A Celebration of the Arts
Asbury Park's Citywide Arts Festival

May 21, 2007

Asbury Park, NJ- On Saturday, May 26, 2007, the City of Asbury Park will be celebrating their illustrious art scene with the Citywide Arts Festival jointly presented by North Beach and Wesley Grove in conjunction with the City of Asbury Park and the Arts Coalition of Asbury Park (ArtsCAP.) As part of Asbury Park's year long 110th anniversary celebration, the event will take place in various locations citywide from 1pm to 4pm and extend into the evening with many stores and restaurants staying open late for the occasion.

"One of the greatest treasures in Asbury Park, beyond its magnificent beaches and distinctive lakes, is its incredible arts heritage," noted Sam Gershwin, president of Westminster Communities. "As a integral part of the city's renaissance, with its eclectic shops, galleries and burgeoning waterfront, Wesley Grove is honored to sponsor an event that unites so many aspects of the new lifestyle and pays tribute to this historic City's legacy."

"Asbury Park is a city with a rich history and culture, which we are proud to support and celebrate," said Jeffrey Fernbach, president of Paramount Homes. "The Citywide Arts Festival is a great way of showcasing the tremendous talent of the community and the dynamic revitalization that's taking place in Asbury Park."

The event will be kicked off on Friday at 12noon with the announcement of the "Community Canvas" mural contest at the James J. Howard Transportation Center, which will also be the future home of the mural. The City will be looking for a qualified muralist to depict the uniqueness of the City's past, present, and future in a way that will transform the building as a destination point for both community members and visitors.

"The transportation center is recognized as the hub of Asbury Park. Fittingly, our goal is for the mural to represent the many diverse cultures that have enriched this great City," said Councilman Ed Johnson.

For a taste of the City's talented youth, the first place winners' art work from the Asbury Park schools' 7th Annual Art Showcase will be displayed in the lobby of North Beach Asbury Park, located at 1601 Ocean Avenue, and the sales office of Wesley Grove at Asbury Park, located at 600 Cookman Avenue.

Smooth Jazz CD101.9 is the proud media sponsor of this event and The Esperanza At Asbury Park is the City Champion Sponsor for all 10 Celebrate Asbury Park events that are scheduled throughout the 110th Anniversary year of the City's incorporation.

"The Asbury Park School District Annual Art Showcase is a wonderful event that provides the community the opportunity to see the talent of the students of Asbury Park Schools and we are thrilled to have our winners art work be a part of the Citywide Arts Festival," said Jean Johnson, Asbury Park High School Art Teacher.

A walking/trolley tour of the art galleries and lofts will begin at 1pm starting at Apex Gallery on Cookman Avenue and Apart Contemporary Fine Art & Framing Gallery on Bangs Avenue. Maps will be distributed at those two locations. Visitors can experience Asbury Park's exceptional art scene on the walking/trolley tour:

· America's Cup hosts Helen Chantal Pike, author of Asbury Park's Glory Days, for a book signing

· Andrei Jackamets Photography Studio displays his photography

· Apart Contemporary Fine Art & Framing presents a group show of gallery art including mixed media, oil paintings, prints, sculpture, and photography

· ApeX Gallery "The Edge of APEX" is built around eleven artists who will take you on a visual ride all over the geography of contemporary art with work in traditional media like paint all the way through video and much more between. The 11 artists include Boccour, Doran, Fitzsimmons, Hutt, Kolessar, Marty, O'Connor, Salvi, Scagnetti, Russo and Waters

· North Beach's Barcelona is showing Bob Matarangelo's mural art display at the Barcelona lobby on the beachfront as well as the first place winners art created by the Asbury Park school children

· Cry Baby Gallery. Three talented and diverse artists, Sunny Buick, Mitch O'Connell and Bethany Marchman, will grace our walls

· Joyce Stolaroff's Loft will display Costa Rican photography and surf art by Roger Conant, printmaking monotype demos by Joyce Stolaroff at 1:30pm and 3:00pm; John Meyerhofer's Children's Photo Literacy Project, and paintings by Laura Cheney

· La Placa Pottery Works - Greg La Placa will demonstrate the art of wheel throwing pottery on the hour.

· Market In The Middle will display art from the Boys & Girls Club and paintings by Joyce Stolaroff and Doreen Walsh.

· Splash Contemporary Gallery - Tara Trainor will demonstrate the art of painting as well as display silk screen prints by Cheryl Briard, and paintings by Clayton Thomas and Ann-Marie Scarrome

· Trillium Antiques will show case original art by Kathleen Banks and other New Jersey artists as well as have a flutist and 8mm films screened on a vintage projector inside the shop

· Wesley Grove's sales office will exhibit hand blown glass by Hotsand and the first place winners art created by Asbury Park's school children

· Bangs Avenue, from Cookman to Bond, will be closed down for the day to allow art demonstrations and book signings to take place for the public including Charles Trott, a sidewalk chalk artist working with the children to create chalk art; Iyonia Collins, creating tie dye t-shirts with children; live jazz music; and book signings by Madonna Carter Jackson, author of Asbury Park: A West Side Story; and Gayle Flannelly, author of the children's book Lobster Tales.

"As a city rich in cultural, artistic and ethnic diversity, we are thrilled to be a part of the City Wide Arts Festival," said Mark McDonald, President of the Board of Directors of the Arts Coalition of Asbury Park. "We are especially excited to be working so closely with the city on developing a public art policy and plan, that will help to make Asbury Park an arts destination community once again. The City Wide Arts Festival is a fun event that art lovers of all ages can enjoy."

This event is free to the public and open to all ages. Walking/trolley tour maps will be available at APeX Gallery, 611 Cookman Avenue, and Apart Contemporary Fine Art & Framing Gallery, 531 Bangs Avenue. For more information, please visit www.cityofasburypark.com.