Jersey City Art Tour Continues Through Sunday

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The 32nd annual Jersey City Art & Studio Tour (JCAST) started Thursday and runs through Sunday.

This year's tour includes the return of curated bus and walking tours, interactive events, live paintings, kids activities, music and theatre performances, artist demonstrations, “hidden gem” galleries, and more.

Over 1,000 artists representing diverse mediums will be on display at more than 140 locations spanning the entire City.

JCAST 2022 will feature a live outdoor community painting project for the first time. The community mural looks to encourage resident participation alongside more than a dozen professional artists. The mural will help clean, beautify, and enliven a large stretch of St. Paul’s Avenue just off Route 139.

The community mural event will include an interactive stencil area where community members can make various stencils and apply them to the wall. Residents can show up and participate on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 2, 12-5 p.m.

“Since its humble and organic beginnings in 1990, JCAST has become a yearly highlight and important bridge for connecting artists and the wonderful art loving community that is Jersey City!” added Mollie Thonneson from Pro Arts Jersey City.

Mayor Fulop will kick off JCAST 2022 with an opening reception that is free and open to the public 6-9 p.m. on September 29 at JCAST Headquarters in the Marion section of Jersey City. This event will include pop-up art experiences extending from Dey Street to Newark Avenue, including Canco Park and surrounding storefronts.

The festival will also feature food trucks, live DJs, and original artist merchandise for sale.

“There are so many diverse up-and-coming artists with raw talent that need a platform like JCAST to put the spotlight on their work and talent. For the upcoming Arts and Studio Tour, we are creating a pathway connecting one side of Greenville to the other to allow people to walk through the neighborhood and enjoy works of art created by their neighbors. If successful, we hope to establish a more permanent Greenville Arts Crossroads,” said Melida Rodas, a Multimedia Artist/Poet and JCAST Greenville Organizer. “Our Greenville Headquarters will be at the intersection of McAdoo and Sterling, where we’re inviting visual artists, poets, musicians, and the like to perform in a talent showcase on October 1st and 2nd.”

For every dollar invested towards boosting arts and culture on the local level, it has proven to yield an average of over $33 in return investments into the community. Additionally, numerous studies have found that the arts amplify the administration’s broader efforts of enhancing residents’ quality of life, fostering community, engaging our youth, benefiting local businesses, and improving mental health.

“Every year, more artists participate in JCAST and bigger crowds attend. We’ve created an interactive experience like no other that spans all areas of Jersey City and offers free guided tours that are free and open to the public. We encourage everyone attending to take advantage of the free bike and walking tours offered on Saturday and Sunday,” said Christine Goodman, Director of Jersey City’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

Discover artists by medium (murals, photography, ceramics, etc.) through our easy-to-search artist profiles on the JCAST website. Additionally, information stations will be easily accessible throughout the City, with locations listed here.

“We believe in the power of the arts to help grow and sustain our communities,” said Alberto Garofalo, President of Bank of America New Jersey. “For more than three decades, JCAST has brought businesses and artists together, and we encourage members of the community and beyond to get out and experience Jersey City’s premier cultural event.”

Presented by Bank of America. Special thanks to JCAST Partners: Goldman Sachs, the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation, GFP Real Estate, and the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.

JCAST is made possible by Mayor Steven Fulop, the Jersey City Municipal Council, and the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs.

For a complete listing of galleries, exhibitions, tours, and special events, please visit www.thejcast.com. For questions about a specific venue’s COVID-19 guidelines, please contact them directly.

This press release was produced by JCNC. The views expressed here are the author's own.