Flyering, Culture, and Harmless Ranting

My fellow author, Melissa, and I sat down together in the St. John's office and contemplated a number of things. It went from the very basic immediate to-do list to esoteric questions about culture and the significance of family for Union City's Hispanic population. All of this over the course of an hour with Puerta Abierta's phone ringing in the background and the AC giving us slight respite from the heat and air quality warnings sitting just outside the windows.

Initially, we discussed what we need to accomplish to promote the Arts at St. John's Summer Wellness Program, simple things like flyering the heck out of the surrounding houses and apartment buildings, chatting it up like crazies and such. This was decisive and easy, then the conversation shifted a bit.

Much of our appeal, as Arts at St. John's and previously with Art Talk, has been to the local Anglo community, as a majority of our current constituency, with little input or draw from the majority local Hispanics. Obviously, our first and simplest issue is our inability to hablar (how's that for a redundant infinitive?) Español, and vice versa when it comes to Enlgish for much of our Hispanic counterparts. But it goes deeper than that, as we conversed we hit upon a few cultural gaps. First, we are talking about more than one solid bloc, as there are a multitude of ethnic groups locally, let alone regionally. Setting aside that point, the second thing is that within our own personal experience we see daily just how much the family unit, immediate and extended, is part and parcel to this particular demographic. How that affects us is that not only are we an outside group in terms of language, but we also are trying to crack into a core group that there's simply no way we can think of to do that at the moment. Folks wake up in their rented row-house apartments next to their cousins and siblings, eat breakfast with them, go to work with them and return home. How do you break into that, especially considering that our asking prices, currently, are probably simply out of reach for them?

We have this beautiful building in a perfect location for the surrounding neighborhood and to this point we have not been able to communicate that we want this space to become a mutually beneficial home for artists seeking a home and Arts at St. John's to really become a recognized institution that brings people together in a spirit of exploration and creativity.

The other issue we have is trying to not duplicate the actions of other spaces and groups in the area broadly (Park Theater, etc..). If we are duplicating, as there is always some natural crossover, how do we do whatever it is better or more efficiently?

We had lots of questions, but few answers. As we prepare to enter the fall season we want to continue to revive our own spirits with knowledge that we care, are willing to work, and have a passion for this mission we have embarked on as a group. It is our continued hope that we can invigorate those around us into action as well.

As always we invite you to come with your fresh ideas, creativity, and your person. We also encourage feedback, please comment below!!!

Thanks for reading!

Health and Wellness classes to begin at Arts at St. John’s, Tuesday July 17th. Free Preview Tuesday July10th.

A.S.J. artists in Union City want you take a good look at yourself, inside and out.    

By co-contributor Melissa Murray-Mutch

 You may remember me as the character of “Franceline” in the last Revival of the Arts Cabaret back in May.   She was the West Indian, highly skilled, union-usher, who co-hosted the event along with the Donavon Ensemble.  She is a character I've written who is alive and well in a solo show called "Obnoxious". I’d like to consider myself “alive and well”  too but I’m at the age where I’m constantly questioning every little ache and pain and considering going back to school to receive a master's degree in "Internet Self-Diagnosis". I made that up.  I really am a professional actress, mother of two and struggling to hold on to the memory of a once fast metabolism.  Yes, it is indeed a memory never to return in its real form again. Okay, I can live with that. But can I live in Union City where one can’t escape the constant blare of the ice cream truck's repetitive music at every corner, at all hours of the day and night?   Okay, there’s a science-fiction movie in there, about a post-apocalyptic Hudson County town, where obesity is the norm and Mr. Softee is the Mayor and State Senator.  But who can resist the alluring scent of fresh baked bread and fruit tarts from both the Cuba and Argentinian bakeries? The beckoning call of Comidas Latinas…EVERYWHERE?

Yes, the food in U.C. is pretty kickass compared to our neighbors in Weehawken. And pretty darn cheap too! Typically, one can order two entrees at one’s favorite Latin joint and the meal could produce leftovers for days and days. There is never enough rice to dish out. Lot’s of rice and beans and meats seasoned to make you want to call home.  And oh, the sandwiches. The sandwiches!!! The Big Mac cannot compare to what’s between the buns of a Mexican sandwich:  steak, fried baloney, french fries, guac, cheese, ketchup and mayo all at once. My ldl cholesterol rises just thinking about it!!  It’s tasty stuff, high on starch but low on veggies.  I try to make it a point of having some kind of vegetable with every meal but sometimes I get so distracted by the large serving that I tend to have the “let it go” this time, attitude. This town ain’t exactly Berkeley, CA. There aren’t too many brown rice sides or organic-smoothie, soy-latte, gluten-free, vegan joints in Union City. Sometimes the take-out styrofoam containers might include a slice of avocado, a sliver of red onion and a large white, piece of iceberg lettuce leaf. But I digress, getting back to my wistful longing for my former self, I’m excited to spare you my troubles and get you readers excited about the Arts at St. John’s Health and Wellness Program!!! 

The artists and teachers, Joe Kolbow, Guinevere DiPiazza, Felix Gosse and Caridad Rivera have come to the rescue by not only throwing a cabaret every now and then but also to provide an escape from the over consumption of Union City cuisine. Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings, from July17th till September 4^th Arts at St. John’s will offer Stretch and Strength Aerial Lessons (Yes, aerial lessons suckahs!!) Kundalini Yoga, Meditation and Belly Dancing.  Best of all there is free preview class on Tuesday, July 10th and a free grand opening class on Tuesday, July 17^th. Free is quite a deal in these hard times and the deals are pretty amazing once you sign up for the summer long program.  Munch on that Berkeley!

You may also remember in the last Revival Cabaret me Belly Dancing alongside Caridad Rivera.  Yes, that was me shaking it in front of my two young children in skimpy clothes on a church alter. There’s something so wrong about that but what can you do? They’ll have to work it out in therapy, I suppose.   In any case what’s best about belly dancing is that you don’t have to look like America’s Next Top (anorexic) Model and you won’t get screamed at and you won’t have to have a tear jerky moment when you’ve lost a pound or two. You just get to wear a jingley skirt, be sexy and lose weight!! You also get top notch, teachers who provide group and private lessons who will do their best to tame those voices in your head without leaving the hood.  For more info click on to this link : www.stjohnsuc.com.

So It Begins with a Dream

If you were given control of something, say a church building, and you could do whatever you wanted with it, what would you dream into existence?

Last fall I moved to Union City, and have been given that opportunity with St. John's. This beautiful church, here for over 100 years, is essentially my place to come up with something, anything that will keep this place open. Now, this has a lot of issues (it basically costs $500 a week to keep the place open), especially when you know that the Sunday morning congregation isn't going to be a saving grace for the place.

So what do you do? Fortunately, Union City has a whole lot of talent, and in this cramped city there's a need for space. Talent needs a home, and we need talent. What can we do to give artists a home, and how can they help maintain that home? Mutual benefit, what will it look like?

If I have my way, St. John's would be a community center. People learning to paint or dance, new ideas being spawned organically from a mix of programs that locals attend and teach. How do we reach out to each other? How do we make this happen?

I am very fortunate that there are other people interested in making this dream happen. Melissa Murray-Mutch and Luigi Novi will be co-writing this gamble we call Arts at St. John's with me.

Things really started this spring with a set of three events. The first thing we did was call the local arts community into our doors. This was the first meeting of Arts at St. John's. Everything was laid bare, the church is trying to remain open in the face of a small Sunday congregation, and it didn't know how much longer the doors could be open. There was also a lot of interest from the community end in having a place to let culture, art and learning happen naturally in the immediate neighborhood. The Revival Cabaret was the first born child of these discussions.

The event was so lively, it felt like our own local version of A Prairie Home Companion, a variety show based out of St. Paul, Minnesota. That night some of my dream came true in the laughter and singing, family friendly frivolity fused with the sense that this is something new.

Union City Opera followed up not long after with Viva Italia!, with the lofty and stunning vocal skills of their company giving life to Puccini, Verdi and more on a humid spring night, but leaving behind any trace of doubt that this was something different as well.

And currently, this summer, we have a wellness program, that offers everything from meditation to belly dancing classes, even aerial acrobatics classes for the adventurous.

But all of this is this is just the beginning. My dream is to get you to dream too. There are very serious real issues, certainly, like how to pay for these dreams. But the first thing is to have you look into yourself and find something you want to see happen, what gift do you want to shine? Are you willing to try it out, and I mean really put some work into it? We have a place for you here, at Arts at St. John's. Dream with us.

Photo credit to Luigi Novi and Johnnie Niel.