Celebrate Winter with a Chili Cook-Off

Residents and Restaurants Compete for the Title of “Best Chili in Chilltown”
Sunday, February 21, 2010 @ Parlay Studios 161 2nd Street, Downtown Jersey City

(Jersey City, NJ—February 2010)—What’s better in winter than a big ‘ole bowl of steaming hot chili? A whole TON of chili, that’s what! On Sunday, February 21, 2010, 4th Street Arts is heating up the community with a Chili Cook-Off, featuring more than 10 chefs who will be practicing their hand at one of America’s most beloved spicy dishes. The event will take place at the newly opened Parlay Studios, 161 2nd Street (at Provost) in downtown Jersey City, NJ. Doors open at 2 pm, with judging starting around 4 pm, and wrapping at 6 pm. Proceeds to benefit the 4th Street Arts & Music Festival, taking place on October 2, 2010.

Similarly to last year’s tasty and wildly successful 4th Street Arts Mac & Cheese Bake-Off, the Chili Cook-Off will be a multi-layered event with competitors in two categories: area restaurants ($50 to enter) or individual, chili aficionados ($20 to enter). The two categories will be judged separately:

1) by a panel of “celebrity” judges, including Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop, Pete Genovese of the Star Ledger, Michelle Weber of NEW Magazine and The Jersey City Independent, and Program Coordinator at the Jersey City Museum Brendan Carroll; and

2) via general popular vote. Attendees will pay a nominal $5 fee to taste the various spicy concoctions and vote on their favorite ones. Winners in the restaurant category will receive free ad space in NEW Magazine, Jersey City’s guide to culture, lifestyle, and the arts, as well as other surprises. Individual chefs will receive a free year-long membership to the Jersey City Museum, in addition to fun bonuses.

Other features for the event include:

• Mission:Remission—The not for profit organization dedicated to cancer research and awareness will have a table selling grub and art works in support of their cause.
• Not Yo Mama’s Affairs—This local production group will have corn bread and other related treats for sale to promote the upcoming Not Yo Mama’s Craft Fair, taking place at Parlay Studios on April 17. Music and More—Chill tunes to be spun by DJ Chuck Daly and more!

Special thanks to the Jersey City Museum and NEW Magazine for providing prizes for the winners. Thank you also to Sam Adams for donating beer for the event. This year, Sam Adams celebrates their 25th Anniversary in producing fine American brew.

About 4th Street Arts: 4th Street Arts is a local organization that hosts a variety of neighborhood events in support of the annual 4th Street Arts & Music Festival and 4th Street Arts Fund. The Festival is an annual event, held in tandem with the Artists’ Studio Tour in Downtown Jersey City, designed to celebrate the area’s creative community. This open forum allows residents to gather to view the latest works of the city’s finest artists and artisans and listen to up-and-coming bands while learning more about what the thriving localarts public has to offer. The Festival truly brings the neighborhood together and provides unprecedented exposure for businesses and artists alike. The 4th Street Arts Fund benefits a local child or youth group related to arts or music.

About Parlay Studios: Located minutes from the Grove Street Path station in downtown Jersey City, Parlay Studios is a brand new space that doubles as a photography and film studio and a massive event venue. At 13,000 square feet, Parlay is the perfect canvas for a variety of needs. For more information, visit parlaystudios.com.

Event Lineup

5:30 pm – Manouche Bag (Featuring Mattias Gustaffson – gtr, vox, kazoo, Jim Kaz – gtr, Joe Bussey – upright bass Bryan Beninghove – melodica, saxophones)

7:20 pm –  Films by Joel Friedrich and Pat Byrne

8:00 pm - Fashion Show by Another Man’s Treasure
http://www.amtvintageblog.blogspot.com

8:20 pm - Slow Learner –
http://www.myspace.com/slowlearnerjc

9:00 pm – Thomas Francis Takes His Chances
http://www.myspace.com/thomasfrancistakeshischances

This years Fourth Street Art & Music Festival has an eclectic group of Artists and Performers.  A full day festival taking place Saturday October 4th – Located at 4th Street and Newark Avenue.  As part of the Jersey City Artist Studio Tour the festival feeds off the close locale of many open Artist Studios and Galleries.  These include Madame Claude Cafe, the Brunswick Window, Mary Benson Gallery, Es Oro Gallery, Gallery 58, Abbey’s, White Star, and Metropolis Music. In addition to the massive amount of art on display an array of music will be performed between the hours of Noon and 10pm on the main stage.

This year’s event will have a focus on LIVE ART.  Many artists will be creating pieces over the course of the day.  There will also be projects to participate in for anyone who wishes to do so.

The ConfeSHUNal is an interactive, site-specific sculpture/installation which explores the notion of sin as it relates to the individual. The ConfeSHUNal is a hut-like, free standing sculpture/installation made from found objects and recycled material. The interaction takes place between visitors to the ConfeSHUNal (Sinners), and the Redeemer (NYUGEN E. SMITH, the artist, enclosed and not visible to the Sinner).

ANOTHER MANS TREASURE will again be highlighting outfits from Jersey Cities premier vintage store in a full on fashion performance entitled   ‘Another Man’s Treasure’s Traveling Show’,  MEIKA and WARREN FRANZ create an event that takes the traditional fashion show to a new level.   New to the festival is KATHLEEN FLYNN; a choreographer, dancer, and teacher living in downtown Jersey City.  Her group of modern dancers will perform a section of “Gateway”, which looks at those in-between stages of life and examines our readiness to take on the next task. The 10-minute section will be performed in tennis shoes on the asphalt.

We are very excited to have the PROFESSIONAL SKATEBOARD TEAM – HABITAT performing all day in front of the stage.  NINE LIVES skate shop will be providing the ramps and members of the habitat team will provide the kick flips, grinds, and aerials.  FRED GALL a supporter of the local JC skateboard scene and founding member of habitat will be the highlight of what is sure to be a great show.

MICHAEL MANDRACCHIA will be showing collages & hosting a 4th Street group mind collage. A collective brain collage will be created by end of day. Get your piece of the collage pie. Add a little or a lot.

MATTHEW WEST will be creating sculpture on the street. He creates installation works and sculptures that include realistic figures such as automobiles, buffalos, and also abstract minimalist forms that involve the human body with a shift from the abstraction to realism.

JAMIE JAMES WENGER will be creating Etch a Sketch art all day, as well as displaying photographs of his previous creations.

FABRICIO SUAREZ, a painter who specializes in urban landscapes will be doing a painting of the event as it takes place.

COREY FLEMMING will be doing original silk screens at the event – be sure to bring your favorite comfy tee shirt so Corey can screen an original image on to it.

REBECCA FERANEC and ANDREW SULLIVAN will be making an original painting together.

In the BRUNSWICK WINDOW; ROGER SAYRE will exhibit a piece from his series of wall pieces assembled from discarded doors. Rescued from an urban dumpster, the doors were dismantled, cut in sections and reconfigured as visual abstractions. The result is a composition of surprising dynamism and confounding beauty.

At the BRUNSWICK WALL – by artist STEVEN DRESSLER -is “A Place for Dream Friends,” street ads for a new social networking website, friendlyface. .  MIKE McNAMARA, TARA THURBER and VIRGINIA KAMENITZER will build    ‘THE NICE’PHORE BOX’   -   an interactive photo booth where participants will be able to use their own digital cameras or be photographed by the photographers in the booth – the images will be uploaded to the data base and projected on the buildings on 4th street as night falls.  There will also be Polaroid’s being made for presentation during the day. Afterwards the entire contents of the booth will be uploaded to the internet for anybody to access after the event.

This years group of locals include Joe Chirchirillo, one of New Jersey’s best known sculptors, opening his studio where you can view (and touch) his unique brand of ‘Kinetic Sculpture’ , also opening a studio is photographer Mike McNamara, presenting a piece of work that highlights images of local friendly faces. Additionally, some of his work from the All Points West Festival will be on display.

This year long time JC artist, Franc Palaia, will be exhibiting a selection of illuminated Photo -Sculptural works, or suitcase light boxes. Some stacked up to 8 feet high. He will also be debuting his Solar Photo-Car. (a solar powered illuminated photo light box in a Nissan Sentra)  As the night falls artist Christopher Silk will be showing photographic projections over the surrounding buildings, in addition to the paintings he will be displaying all day. Photographers showing work during the festival include Joe Russo, Doug Mitchell, Doug Ensel, Jim Legge, Emily Faith and Virginia Kamenitzer.  Jen Fein will be displaying paintings and some hand made jewelry.  Tunde Cseke will show clothing with original art works. And Norm Francouer will have light sculptures specially made for the 4th street stage.

An exciting continuation from the 2007 event is “THE GUITARS SHOW part 2”, curated by Mark Dalzell.  Artists will be given a Stratocaster guitar and asked to do with it as they will.  Mark Dalzell, a luthier, decided to create a fully functional instrument, last year, calling it The Destroyer, with onboard effects a built in mandolin and a theremin, an instrument that dropped your jaw. Can’t wait to see what Mark and the other artists come up with this year.

This years’ lineup of bands on the main stage is sure to be the best since the festival began five years ago.  More info on the band lineup will be available soon at myspace.com/4thstreetart

Please stop by and enjoy free food, beverages, and beers donated by local restaurants, while looking at the art and listening to the music.  We welcome everyone to join us for a fun and beautiful day.  There will be loads of fun activities for the kids and plenty to see and experience for the adults.

For more information and press inquiries please call Mac at (516)782-6584 or email 4thstreetfest@gmail.com

The 4th Street Art and Music Festival Part of the Jersey City Artist’s Studio Tour.
We are generously sponsored by the City of Jersey City, Mayor Jerramiah Healy, the city Municipal Council & the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services, a division of Cultural Affairs and Pro-Arts, a non profit artist’s organization.

As well as ….
The Lamppost, Binny’s Liquors, 2nd Street Bakery, Madame Claude Café, Abbey’s Pub & Grille, Carmines Pizza Factory, Steven Roth, Cement & Demolition Local 325, BJ’s, Maloney’s Butcher shop,  JCTC – Jersey City Tattoo Company, Nine Lives Skate Shop, and Sam’s Ice Cream Truck