The Jersey City Art and Studio Tour (JCAST) began as an invitation to visit artists’ studios, retailers and other downtown spaces, including the historic 111 First Street art collective and has been re-imagined several times over the ensuing decades. The inaugural studio tour was held in 1990 and spearheaded by Charles Kessler and Pat Donnelly of Gold Coast Magazine (a Jersey Journal weekly).

From 1994 to 2013 it was presented by nonprofit Pro Arts, a professional artist membership organization, in partnership with the City of Jersey City, and then the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs took over sole operations from 2014 through 2022.

The 34th JCAST was operated by ARTS 14C as part of a larger Jersey City Art Week, which also included the 5th Edition of Art Fair 14C, the 30th International Sculpture Center Conference, and Mana Contemporary’s Fall Open Studios.

The 35th JCAST

At the end of 2023 into early 2024 there were a series of community meetings to discuss JCAST and its path forward. The art scene in Jersey City has changed over the 35 years of the festival, but that change has accelerated in recent years with numerous opportunities provided by JC Fridays, Art Crawls, and new gallery spaces, as well as the establishment of buildings with many artist studios, like Art150, elevator studios, the Sterling and of course, Mana Contemporary.

JCAST needed a clear identity and reason to stand out among the many arts events in the City, as well as funding and an organizational plan. During those community meetings many ideas were discussed and rejected or refined, and ultimately the idea of days split between artist studios and galleries/exhibitions was adopted. A small grant from the JCEDC meant that there was some funding, and the organizational structure for JCAST went from a paid director in 2023 to a volunteer committee in 2024.

The split days, with artist studios open in the afternoons and galleries open in the evenings, allows for a renewed focus on the working artists in their studios, which goes back to the origins of JCAST. In past years participants of JCAST have not been able to see the other arts events, but this schedule allows gallerists the opporunity to spend hours touring studios, and gives artist the chance to see exhibitions.

It’s an experiment, and after the 35th JCAST is complete, we’ll schedule more community meetings to discuss what worked and what didn’t.

Questions: contact [email protected]