A one-night only public art event takes over the streets of Downtown Riverhead on Thursday, August 11, 2016, with the return of JumpstART. Presented by East End Arts, the free evening of art and culture takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. and coincides with ALIVE ON 25, a family-friendly street festival.
The arts will take center stage as artists unveil their public arts projects and host participatory art projects. The full array includes the debut of public murals, performances, live music, dance, interactive projects, art installations and more.
“Now entering its third year, JumpstART demonstrates how valuable the arts are to a vibrant and fun community," stated East End Arts Executive Director Patricia Snyder in the event announcement. "We are excited to incorporate JumpstART into this year’s new Alive on 25 street festival.”
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"Space Picnic" by Andrea Manning and Becca Seibert at East End Art's JumpstART! 2015. Photo by Stephanie Israel.
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Focusing on the art part of things, JumpstART features There is No App for This, a multimedia presentation by photographer Jenny Intravia consisting of an aluminum art installation and film exploring the decline of the bee population. The mixed media sculpture Peconic Clean by glass artist Teresa Lawler installed to float in Grangebel Park Pond. The work is made glass, local driftwood and recycled materials.
Mural making has traditionally been an integral part of the JumpstART program. Select artists and invited to make murals along Riverhead's East or West Main Street which stick around long after the event is over. Artists making murals that have become part of the daily views of East and West Main Street in Riverhead include Drew Kane, Karen Noack, Caitlyn Shea and Cara Lynch.
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"Chameleon Mural" by Drew Kane at East End Art's JumpstART! 2015. Photo by Stephanie Israel.
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For details on the projects and participating artists, click here. A map of events is available at businesses in Riverhead including East End Arts, located at 133 E. Main Street.
Following is the cheat sheet of some of the creative happenings unfolding during JumpstART on August 11, 2016:
- Musician Ahmad Ali of Central Islip, NY will present Double A Blues Performance, a four-piece band with new music honoring both the Blues tradition and the town of Riverhead. Call and response songs engage the community.
- Graphic designer and illustrator Anthony Catania of Laurel, NY will present Make Riverhead, a postcard campaign and mural of flying fish, both with the intention of opening a dialogue with the public and giving the community a voice in what they would like Riverhead to become.
- Photographer and painter Katherine Criss of New Hyde Park, NY will present Riverhead’s 3-Step Journey Mural, a reflection and acknowledgment of Riverhead’s renewal efforts; including the teamwork of residents, businesses and government in rebuilding a flourishing community.
- Photographer Jenny Intravia of Riverhead, NY will present There is No App for This, an aluminum art installation and film presentation that explores the decline of the bee community, as well as our dwindling relationships with nature in the age of technology.
- Painter James Johansen of East Northport, NY will present Celebrating Local Kids, which celebrates four Riverhead kids by painting their portrait and incorporating what they like about their community.
- Glass artist Teresa Lawler of East Hampton, NY will present Peconic Clean, an environmental glass fusing sculpture floating in Grangebel Park Pond created from glass, local driftwood and recycled materials.
- Contemporary dancer and choreographer Kendra Mace-Clarke of Southampton, NY will present Dancing in the Rain. Twirl an umbrella through a wet interactive dance installation! Performance on Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 6 p.m., across from the Suffolk Theater, located at 121 W. Main Street.
- Graphic designer, painter and sign maker John Prudente of Shirley, NY will present More Fun than a Barrel of Monkeys featuring 12 Monkeys presented in sculpture, paintings, mix media digital graphics and neon installed throughout downtown Riverhead.
- Collage artist and jeweler Patti Robinson of Westhampton Beach, NY will present Riverhead Time Warp celebrating the history of Main Street in a collaboration with the artist to create a large collage mural.
- Painter James Sebor of Shelter Island Heights, NY will present Rolling on the River, an improvisational band and art exhibit – 1960’s happening style through an interactive improvisational four-piece band with open mic for poets and vocalists.
- Photographer Elizabeth Wagner of Riverhead, NY will present The Gummy Bear Project, a colorful and yummy celebration through gummy bear photography in a pop-up gallery and interactive candy photo booth inside a repurposed bank vault.
JumpstART
JumpstART program was born in 2014 to assist artists in the development of business skills to integrate their art into a business community. For the 2016 edition, 14 artists were selected from a pool of applications.
For the 2017 program, East End Arts was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to expand to include a curatorial training program. Information and artist applications will be available during the fall of 2016. For information on the program, click here.
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"Get Paused" by Sarah Prescott at East End Art's JumpstART! 2015. Photo by Stephanie Israel.
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Frank Sofo and works from his "Veronica's World" at East End Art's JumpstART! 2015. Photo by Stephanie Israel.
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BASIC FACTS: JumpstART takes place on Thursday, August 11, 2016 from 5 to 9 p.m. in Downtown Riverhead. For more information, click here.
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