins. They represent the exotic, the risqué, and the fierce. Yarn, on the other hand, comes from goat farms and often suggests homespun domesticity and grandmothers. However, the typically unsexy material is undergoing a revival. Thanks to women who are using the medium in unconventional ways, yarn is becoming a means of personal expression. more
Photographers around our area captured the Garden State for our photo contest themed, “My New Jersey in Spring.” To all those who submitted photos, thank you for supporting Urban Agenda, and more importantly, thank you for getting us psyched for spring! more
10:30 to 11 a.m.: Wee Ones Laptime at Westwood Library in Westwood, NJ. Perfect for babies – age 2. Free to attend.
11 a.m.: Yoga class at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, NJ.
7 p.m.: Book signing with Andrew McCarthy at Books & Greetings in Northvale, NJ. McCarthy is an actor, director, and travel writer. more
By Doug Wallack
In his most recent work, noted photographer Ricardo Barros tackles the inexpressible — the abstraction that is space itself. Barros will be giving a lecture on his portfolio “Figuring Space” on Monday, April 3 for the Princeton Photography Club at the D&R Greenway. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
By Erica Cardenas
Every year there are hundred’s of different art fairs taking place around the world.
The NYC Armory Show is a space where gallery’s get the chance to showcase 20th and 21st contemporary art, sell to current art collectors and invite the art public into their space to share what they are about. With all the competition within the changing art market, art fairs are constantly thinking ahead. They create an environment that has the potential to thrill today's audience. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
Spring is in the air and so is design inspiration. From March 16-19, the 16th annual Architectural Digest Design Show will takeover Piers 92 & 94 in New York City. The four-day fair, which is produced by The Mart, a Vornado Property, and hosted by Architectural Digest, will include design displays from over 400 luxury brands, along with talks, seminars, demonstrations, and signings. From state-of-the-art kitchen appliances to artisan-made objets d’art, the show has something for all tastes and interests. The event is divided into various themes including Furniture, Made, and Refresh. Furnish is comprised of textiles, art, rugs, furnishings, and wall coverings; Made features original art, furniture, sculpture, and lighting that are available for purchase; and Refresh showcases new innovations in appliances and building products. more
The Armory Show took place on March 2-5, 2017 on Piers 92 & 94 in Manhattan, New York welcoming over 65,000 visitors annually. The International Art Fair showcases galleries with a wide variety of 20th and 21st century artwork catering towards art collector's and art enthusiasts. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
Bibliophiles rejoice – as of March 9, 2017 the Park Avenue Armory in NYC will be converted into the distinguished New York Antiquarian Book Fair. This year’s event, presented by The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA), will feature over 200 international exhibitors of rare books, maps, illuminated manuscripts, photographs, ephemera, and more. With items ranging from Albert Einstein’s toys to the First Edition copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the fair will interest everyone from a seasoned collector to a literary novice. Preview tickets are $50 and include a return visit. Daily tickets range from $10-$25, both of which can be purchased here. The Preview Night is Thursday, March 9, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Open Hours are Friday, March 10, noon – 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 11, noon – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, March 12, noon – 5 p.m. Discovery Day will be held from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. on Sunday, where guests can bring up to five items of their own for free appraisals and expert advice. Below, are highlights from this year’s fair. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
At a time when seemingly anything can be digitized or reproduced, live event painters offer a one-of-a-kind memento for your wedding day. In addition to providing a hand-painted picture of the occasion, these artists provide live entertainment. During the event, they work on location, adding details to the painting as the night goes on. Live painters can also do something the camera cannot: capture an evening the way the bride and groom desire. Just like any artist, each event painter has a unique aesthetic and process. Below, we compiled a list of individuals willing to bring their craft to weddings in our area and beyond. more
To pull on a loose string at Reeves-Reed Arboretum’s latest exhibition is to unravel a long history of hooked and sewn art textiles. The exhibit, on display now until May 7, features hand hooked and sewn art from four east coast textile artists: Liz Alpert Fay, Marilyn Bottjer, Tracy Jamar, and Alice Rudell. Although each artist uses their own techniques and media, they all share a deep appreciation for their craft. more
Even if you don’t have a valentine today, these Instagram photos are a reminder that Mother Nature loves you. For more stunning photos of hearts found in nature, follow the #heartsinnature.
Interview by Kam Williams
Filmmaker Damien Chazelle met recently with film reviewer Kam Williams to talk about his latest movie, La La Land, which swept the Golden Globes, winning a record seven awards, and has received 14 Oscar nominations. A native of Princeton, New Jersey, Chazelle wrote and directed the Academy Award-winning Whiplash which landed five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for Chazelle. The movie won a trio of Oscars in the Film Editing, Sound Mixing and Supporting Actor (J.K. Simmons) categories. more
Photographers around the tri-state area captured the Garden State for our February photo contest themed, “My New Jersey.” From stunning sunsets to unique yoga shots, the photo submissions offered diverse and impressive interpretations of our state. The judges were overwhelmed by the wealth of talented photographers who took the time to share their work with our magazine. To all those who submitted photos, thank you for supporting Urban Agenda, and more importantly, thank you for sharing your love of NJ! more
By Donald H. Sanborn III
"Welcome to the world famous Apollo Theater. This is the real deal!” exclaims Steve Harvey, host of Showtime at the Apollo. “If you say you can sing, we’ll let you know. If you think you’re funny, we’ll let you know. If you’re not…?” “We’ll let you know!” chants the audience. “This is the only show in the world where the audience truly decides who has talent, and who doesn’t,” Harvey declares. “There are no judges, celebrity judges. It’s people. People decide. This is where stars are born. This is where legends are made!” more
By Wendy Plump
Art courtesy of Louise Ingalls Sturges
So, you can add agility to Louise Ingalls Sturges’s list of avowed qualities. On her website, a photograph features the artist precarious on an apartment roof in the city, flanked by window frames painted all the colors of the rainbow. Sturges painted those window frames, climbed up and slathered them with lush color because she wanted to, and because, after all, who wants to live in a monochromatic building? more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
Trippy, colorful, and intriguing photographs of vinyl records are lining the walls of The HAT Tavern at The Grand Summit Hotel for the month of January. Three times a year, the historic hotel partners with Reeves-Reed Arboretum to display and sell artwork from a curated exhibition, with 30% of every sale benefitting the Arboretum. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
At age 13, I was addicted to my Password Journal, trendy hair wraps, and Dance Dance Revolution. Meanwhile, 13-year-old Will Finkel is taking stunning fashion photos, doing experimental cinematography, and dipping his toe into the world of electric guitars. In short, Finkel has probably done more in his 13 years of life than I’ll do in 30. more
Artist Josh Rockland is displaying his work at Small World Coffee on 254 Nassau Street through out the month of January. On his website, joshrockland.com, he writes: “My paintings have a personal, narrative quality that combines seemingly unrelated objects in an aesthetic and accessible way.” Rockland is originally from Princeton and currently resides in Morristown. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
Amy, Maya, and Maude: these are the names behind Montclair’s new storefront, The Creativity Caravan. Amy Tingle and Maya Stein are independent artists, writers, and owners of the shop, and M.A.U.D.E, a 1965 Covered Wagon, is the store’s namesake. more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
You might have photographed your favorite Jersey diner. Perhaps you’ve snapped a picture of a secret trail in the Garden State. Maybe, you’ve taken an image of a historical location in NJ, or better yet, a historic moment in your life. If you’ve shot a picture of New Jersey that represents your personal vision of the state, we want to see it! more
By Sarah Emily Gilbert
“What is this place?”
You’d think this reaction to a shop would insult its owners, but not Chris and Aimee Danchise of Basemeant WRX. In fact, it’s the couple’s favorite inquiry from first time clients who walk into their space in Montclair, New Jersey.
“We aren’t your typical shop. We are a retail/gallery/event space, so it takes a minute for people to ‘get us,’” Aimee, a former handbag and accessory developer, explains. “But once they do, I want them to feel welcome so that they end up sitting on our retro orange sofa with their coffee, meeting their neighbors, and supporting our amazing vendors.” more
… So maybe we’re rushing things, but we still can appreciate the frozen wonderland that winter brings. To kick-off winter 2016, we compiled “chillingly” beautiful Instagrams of North Jersey.
