NYUGEN SMITH: BUNDLE HOUSE from LE ARSENAL AV on Vimeo.

Sunday Sampler: Local Color
Sunday, May 18, 2008, 2pm, Free Event

“In honor of Historic Preservation Month, The Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, The Jersey City Public Library and Jersey City Museum team up to present and preserve the colorful and engaging stories of our local neighborhoods!”

Join Jersey City Museum for an afternoon of history and stories. John Hallanan from the J.C. Landmarks Conservancy will speak about his research into Jersey City during the decades Mayor Hague was in office. The history of education in Jersey City will be the subject of a talk by Cynthia Harris, Manager of The New Jersey Room at the Jersey City Public Library. Council President Mariano Vega will discuss the local Latino experience post WWII to the present. Finally, Barbara Bickart, artist in residence at JCM, will talk about her recent collaborative projectwe call it the river..., a video performance that explores the effects of gentrification on the residents who live, work and worship in Downtown Jersey City. JCM Curator Dr. Rocio Aranda-Alvarado will introduce and moderate the discussion.

Share your stories:
Spearheaded by the Jersey City Museum and the Jersey City Public Library, this program will kick off a special year-long project of collecting and preserving local stories, The public is invited, as are groups who are interested in creating oral histories with their members. Information on how to conduct oral histories and sign up sheets for groups or individuals who wish to become part of the project will be available at the event.

Sunday Sampler is an evolving series that happens each month. The series will highlight the many types programs and events we have on view at the museum. Sunday Sampler is a laid back and casual Sunday afternoon event where wine and light snacks are served as a way to bring artists and art enthusiasts together to mix, mingle and network. Gallery tours will be offered as part of the Sunday Sampler Series. Sunday Samplers act as a way to enhance events and programs already in place.

Joe Kolman, author of Naked Option, visits Imagine Atrium on Friday to read from and discuss the book as a part of our author/speaker/artist/thinker "First Fridays" series. Naked Option is a Wall Street thriller set in Jersey City and Manhattan. RSVP for the event here. Call the store or e-mail to reserve your copy.

Friday, April 4, 2008 @ 7pm
Imagine Atrium
528 Jersey Avenue
(between Newark Ave. & Christopher Columbus Dr.)
(201) 451-4848

Don't miss the Spring Exhibitions opening which will include SPRAWL, (RE)possessed, Hummer:Ryan Roa Edition (see previous post here), Jason Watson: A Second Look, 1x1 Projects, 1x1 Media Works and Sound Station.

Yes, today is the 100th anniversary of the PATH trains. Did you take advantage of riding the PATH free today? I hope you did, because soon there will be a rate hike and with Holland Tunnel prices going up on March 2nd we should take advantage of all the freebies we can get. I listened to an interesting segment today on WNYC:

"Today is the 100th anniversary of the PATH Train. Richard Kelly was the president and general manger of PATH and the director of interstate commerce for the Port Authority until 1995. He talks about its history and fields phone calls comparing the PATH to the New York City subways."

Synopsis: Birth: it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to examine and question the way American women have babies.

The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal.

What a fantastic mapping tool I found on The Huffington Post -- it is called Fundrace 2008. To quote their description of this searchable map: "Want to know if a celebrity is playing both sides of the fence? Whether that new guy you're seeing is actually a Republican or just dresses like one? FundRace makes it easy to search by name or address to see which presidential candidates your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors are contributing to. Or you can see if your favorite celebrity is putting money where their mouth is." Search the map by city, by occupation or by name. Keep in mind I didn't find my name in the search -- but maybe because my donations were small potatoes compared to these.

The Polling Place Photo Project is a nationwide experiment in citizen journalism that encourages voters to capture, post and share photographs of this year’s primaries, caucuses and general election. By documenting local voting experiences, participants can contribute to an archive of photographs that captures the richness and complexity of voting in America.

Photographs of polling places, and the information that accompanies them, is a visual record of how voting happens in America: where it occurs, what the process looks like, how people act, and, ultimately, how the voting experience can be designed to be easier, less confusing and more rewarding. The Project hopes to collect photographs of every polling place in America, so you are encouraged to participate no matter where you vote.

The Polling Place Photo Project began in November 2006 before the mid-term elections. For the 2008 election cycle, the project is supported by The New York Times as a part of its political coverage.

AIGA, the professional association for design, and the supporting sponsor -- is the oldest and largest membership association for design professionals engaged in the discipline, practice and culture of designing. Its mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. AIGA has supported the Polling Place Photo Project since 2006.