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"A Tuna Christmas" is a humorous play set in the fictional town of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas. The play is a sequel to "Greater Tuna" and was written by Ed Howard, Joe Sears, and Jaston Williams. It debuted in 1989 and has since become a popular comedic fixture in American theater, especially around the holiday season.
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is celebrating the Kwanzaa holiday this year with an African dance performance starring the acclaimed New York-based troupe Forces of Nature Dance Theatre on Saturday, Dec 12 at 3 p.m. in the Victoria Theater on the Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch Stage.
This holiday season, the Moorestown Theater Company (MTC) in Burlington County will present "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jr." and the acclaimed youth theater organization will do it all with a cast of elementary and middle school students — as well as a few ninth graders.
The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster has, as part of its mission, a diversity policy "emphasizing its commitment to creating a safe and welcoming space where all voices and perspectives are heard and valued." To achieve this goal, the Kendra exhibition shines among the rest!
How do women artists take up space and scale in their work? That’s the primary question asked in the new exhibition, “Taking Space: Contemporary Women Artists and the Politics of Scale,” at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) on view through Jan 7, 2024. Inspired by a 2021 show at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), the exhibition offers twenty-three works in a range of media including paintings, sculptures, paper, photographs, and more. Among them are ten alluring artworks from PAFA alongside thirteen foundational works from the Montclair Art Museum’s collection of American women artists. The exhibiting artists represent a range of ages and diverse cultures in their work, demonstrating how to take up space with stories of their identities and cultural heritages.
Next up at the South Camden Theatre Company’s Waterfront South Theatre is “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” based on the award-winning 2003 novel by British author Mark Haddon and adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens. The production opens on Nov 3 and continues Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoons through Nov 19.
The play starts when Christopher Boone, the 15-year-old central character, self-described as a “mathematician with some behavioral difficulties.” makes an unfortunate discovery and sets out to learn who is behind the disturbing deed.
Nearly three decades ago, Michael Joseph founded the New Jersey Book Arts Symposium. A writer of everything from poetry, comics, children’s books, and novels, who has created 14 one-of-a-kind, limited-edition artists’ books, he is just the sort of person who would start such an annual daylong event.
Now in its 29th year, the NJBAS, under the auspices of Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries, “distinguishes itself by looking at work in all aspects of the book arts… such as typography, book-binding, paper-making, calligraphy, illustration and book-design, alongside the innovative production of artists' books, bookworks, or book objects," according to its website.
This year’s event, “Taking a Breath,” will be held at Rutgers’ Alexander Library, 169 College Avenue, New Brunswick on November 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendance is free, and guests may register by emailing hperrone@rutgers.edu. A continental breakfast and sit-down lunch will be provided, thanks to the Rutgers University Libraries and a grant from Middlesex County.
Symphony orchestras have long graced the world with beautiful renditions of classical music. However, in the modern era, they face the challenge of attracting younger and more diverse audiences. Playing movie scores and soundtracks has emerged as an effective strategy to broaden their appeal.
Movie soundtracks resonate with audiences because they are often associated with powerful visual and emotional moments. When an orchestra performs pieces from beloved films, they tap into a reservoir of memories and emotions. For instance, John Williams' compositions for "Star Wars" or Howard Shore's work for "The Lord of the Rings" have become cultural touchstones known by millions. Hearing them live, performed by a full symphony orchestra, amplifies their power and evokes the magic of the films.
Sponsored by the Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC), the APin3 Film Challenge is not so much a “film festival” as a community filmmaking challenge in which budding directors and filmmaking teams create a 3-minute short film highlighting aspects of, and shot entirely within, the city of Asbury Park. The challenge asks filmmakers to include a supplied theme and line of dialogue, a prop native to Asbury Park, and one specific location within the city – the prompt keeps all the contestants on a level playing field. With its rich history and coastal allure, the city provides ample material for gripping narratives and documentaries. In essence, the APin3 Film Challenge aligns perfectly with Asbury Park’s artistic legacy and the potential for cultural celebrations that use the film short in unforgettable ways.
If you’re looking for something special to do on the first weekend of October (Oct 7 and 8 from 10 AM to 5 PM) how about an outing to Wheaton Arts in Millville for the annual “Festival of Fine Craft?” On any given day, WheatonArts is a place where creativity, culture, and history flourishes. And during the crowd-favorite festival, the place positively shines.
The “Festival of Fine Craft” showcases more than 125 artists and craftspeople, displaying and selling their handcrafted works, including clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, painting, and more.
And while you are strolling through Wheaton’s 45-acre campus, you will have the opportunity to see and participate in a wide range of craft demonstrations and hands-on art-making activities.
There are also two exhibitions on view now at WheatonArts. In the Museum of American Glass, visitors will see “Amber Cowan: Alchemy of Adornment,” and the Down Jersey Folklife Center is presenting “The Good, The Bad, and the Funny: Ritual & Mask Dance of Latin America.”
The festival also features a Beer and Wine Garden, specialty food truck and food vendors, live music, and the nothing-quite-like-it Glass Pumpkin Fundraiser.
Hudson County’s Jersey City is known for its vibrant arts scene. There are many events celebrating the diversity of local artists throughout the year, however, this year local officials have taken the celebration of visual arts one step further and have created the first ever Jersey City Art Week, which will run Oct. 12-15 in various neighborhoods throughout the city. This event combines the already existing Art Fair 14C and Jersey City Art and Studio Tour and puts them under one umbrella; one that city officials hope will bring even more visitors in to explore what Jersey City has to offer.
It’s September. The trees are losing their leaves. The temperature is dropping. The season of enjoying outdoor music performances is wrapping up. And we are reluctantly stashing our beach chairs in the garage for another year.
But wait! Just when you thought it was time to make the summer-to-fall transition, along comes four fabulous days of FREE MUSIC in five Central New Jersey towns – Edison, Metuchen, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, and Woodbridge – to delight your ears and lift your spirits.
The idea for the festival was the result of an aha moment among the organizers – Edison’s Mayor and Council, Perth Amboy Artworks, New Brunswick Jazz Project, Woodbridge Arts, Metuchen Arts Council, and Friends of Metuchen Arts.
“We had discussed doing something together,” Bill Brandenburg of Woodbridge said, “and somewhere in the conversation the idea of a jazz festival came up.”
The first-ever Middlesex County Jazz Festival will kick off at Papaianni Park in Edison on September 28, followed on September 29 by an evening concert at the Historic Perth Amboy Ferry Slip. Saturday will offer two shows – an afternoon concert on Livingston Avenue in front of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) and an evening show on Halsey Street at the Metuchen Station Lot 6. The festival will come to a close on Sunday at Parker Press Park on Rahway Avenue in Woodbridge.
For those not familiar with The Brodsky Center, the exhibition panel describes it well: “Rutgers Distinguished Professor Emerita Judith K. Brodsky, a visionary artist and advocate, arts administrator and entrepreneur, printmaker, and scholar, recognized that women and gender non-conforming artists, as well as artists of color, were excluded from the art world in the 1980s. Brodsky’s pioneering vision set out in 1986 to rectify the situation by establishing a print- and papermaking residency center for these artists, now known as the Brodsky Center.”
“From its inception,” continues the panel, “the Center strategically placed itself at the vanguard of art making [...] The Brodsky Center, with state-of-the-art facilities, was the site of experiments with concepts that emerged in the 21st century as dominant concerns of artists in the contemporary art world: race and ethnic identity, non-conforming gender issues, climate and the environment, social justice, the politics of language, feminism, and immigration.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, with celebrations planned nationwide. Keeping the momentum going this fall is New Jersey’s largest city, as the Newark Arts Festival (NAF) 2023 will feature arts and culture events spanning all five wards of Newark from Wednesday, September 27 through Sunday, October 1. The free four-day festival is produced by Newark Arts in association with The Newark Museum of Art and is expected to attract thousands of artists, collectors, aficionados, and creatives.
A signature event at this year’s Newark Arts Festival is a celebration of 50 years of Hip Hop on Saturday, September 30 at 8 p.m. in The Newark Museum of Art. This one-night-only experience, called “Strings and Stanzas,” and sponsored by Audible, will honor not just the music genre, but also Newark-area pioneers who paved the way in Hip Hop. Some of the famed rappers who hail from Newark include Redman, Lords of the Underground and Rah Digga.
A vibrant celebration of creativity and culture at "Art All Day" comes September 16th in Trenton, New Jersey! This annual event promises an exhilarating journey through Trenton's diverse artistic landscape, showcasing the talents of local and regional artists across various mediums. From studio tours to live painting, music, and a unique film festival, participants will be treated to an eclectic mix of experiences. In partnership with the River Days Festival in South Riverwalk Park, this day promises a blend of art, community, and cultural immersion, epitomizing Trenton's commitment to its rich artistic heritage.
Making sensitive or inconvertible topics more palatable to the general public is a big part of the mission of Fort Lee, New Jersey-based CavanKerry Press. As a not-for-profit literary press serving art and the community, CavanKerry is committed to expanding the reach of poetry by publishing works that explore the emotional and psychological landscapes of everyday life and bringing that art to underserved populations.
Along with the late Florenz Eisman, Handler founded CavanKerry in 2000 with the aim to demystify poetry with its first book, “A Day This Lit,” by Howard Levy. Since then, CavanKerry has published more than 100 books.
From time to time, a wise thinker comes along, helping us contend with existential mysteries.
Liu Shiming, celebrated as a sculptor in his native China, thinks and speaks like a philosopher. "You should look at life like a child does,” he wrote in his diary in 1982. “When you take the perspective of an innocent child, all love and everything in life feels fresh and lovely."
“LIU SHIMING: Life Gives Beauty Form” -- a retrospective on view at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University through Sept. 22, with a public reception and panel discussion Sept. 6, 5-8 p.m. -- includes more than 80 sculptures made over the artist’s 60-year career, including 27 works that are being exhibited for the first time in the United States. Shiming (1926–2010) was one of China’s first modern sculptors, embracing a range of styles and approaches that reflected the changing culture of his era.
A tradition of more than 50 years returns to the Salem County Fairgrounds, located at 735 Harding Highway in Woodstown, this Labor Day Weekend. The Delaware County Bluegrass Festival has been held since 1972, and in South Jersey since the 1990s. This year’s 51st annual festival will take place Sept. 1-3 and is sure to bring a jamming good time to all in attendance.
The 2023 edition of the festival features more than 20 bands, with six or seven performing each day of the festival. Some acts have a long history of coming to this event, while others are newcomers.
Before summer slips away, don’t miss the chance to experience the New Jersey Festival Orchestra (NJFO) in concert, presenting “Summertime Folk Fantasies” Friday, Aug. 18 at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge and Aug. 20 at the Hertell Gardens in Westfield.
On the program at both venues will be “Brigg Fair, An English Rhapsody” by Frederick Delius and “Old American Folk Songs” by Aaron Copland, featuring baritone Stephen Gaertner of the Metropolitan Opera, and “Porgy and Bess Fantasy” by George Gershwin. Music Director David Wroe will conduct.
The Count Basie Center for the Arts will present on Aug. 24 the highly anticipated "Jersey Shore Top Comic" - a riotous showcase of the region's most hilarious stand-up comedians competing for the coveted title of Top Comic. About ten contestants will complete before professionals with amazing credits. The winning comedian will get a feature weekend spot at the legendary Stress Factory Comedy Club in New Brunswick & the Jersey Shore Top Comic championship belt!
Comedian Chris Covert, who will be the master of ceremonies, and the other judges have been receiving audition tapes and holding large group auditions. “The ‘cattle call’ auditions are going very well,” he said. “It’s not limited to first-timers or anything, so there’s going to be some very experienced comics up there along with newcomers.”
