43 Artists Explore Aspects of Grassroots Initiative to Preserve Historic Embankment and Rail Corridor in Jersey City
JERSEY CITY, N.J. | History, land use policy, environmental degradation, and nature’s reclamation of an industrial landscape are just a few of the themes explored by visual artists in The Embankment on My Mind. The exhibition runs from November 1 through December 16, 2022, at New Jersey City University (NJCU)’s two on-campus art galleries.
The art exhibits will be held at the Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery, located at Hepburn Hall Room 323, at 2039 Kennedy Blvd. and the Visual Arts Building Gallery, located at 100 Culver Avenue on campus. Hours for both galleries are Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment, by contacting Midori Yoshimoto, Curator and Director of NJCU Galleries, at myoshimoto@njcu.edu or 201-779-0911.
Events associated with the exhibition include:
- Reception: Saturday, November 5, 3-6 p.m. (both galleries)
- Panel Discussion: Tuesday, November 22, 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Visual Arts Building Auditorium (B08 ground floor) and virtual), “The Embankment on My Mind: Bridging Science and Art”
- JC Fridays extended hours: Friday, December 2, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Closing Reception: Friday, December 16, 4-6:00 p.m. (both galleries)
In works ranging from prints and paintings to sculptures and installations, 27 artists approach varied aspects of the historic Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) Harsimus Branch and its massive stone Embankment in Downtown Jersey City. The past, present, and possibilities of the old freight line into New York Harbor are explored.
Some works suggest attitudes toward land use implicit in corporate practices or governmental policy that have kept the site from reuse beneficial to the neighborhoods it runs through. Some artists exhibit objects created from plants that moved into the site when train traffic ceased. Trash that would have found its way into city sewers and ultimately into the Hudson estuary is sculpted into representations of shellfish, historically extinguished by polluting industries. Some artists express a feeling about the site.
In delicate drawings, an additional 16 artists depict flora and fauna that have found niches in the disturbed soils along the PRR’s old freight way to the Hudson River.
The exhibition is curated by Yoshimoto and Peter Delman, artist and independent curator, and organized by Katy Lyness and Maureen Crowley with support of the Embankment Preservation Coalition.
For additional details, please contact Midori Yoshimoto, Curator and Director of NJCU Galleries at myoshimoto@njcu.edu, Peter Delman, Curator, at peterdelmanjc@gmail.com or Maureen Crowley at mcrowley@embankment.org.
This project is made possible by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts — a division of the Department of State — and administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Thomas A. DeGise, Hudson County Executive & the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners. It is supported by public funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund.
For more information on
- NJCU Galleries: https://www.njcu.edu/community/center-arts/galleries
- Harsimus Branch & Embankment: https://embankment.org/
Exhibition and list of artists: https://embankment.org/embankment-on-my-mind.html
About NJCU:
New Jersey City University is an institution of higher learning with an audacious goal: the development of our students, our city, our communities, our state, and the world beyond. We are a game-changing force for our students and their families. Whether our students are enrolled in one of our 50 undergraduate, 30 graduate or three doctoral programs, NJCU provides an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty—all of which prepares them to be critical thinkers in a global landscape.
A proud minority-serving (MSI) and Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) and the anchor institution of the most diverse city in our country, we’re also changing the game for our city, our communities, and our state. As the educational anchor institution in Jersey City, we’ve established partnerships to ensure the area’s growth directly benefits our students and community members. We seek to improve the lives of everyone in the Garden State, whether creating a home for the arts, bringing educational programs to K-12 students, offering bachelor’s degrees in partnership with community colleges, or providing professional development opportunities for adults.
At NJCU, we’re not just educating minds, we’re nourishing souls and lifting communities. We’re changing the game.
Contact:
Ira Thor, Senior Director of University Communications and Media Relations | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301