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Art In Plain View
A Program Of Pro Arts
What Is Pro Arts?
Pro Arts is a private, nonprofit organization based in Jersey City, whose membership
is comprised of artists committed to promoting all aspects of the, visual arts field, e.g.,
exhibitions, artists housing, public art, publications, communications and education. Pro Arts's
mission is to provide opportunities for career artists (regardless if they are Pro Arts members
or not) while fostering an environment conducive to the development of the arts in Jersey
City.
Since its formation in 1995, Pro Arts has worked in partnership with local
government undertake several important civic projects, among them:
What Is Art In Plain View?
As a continuing program of Pro Arts, Art In Plain View sponsors limited-run public art exhibits as a cultural amenity to the residents and visitors of Jersey City. The program's
aim is:
Art In Plain View came about as an initiative of the Pro Arts Exhibitions Committee to
address what it saw as the most pressing problem now facing exhibitors how to maximize
exposure while minimizing costs. The solution was to increase cost effectiveness by staging
shows in highly visible, heavily trafficked locations, such as shopping malls and mass transit
stations. In this way many of the expenses usually associated with exhibiting in a gallery or
museum, such as hiring sitters and buying ads, could be eliminated.
Since many public venues are already in compliance with ADA (Americans for
Disabilities Act) codes -- particularly those mandating wheelchair ramps and special facilities --
exhibiting in such venues offsets the need for an exhibitor to duplicate these amenities in a
gallery. In an era of down sizing and fiscal conservatism, public art may be the best survival
strategy, the Committee concluded.
Beyond satisfying budgetary needs, the placement of site-specific art within the
dynamic environment of a Public space encourages artists to experiment with formal issues
of presentation and audience expectations -- currently exciting areas of inquiry in the
progressive arts. Furthermore, Art In Plain View carries out Pro Arts's principle objective to
spread and bolster awareness of contemporary art while maintaining a high standard of
quality. In this way, Pro Arts strives to develop new audiences for the museums and galleries
in its service area.
What Exhibits Has ART IN PLAIN VIEW Sponsored
Under the administrative and curatorial direction of Robert Costa, Art In Plain View is
responsible for seven exhibitions to date, beginning with the Hanging Sculpture Garden at
the Newport Centre Mall in September and October of 1996. This exhibit featured a unique
aerial display of abstract sculpture suspended from the ceiling of the Mall's main concourse
and center atrium. Twenty-one artists participated in this project with work ranging from a 20-
foot rawhide basket by Maria Elena Gonzalez to a web-like canopy of multicolored nylon by
Judy Thomas. Joe Schneider's Duomo Chute, a 34-foot wide parachute patched together
with fabric from discarded umbrellas, was both a popular and critical hit. Other artists
included: Elana Herzog, Deborah Aschheim, Robert Pfitzenmeier, Chakaia Booker, Ev Stone
and Lucky de Bellevue.
An estimated one million people saw this exhibit in the seven weeks that it was on
view according to figures provided by the Mall's management. Although modern art was a
new experience for many of the shoppers, most reacted favorably when questioned about
the show and expressed interest in seeing more art of this type in public settings.
Basket
Rawhide & Wood
Concurrent with this exhibit was the City Hall Sculpture Project an outdoor installation of three sculptures on the front lawn of Jersey City's historic City Hall. Participating artists included Robert Lobe, Judy Thomas and Joe Chirchirillo. The show coincided With two major events at City Hall: the Jersey City Art Summit and the Annual Jersey City Artists Studio Tour, the latter attracting an estimated four thousand visitors. The installation served as a prototype for a permanent sculpture park that Pro Arts hopes to someday open along the Riverside Walkway.
In the Spring of 1997, Pro Arts was asked by PATH Corp. to install art in a vacant storefront in the main concourse of the journal Square Transportation Center. The space would be available from the beginning of March to the end of May -- sufficient time for three, month-long installations. The first, entitled Commerce was a show of electric light sculptures by David Kramer. Featured were Lover Boy and Eddie's Last Chance, two large assemblages that resembled the high-relief, cutout lettering often found on the facades of stores and office buildings. Each piece consisted of one word: LOVE and CHANCE. Kramer, who works in a Pop vein, used sheet metal, light bulbs and other industrial materials to fabricate these calligraphic sculptures.
Nina Yankowitz followed in April with Empowered II, sculptures depicting trained animals performing circus tricks. Suggesting the decorative hedges found in formal gardens, Yankowitz's animals were made of aluminum and copper wool compressed in molds shaped like lions, elephants and giraffes. The installation intended to draw an analogy between the artist's manipulation of her medium and the way people control and distort nature for their own purpose.
The final project in the series was a multimedia installation by Wendy Lewis that incorporated found objects with water fountains. Lewis employed a variety of everyday items she purchased at nearby discount stores; bathroom mats, plastic wading pools, Japanese umbrellas and dolls were all used to create colorful and witty assemblages. Fountain displays with running water added a kinetic element to the pieces. In the front of her installation, Lewis displayed jackets and vests she made from kitchen sponges. Many viewers, thinking the show was window dressing for an outrageous new clothing boutique, asked if they could try on the outfits.
All three installations drew enthusiastic comments from the public. One person, who said she passed by the storefront regularly and had become used to the sight of art in the window, commended Pro Arts for providing commuters with "the gift of art."
The 1997 Jersey City Artists Studio Tour in October hosted the next Art In Plain View exhibit, the Wind Sock Project. Artists were invited to create wind-activated soft sculptures in the form of decorative wind socks. The wind socks were then displayed on ten flagpoles in front of the Cali Building on Jose Marin Blvd. Bruce Morozko, Rita Grendze, Ron & Tarssa English, Celia Wetzel, Roberta Gardner, John Drury and Gregg Woolard were Among the contributing artists.
The most recent Art In Plain View project took place last December in the lobby of the Jersey City City Council Chamber in observance of World's AIDS Day. Entitled ". . . by foul subtraction," the exhibit featured twelve white vinyl body bags on which artists created images relating to grief, anger and the devastating impact of the AIDS pandemic.
| In Not'Blue Jackie, appropriator Mike Bidlo alluded to Andy Warhol's famous silk-screen portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy (from a photograph taken of her at the late president's funeral). By transferring her image onto a body bag smeared with blood, Bidlo iconizes the image of the widow into a universal symbol of mourning and loss. Among the other artists in the project were: Kiki Smith, Angela Fremont, Hunt Slonem, James Gouijnstook, Ena Swansea, Judy Glantzman and James Romberger, whose artwork was a posthumous recreation of a painting study by the late David Wojnarowicz. |
 Not 'Blue Jackie" Vinyl Paint & Blood On Body Bag |
All of the fore mentioned Art In Plain View exhibits were curated by Robert Costa. For
more information about Art In Plain View and other exhibitions sponsored by Pro Arts, please
contact Costa at (212) 475-5831.
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