Jammin' at Jake's

Tonight the BAC Jam Band went on location, to the boardwalk just outside Jake's Crab Shack at the Taylor Pavilion. A nice crowd enjoyed the beautiful weather and music from the group, which included Tom, Tim, Mike, Bart, Chard, and Dave. Most appearances of the BAC Jam Band are at the Boatworks, the 2nd and 4th Friday nights of each month, from 7 to 9 pm. Admission is free.

Digital Painting Demo

Tonight was our regular monthly meeting (normally 1st Thursday, but moved to this week because of the holiday). After the business part we were treated to a demonstration of Corel Painter by photographer/watercolorist Keith Mills. The crowd was very interested to see some of the possibilities of this computer program and some of its applications for photo based art.

Earlier this week Keith Mills hosted the BAC Photo Group in his Spring Lake studio, demonstrating some digital photo techniques. The Photo Group is relatively new, but it's already pretty popular. It usually meets at the Boatworks on the first Tuesday of every month.

Collage Workshop

Tonight the Boatworks hosted a workshop led by Michelle Bernard, on the topic of making freeform collages with personal mementos. Among the processes explored tonight were rubber stamps, embossing, painting, collage, paper punches, and more. Participants brought materials from home (copies of photos, personal ephemera, etc) and combined them with all the materials provided by Michelle to produce mixed media collages. The occasion for having the workshop is for those who would like to submit a collage about their memories of Belmar to our upcoming Belmar Stories exhibition, but this approach can be used to make two and three dimensional art of all kinds.

Memories of Belmar

This coming August, the Boatworks will be hosting an exhibition called Belmar Stories: A Show of Visual and Performing Arts. The exhibition will invite artists to submit art in any medium that is inspired by their memories of Belmar.

The first phase of the process began this evening, at an event hosted at Taylor Pavilion by the Belmar Historical Preservation Council. A few dozen people attended Seaside Memories, where the longtime Belmar residents had the opportunity to reminisce about Belmar's past through discussions and Belmar trivia going back over a century. Several BAC members were on hand to participate, including videotaping some of the participants talking about their Belmar memories. The resulting video is intended to be part of our August show.

The next related event is a special collage workshop hosted by Ranger Industries artist and designer Michelle Bernard. She will show people how to create a finished piece of art from their own collection of photos, mementos, ephemera, and souvenirs. It's a great opportunity for those who would like to be part of our August celebration of Belmar but who are not quite sure what to submit. The workshop will be July 7, from 7 to 9pm, and is recommended to people age 17 and up. The fee will be $10 for BAC members, $15 for non-members. Space is limited, so participants are asked to register by contacting Brenda at the BAC by July 1st.

The Belmar Stories exhibition itself will open August 8 and remain on display through August 28, 2009. Intake for the show will be August 1, from 10 am to 1 pm. More details will be posted here as we closer to the event.

BAC Jam Band

One of the new regular events this summer is the BAC Jam Band. Above photos show Mike, Bart, Tim, Dave, and Tom performing recently on the Boatworks stage. The group meets at 7:30 pm on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of summer months. New musicians are welcome to sit in. In addition, there will be open mic spots available during Jam Band breaks to interested musicians, singers, poets, comedians, jugglers, etc. Admission is free for all, in case you just want to come enjoy the music.

Brave New Works Opening

Today was the official opening reception for the Brave New Works show currently on display at the Boatworks. About 50 people came by to see the art, which remains on display Wed-Sun, 1 to 5 pm, through June 27th. As part of today's event, Bunny Poland of the Belmar Food Pantry was presented with a very timely check for $321 by exhibition chair Scott Hawxhurst, money derived from entry fees, donations, and sales of art in the show. Any further sales of art from this exhibition will also benefit the Food Pantry, so consider coming by the gallery and acquiring one of the many daring new works in the show.

Battle of the Bands '09

This past May the Belmar Arts Council organized the 4th Annual Battle of the Bands, held at the Belmar Elementary School Auditorium. The competition is open to bands with members age 15 and under. The event was hosted by the BAC's own Tom Brennan (top photo), who sent us these photos. Also shown:

Photos #2-4 Vapor Child (Competition Winner), including Bill Schneider, Chad Morales, Greg Ruberis, and Michael Delgado.

Photos #5-6 Energy Level, including Michael Vecchio and Alexandra Vecchio.

Photo #7 Beach Music Rock Band, including Andrew Peterson and Robert Capone.

Photos #8-9 Point of Entry, including David Abraham, Jamon Lyons, and Jason Fahim.

Photo #10 Anything But That, including Jenna Angelidas and Liam Donnelly.

Brave New Salon

Tonight we had our usual monthly member meeting (1st Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm at the Boatworks, all are welcome), but when it was done we held one of our Salon events. On these occasions, artists who have work hanging in the current show are invited to speak about their work and answer questions from those in attendance. Earlier this week the Brave New Works exhibition was hung. It will officially open this coming Saturday June 6, with a reception from 3 to 5 pm, but those in attendance tonight got a little preview. Several of the exhibiting artists were on hand to talk about their pieces on display.

Belmar Photo Walk

A few Sundays ago, five dedicated photographers, guided by Belmar's own Steve Latko, braved the cool afternoon and took off for the first BAC PhotoWalk. The trip started at the Boatworks (as seen in the top photo) and headed east with all the group snapping away, sometimes exchanging cameras and lenses while doing so.

The whole experience was fun and everyone learned a little more about photography from Steve. About two hours later the group ended up back at the Boatworks and agreed to meet up at a local establishment for some well deserved refreshments. Some examples of shots taken by Steve and Joe are seen above. There are plans to do more of these PhotoWalks, so stay tuned for further details.

Crit Group and More at the Boatworks

Now that the annual juried show is over, the Boatworks has resumed its busy schedule of regular programming. Tonight was the monthly meeting of the critique group, where artists in all media are invited to bring a piece or two and have it discussed by a group of experienced artists. Everyone always gets something out of the experience. It meets the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm and goes until around 9:00 pm.

The crit group is just one of many things going on at the Boatworks. Here are some other activities to consider:

Photography Group- 1st Tuesday of every month at 7:30 pm

Movie Night- All other Tuesdays, beginning at 7:00 pm

2nd Tuesday of every month are films about art and artists, hosted by Sandy Cook

3rd Tuesday of every month are classic films, hosted by Luke Suppa

4th Tuesday of every month are vintage sci-fi films, hosted by John Hutchinson

And when there's a 5th Tuesday- Surprise Film

Figure Drawing/Painting- 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month from 7:00 to 9:00 pm

Jam Night- 2nd and 4th Friday of every month at 8:00 pm

Performance Series- 3rd Saturday of every month at 8:00 pm

Abstract Group- Every Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm

Contact the Belmar Arts Council for more details.

Summer Art Shows at the Boatworks

As summer approaches, the BAC has a full slate of exhibitions scheduled to put new art on the walls from here to autumn. Make sure you're a part of it.

First up is Brave New Works, which will benefit the Belmar Food Pantry. The show is open to BAC members, who can contribute one artwork made in the past 2 years and not previously shown in a BAC exhibition. Artists are encouraged to contribute work that is experimental and non-traditional. All it takes to participate is your artwork and $10 or the equivalent or greater in a food donation. Not a BAC member? Join now and benefit for the rest of the year.

Work needs to be dropped off at the Boatworks on Saturday 5/30/09 between 10 am and 1 pm. Exhibition opens June 6 and remains on display during gallery hours until June 27. For more details and entry form, see our main website.

And keep these future shows (open to members and non-members) in mind:

July 11-31 Metaphors- Abstract work in any medium (to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation)

August 8- 28 Belmar Stories- An artistic look at history, experiences, anecdotes, memories, impressions, and visions of Belmar in any medium (to benefit the Belmar Mural Project). We will be having a workshop in July for people interested in ways to use old photos in new artworks.

September 13- 30 Surf Art: Innermost Limits of Pure Stoke (to benefit Surf Aid International)

Awakenings Concert in Belmar

Today the BAC hosted a special concert in the Belmar Elementary School Auditorium, featuring new works from the young composers of Westminster Choir College of Rider University. The compositions were performed by a string quartet, accompanied on some pieces by piano or vocal. Ten works were performed overall, composed by Matthew Samson, Aubrey Maks, Cameron Wentz, Robert Pegg, Dan Halbstein, Karol Nowicki, David Foley, David Zas, Patrice Malone, Nathan Jones, and Mike Fili. (all shown in the last photo) The performers were Gerry Ianco and Rafael Klayman on violin, Mura Kelly on viola, Madeline Casparie on cello, Dan Halbstein on piano, and Meredyth Morrison's soprano vocal. Those in the audience, who gave up a beautiful sunny afternoon to attend the show, were very impressed with both the compositions and the performers at this unique event.

This concert came about thanks to the efforts of Patrice Malone, our former summer intern, and a Theory/Composition and Arts Administration major at Westminster Choir College. The concert was supported by the following local businesses, many of which donated door prizes: Boathouse Bar and Grill, Boom, Central Jersey Bank N.A., Connolly Station, Dunkin Donuts, Inn at the Shore, Klein's Waterside Cafe, Pringle/Quinn/Anzano PC, Starry Nite Cafe, Taylor Hardware, The Melting Pot, Tino's Family Auto Care, Valdamier's Salon, and Viva's Classic Latin Cuisine, as well as by the Belmar Board of Education and the Borough of Belmar. Additional thanks go to all the many BAC volunteers, who helped promote the show, sell tickets, and provide treats for the reception that followed the concert.