Join us for Installment One, at Cunningham Branch Library, Monday August 8 2022, 4 to 6pm.
Celebrate artist Ibou Ndoye"s Community Public Art Project honoring Heros from our JC Neighborhood.
Live drumming by Gerri Gaines and Ibou with Sam Williams!
PictureMaggie Ens working at Miller Library
 Our public art program with Jersey City Free Public Libraries continues at Miller Library  with artist Maggie Ens’ “Library Avant Garden'' art-ecosystem and a live music performance by guitarist Marc Sloan and percussionist Carmen Arrrojo at the Library parking lot, 489 Bergen Ave, Jersey CityListen

Norm Francoeur at Priscilla Gardner Main Library: Tues Aug 2, 5-7p 472 Jersey Ave, Jersey City

Music Performance by The Sensational Country Blues Wonders
At Van Vorst Park Norm Francoeur wraps 11 large window ledges at the Main Library with blue and gold  in support of the Ukraine people.

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Free art workshop at Cunningham Branch Library with Ibou Ndoye 8/2, 10am -12
Families and children are invited to a free art workshop at Cunningham Branch Library (parking lot) on Tuesday, August 2, from 10:00 a.m. to noon with Senegal artist Ibou Ndoye to help create larger-than-life ornate cutouts to place at the Library.

Installment One at Jersey City Free Public Libraries 7/9/22 - 8/14/22
.Drawing Rooms is excited to announce Installment One: A Community Engaged Summer Program of Public Art in partnership with Jersey City Free Public Library.
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Four Jersey City Libraries will feature new public art works by artists Dennis RedMoon Darkeem, Ibou Ndoye, Maggie Ens and Norm Francoeur. The artists were chosen from an open call that asked artists to create new works considering the history of the library site and surrounding area.
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Five Corners Branch: Saturday July 9, 3-5p (rain date July 16,  3-5p) 
678 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306.
​ Music performance by Zach Herchen and Nobuki Takamen

Dennis RedMoon Darkeem presents “Giving Light to the Past, Present and Future”, a window display of translucent color images at Five Corners Branch Library, inspired by the Native American wampum belt. The artist and art educator is a member of the Wind Clan within the Yamassee Yat’siminoli tribe. He will perform a Land Acknowledgement at 3 om 7/9.
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Zach Herchen and Nobuki Takamen at 5 Corners
Saturday July 9, 3-5p (rain date July 16,  3-5p) 
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Miller Branch: NOW ON Saturday  July 30, 3-5p
489 Bergen Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07304
Music Performance by Marc Sloan and Band.

​Maggie Ens’ “Library Avant Garden”, is an art-ecosystem involving hanging flowering baskets displaying “real blooms and faux greenery”, mixed media mosaic art, and shaped seating that will be created at the Miller Branch Library. Her sprawling displays seem to have a life of their own and will include inspirational words of wisdom  from authors  Albert Einstein, Dr. Seuss, Carlos Ruiz Zalon, Maxine Hong Kingston, Maya Angelou, Kahil Gibran, Dena Colhoff and Anna Quindlen. 
Children and families are invited to a free arts workshop with Maggie Ens celebrating the installation of the artwork and musical event on Saturday, July 30th from 3-5p.
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Marc Sloan and Carmen Arrojo at Miller
Now on Saturday July 30, 3-5p
LISTEN
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Priscilla Gardner Main Library: Tues Aug 2, 5-7p (rain date Aug 9, 5-7p) 
Music Performance by Sensational Country Blues Wonders
472 Jersey Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Norm Francoeur will wrap ten large window ledges at the Priscilla Gardner Main Library with blue and gold material to show support for the Ukraine people. This work follows a series of wrapping installations Norm has placed in Jersey City, including City Hall, Grace Van Vorst Church, and Harsimus Cemetery. Norm is known in the area for his creative lighting projects and colorful displays using dollar-store-type materials. 
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The Sensational Country Blues Wonders
at Main Branch/Van Vorst Park.
Tues Aug 2, 5-7p (rain date Aug 9, 5-7p) 
 
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Cunningham Branch: Monday Aug 8, 4-6p (rain date Aug 13, 3-5p)
275 Martin Luther King Dr, Jersey City, NJ 07305 
​Join us for an African Drumming session

​Ibou Ndoye will create large, cut-out figures of historic JC people that will be placed along the fencing at the Glenn D. Cunningham Branch Library. Originally from Dakar, Senegal, Ibou has been working as an artist in the JC area for 20 years. The artist will be engaging children and families in workshops at the library to help create his figures’ which will have ornately patterned costumes drawn from his rich cultural heritage.
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African Drumming Session at Cumnningham
 
Installment One is Drawing Rooms’ second public art project with the libraries, following the JC Library Prayer Flag Project that placed community-inspired flags and banners at all ten library branches during the 2020-21 pandemic.

Drawing Rooms’ Director James Pustorino and Exhibitions Director/Curator, Anne Trauben are excited about their organization’s commitment to the Jersey City Library system and their work with the Library’s Community Awareness Supervisor Sam Williams.

​“The Jersey City Libraries are such a valuable resource for all of us. We are really pleased to be presenting works by these four artists who have been so engaged in their community for many years, and hope that the Installment public art projects can continue each summer as a festival of art, music and poetry that will eventually be at all library branches and reach more neighborhoods in Jersey City.”
                           --- Anne Trauben

Check out the Library’s website at www.jclibrary.org