WUF Opening Reception

Today was the opening reception for the new Wearable, Usable, Functional exhibition, in which all the artworks on display are hand crafted items that combine visual appeal and a practical purpose. As you can see from the photos below, artists are exhibiting a variety of clothing, ceramics, furniture, home decorations, jewelry- all for sale.

A nice crowd turned up for the opening, probably close to 100 visitors stopped by over the course of the two hour reception, with many sticking around to look over the various creations, and enjoy the refreshments.

And as with many of the functions at the Boatworks, our own Jam Band provided live entertainment for everyone.

The Wearable Usable Functional exhibition and sale is on display at the Boatworks during regular gallery hours through January 7, 2011.

Wearable, Usable, Functional coming to BAC

The next exhibition at the Boatworks is Wearable, Usable, Functional, and the title says it all. This juried show features a variety of hand crafted items that fit one or more of the above categories. The show officially opens with a reception on Saturday, November 13th, from 5 to 7 pm, and remains on display through the end of December.

New Belmar Attraction

Belmar's latest mural is now complete. (Click on the above photo to enlarge it) Artist Jim Fitzmaurice painted the large 5 panel mural on the back of the upper part of Freedman's Bakery. This beautiful mural can be seen from the east side of the train, or when driving on 8th Avenue from Route 35 toward the beach, but to truly enjoy it, pull into the parking lot behind the bakery, park your car, and spend a few minutes reminding yourself of some of what Belmar has to offer.

Last Chance for The Royal Family

The BAC benefit performance of The Royal Family at the Spring Lake Community House Theater is coming up this Friday night, October 15th. Thanks to the great efforts of BAC members, the performance (and accompanying dessert reception) is almost sold out. As of last night, only 37 tickets remained. So if you've been interested, don't delay- go to our main website and learn how to buy some tickets, before they're all gone.

The Mural Capital of the Northeast

Back in 2007, the members of the Belmar Arts Council took a look at the dull gray concrete exterior walls of the Boatworks, our headquarters, and decided that they could use some colorful murals. So that year a group of volunteers put one on the long side of our building, and the following year another group put one on the shorter side. Now it seems like everyone in town wants one, and we're going to try to make that happen. This year the BAC Downtown Mural Project got going, funded by the Belmar Tourism Commission. Four sites were budgeted for this year and we're more than halfway there. The first two are complete, and the third is underway.

Professional muralist Bob Mataranglo produced the above Bruce Springsteen themed mural on the side of the 2nd floor of the Yarnold Building (near Main and 10th), a spot from which Bruce could look out and see his beloved E Street. Bob was an advisor on our first mural, as well as adding the 3D pieces to both of the Boatworks murals.

Beth Gersten, also a professional muralist, was another major participant on our first Boatworks mural, and this year she painted the large one seen above on the side of the Acropolis Diner (Main and 6th), combining a typical local beach scene and a view through a colonnade of Greek style caryatids.

The third Belmar mural is in progress right now. This time around the artist is Jim Fitzmaurice, another experienced muralist and his is going to cover the whole upper half of the back of Freedman's Bakery (Belmar Plaza and 8th Ave). The subject is some of Belmar's annual events, with the surfing competition, St Patrick's Day parade, and typical beach activities showing up so far. Stop by Belmar Plaza in the near future and check on the progress for yourself.

As for the 4th mural, negotiations are in progress right now for a spot further down Main, one that will be painted by BAC volunteers. And the plan is for this series of Belmar murals to be an ongoing project, so look for news about more to come in 2011.

After Sunset Reception

This afternoon the Boatworks hosted an opening reception for the new After Sunset exhibition. The show includes 35 artworks with the after sunset theme, in such media as painting, prints, drawings, photos, and sculpture. On a day when the beautiful autumn weather could be a distraction we had about 40 people come out to see the show.

The reception included a special seasonal treat, apple cider donuts, as well as live music from Tom and Gypsy Dave of the BAC jam band.

Belmar based professional photographer Steve Lacko was the exhibition juror, and he chose 4 artworks to receive awards:

Best of Show

The Floating World: After Sunset

Paul Bonelli

First Place, Photography

Canyonlands

Jonathan Eng

First Place, Painting

Night Shift

Clair Carlson

First Place, 3D Art

Mystery Woods

Andree Herz

The After Sunset exhibition remains on display during gallery hours through November 5, 2010. Admission is free.

Summer's Over, But Arts Go On

It's getting a bit chilly to be hanging out on the beach these days, but there are still plenty of arts related reasons to come to the Belmar area.

The latest exhibition in our gallery space at the Boatworks is called After Sunset, featuring art with an evening theme. The opening reception is Saturday October 9th from 3 to 5 pm, and the work remains on display during gallery hours through November 5, 2010. Admission is free.

The BAC is presenting a performance of The Royal Family at the Spring Lake Community House on Friday, October 15, 2010. The play was written by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber and is directed by Doug Hughes. The evening begins with a dessert bar at 7:00 pm, with the play itself beginning at 8:00 pm. Most of the tickets have been sold, but some seats are left. Prices (which include the dessert bar) are $28 for adults, $26 for students and senior citizens, and $20 for children under 12. Tickets may be purchased at the Boatworks or through the BAC main website, with 100% of the money from the October 15th performance going to benefit the Belmar Arts Council. The Spring Lake Community House Theatre is at 300 Madison Avenue in Spring Lake, NJ.

Plus we have a wide variety of art classes and groups going on at the Boatworks. Just stop by the main website to see what we have to offer.

Cycle Art Opening

Tonight was the opening for the Cycle Art Exhibition at Second Life Bikes in Asbury Park. The Belmar Arts Council was one of the hosts of this exhibition, and many of our members were present to help out and to enjoy the show. The exhibition featured bicycle themed art, installed in Second Life's huge space. The reception was also the opening for CityArts weekend in Asbury, probably also a factor in the huge crowds and the constant flow of visitors.

The reception included some great refreshments. Above, the Windmill (with a location across the street) brought over some portable grills and was cooking and handing out some of their famous hot dogs to the crowd. Below, a bicycle powered blender was used to make drinks.

The exhibition remains on display through October 22nd during the store's regular business hours. Admission is free, but bicycles are extra.

Cycle Art Exhibition Opens Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the opening reception for the Cycle Art exhibition at Second Life Bikes in Asbury Park. This show, which includes art about bicycles as well as art made from bicycles, is co-hosted by the Belmar Arts Council , Visions Photographic Workshops, and ArtsCap. The reception is Friday, September 24th from 6 to 8:30 pm, opening not only the exhibition, but also helping kick off CityArts weekend (September 24th - 26th) in Asbury Park. The Cycle Art show will remain on display during business hours through October 22, 2010. Second Life Bikes is located at 21 Main Street in Asbury Park, across from the BP gas station and Windmill, and just half a block from Ocean Grove's Main Avenue gate and from Asbury Park's train station.

Figure Groups at the Boatworks

Wednesday nights are figure drawing nights at the Belmar Arts Council. Tonight we had the latest session of the original figure drawing group, where artists work with a nude model in a variety of short and longer poses. The group meets on the 1st, 3rd, and (when there is one) 5th Wednesday of the month, from 7 to 9 pm. The BAC also hosts a second group, the clothed figure drawing group, where the model is dressed and takes one single pose from 6:30 to 9:30, great if you want time to develop a more detailed and complex work. The clothed figure group meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. For both groups easels are provided, but artists will need to bring their own materials. For information about fees or to reserve a spot with either group, visit our main website.

Surf Art Reception at the Boatworks

The day started as gray and damp, and though the sun never came out, the rain stopped early enough to allow the Surf Art reception at the Boatworks to go on as planned. The art itself, about 130 works representing such diverse media as sculpture, painting, photography, printmaking, drawing, digital art, and mixed media, were indoors safe from whatever weather might come. Most of those were part of the main exhibition, but there were also several works set aside for a silent auction. (see below)

The event kicked off with some live entertainment from Quincy Mumford and the Reason Why, who played for the appreciative crowd for more than an hour.

In addition to the music, the outdoor area included some arts opportunities for visitors.

Bob Mataranglo paints a shark head (above), and some completed shark heads can be seen below.

After a short break, our own Surf Bobs played a set for the crowd.

Exhibition juror Don Tarrant awarded several prizes to works in the show- a Best of Show and four Awesome awards. Prizes were provided by Central Jersey Bank in Belmar and Dick Blick Artist Supplies. Those winning pieces can be seen below:

Ronnie Jackson

Paddle NYC

Surfboard

Best of Show

Sean Bernhardt

Wave & Friends

Mixed Media

Sean Connell

Dawn Patrol

Graphic

Mark Giresi

Girl #6

Ink

Tara

7-11

Pastel

Food and beverages for the event was donated by the A&P in Wall, Jersey Mike's Subs and the Little Red Barn in Belmar, as well as by many friends of the Belmar Arts Council. The Surf Art exhibition remains on display during regular gallery hours (Wednesday to Sunday, 1 to 5) through October 1, 2010.

Surf Show Opens This Weekend

Sunday, September 12, 2010 is the opening reception for the Belmar Arts Council's new Surf Art show at the Boatworks. The reception is from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, and features live music from Quincy Mumford and from our own Surf Bobs. The reception is a fund-raiser for Surfaid International and the women's purse at the Belmar Pro surfing competition, so a $5 donation is being requested at the door. There will also be an auction, featuring work donated by such artists as Jay Alders, Joe Hodnicki, and Ronnie Jackson. The exhibition itself, featuring over 100 works with themes of surfing and the ocean, will remain on display through October 1st. Juror Don Tarrant of EasternLines will award prizes for Most Rad, Most Off The Wall, and Kowabunga. Last year's Surf Art reception was a great party and a huge success, so make sure you don't miss this one.

Kaleidoscope Collection at the Boatworks

This past Sunday the Boatworks hosted an exciting event, organized by local resident Charlie Sweeny. He brought together a bunch of creative people representing many different artistic media for a one night art exhibition in our back room. Besides the art covering the walls, the Kaliedoscope Collection also included a temporary half pipe constructed outside (see below) for skateboarders to show off their skills, and a musical performance from local band Brick and Mortar. Most important, he also found a whole lot of people who were interested in being part of this and got them to come to the Boatworks. Estimates are 350 to 400 people, even more than Sweeny had hoped, and further proof of how much local interest there is in the arts. Things kicked off in the early evening and went until about 10 pm, just as the rain arrived.

Our friends at the Coast Star published a few stories about the event, and sent their camera crew over to do a video piece about it. Check it out to learn more about how it came together, and some of the people involved, as well as to see examples of the art that was on display.