Press
Asbury Park Arts Council Launches Third Annual AP’N3 Film Challenge
TAPintoAsbury Park
Your Neighborhood News Online - By Alissa Deleo
By Matt Doherty - Published July 9, 2024 at 12:00 PM
Showcasing films from top finalists, and entries from two community groups nurturing Asbury Park's future filmmakers
ASBURY PARK, NJ — The Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC) has announced the much-anticipated return of the AP’N3 Film Challenge, inviting filmmakers of all skill levels to create short films celebrating the vibrant culture of Asbury Park. Now in its third year, this creative competition challenges participants to produce 3-minute films shot exclusively within Asbury Park over a three-week period, from August 5th to August 26th.
Each film must incorporate a required theme, location, prop, and line of dialogue, which are revealed at the start of the competition. Entries will be submitted through the FilmFreeway web portal, with judging conducted by a panel of industry professionals. The top-rated films will earn the chance to be screened at the prestigious Premier Event scheduled for November 3rd, where cash prizes await the top three films and an audience favorite chosen by Premier attendees.
Nancy Sabino, Executive Director of the AP’N3, expressed enthusiasm for this year’s challenge, stating, “We are so pleased to give everyone a chance to showcase our city in film. You cannot believe the creativity that can happen in three minutes, and we are always pushing the envelope to offer help and community to those with talent and determination.”
The AP’N3 Film Challenge has become a hallmark event in Asbury Park, drawing participation from diverse groups including local organizations fostering young talent. In 2023, films from youth-serving organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County and Inspire Life Inc. were showcased at the Premier, highlighting the city’s emerging filmmakers.
Carrie Turner, APAC Executive Director, emphasized the community spirit of the challenge, saying, “AP’N3 is meant to be a fun exercise, open to the whole community, that invites people who live in or visit Asbury Park to share a story. We were excited by the increase in entries and Premier attendance from 2022 to 2023 and believe we are developing a valuable avenue for creative expression in our city.”
Reflecting on her experience winning first place in 2023, filmmaker Chloe Evangelista, who entered an animated film, remarked, “The AP’N3 is an opportunity to show people your unique view of Asbury Park.” Her film and others from past challenges are available for viewing on APAC’s website.
Registration for the 2024 AP’N3 Film Challenge is currently open through the official FilmFreeway page, welcoming aspiring filmmakers to join this celebration of creativity and community in Asbury Park.
How Asbury Stays Ahead of the Conformist Curve
Asbury Park SewagePlant
Next phase in sewage plant mural project - TriCity News February 15, 2024
ASBURY PARK — This newspaper has long prepared for the economic boom that we knew would one day hit our beloved little city.
We planned for it during our early years building up everything here that was creative, artistic and alternative — starting when the city was largely abandoned.
The inevitable economic boom would bring enormous pressures for conformity. That’s what happens when a place becomes hot. Our strategy was to build up artistic and cultural leaders and traditions that could withstand the onslaught — and be around to attract new types and forms of creativity.
The DIY and punk days of 20-25 years ago, when the few artists here could pretty much do whatever they wanted on an empty Cookman Avenue, are over. What’s replaced them in the creative tradition are people like Parlor gallery owner Jenn Hampton — the foremost arts leader in Asbury today with her influence all over — and powerhouse creatives like renowned music photographer Danny Clinch and his Transparent Gallery, which has also become an important music venue. (Hampton was here in the early days 20 years ago.)
The up-and-coming young creatives are still here in numbers actually much larger than 20 years ago. And more continue to arrive. They now live in Asbury Park or any of the interesting towns in the triCity region of eastern Monmouth a short ride away.
Still, Asbury Park is the driving force and engine in our region for the arts and culture (with Red Bank a strong second).
We give you that long-winded introduction to report about the latest on the mural project at the Asbury Park sewage treatment plant on the ocean. Yes, murals on our sewage plant! And what’s gone on there is a perfect example of why our city — stranded out here in a suburban region — stays ahead of the conformist curve. Where else is a sewage plant transformed into an arts icon?
Asbury arts leaders like Jenn Hampton, Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, Asbury Park Arts Council Executive Director Carrie Turner and others put together a mural program for the panels on the treatment plant. The murals that have been stalled, as Amy Quinn says, are “phenomenal.”
The south and east sides of the treatment plant already have multiple murals. The last phase is ready to go. Request for proposals (RFPs) for the north face of the plant, which faces the senior citizen high rise tower, are now available for artists to return to the city. Quinn said that the city has approximately $5,000-6,000 to pay the muralist.
And demonstrating that Asbury Park’s commitment to the arts is all-ages, the impetus to do the north side of the plant came from seniors in the Asbury Towers high rise next door.
“Every year, upon completion, we ask the artists to give us feedback about the project as well as how it is, being an artist working in town on this project,” said Hampton. “Last year, the artists all shared that some of the seniors would show up and watch them painting and had asked when ‘their wall’ would get done.”
“This was heartwarming for me, knowing that they care and are interested in seeing art too. In fact, with Wooden Walls Project (the mural project Hampton curates on the boardwalk), I am hoping to acquire a golf cart to do a mural tour for seniors, in case they have not been able to see them all because of physical limitations,” Hampton said.
Both Quinn and Hampton are on the city’s Public Arts Commission, which approves public murals in the city. The commission is sponsoring this next phase of the mural project at the sewage treatment plant, with the Asbury Park Arts Council helping to coordinate.
Unlike the other sides of the plant with multiple mural panels, the north side will have one mural concept for the six panels there, Quinn said. New artists who have not painted other murals on the plant will be given priority. In addition, residents of the senior tower will be given input on the final choice of the mural.
Mural Project - Next Phase
Asbury Park SewagePlant
Next phase in sewage plant mural project - TriCity News February 15, 2024
TriCityNews
Local weekly paper covering regional news and events, by Dan Jacobson
ASBURY PARK — This newspaper has long prepared for the economic boom that we knew would one day hit our beloved little city.
We planned for it during our early years building up everything here that was creative, artistic and alternative — starting when the city was largely abandoned.
The inevitable economic boom would bring enormous pressures for conformity. That’s what happens when a place becomes hot. Our strategy was to build up artistic and cultural leaders and traditions that could withstand the onslaught — and be around to attract new types and forms of creativity.
The DIY and punk days of 20-25 years ago, when the few artists here could pretty much do whatever they wanted on an empty Cookman Avenue, are over. What’s replaced them in the creative tradition are people like Parlor gallery owner Jenn Hampton — the foremost arts leader in Asbury today with her influence all over — and powerhouse creatives like renowned music photographer Danny Clinch and his Transparent Gallery, which has also become an important music venue. (Hampton was here in the early days 20 years ago.)
The up-and-coming young creatives are still here in numbers actually much larger than 20 years ago. And more continue to arrive. They now live in Asbury Park or any of the interesting towns in the triCity region of eastern Monmouth a short ride away.
Still, Asbury Park is the driving force and engine in our region for the arts and culture (with Red Bank a strong second).
We give you that long-winded introduction to report about the latest on the mural project at the Asbury Park sewage treatment plant on the ocean. Yes, murals on our sewage plant! And what’s gone on there is a perfect example of why our city — stranded out here in a suburban region — stays ahead of the conformist curve. Where else is a sewage plant transformed into an arts icon?
Asbury arts leaders like Jenn Hampton, Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, Asbury Park Arts Council Executive Director Carrie Turner and others put together a mural program for the panels on the treatment plant. The murals that have been stalled, as Amy Quinn says, are “phenomenal.”
The south and east sides of the treatment plant already have multiple murals. The last phase is ready to go. Request for proposals (RFPs) for the north face of the plant, which faces the senior citizen high rise tower, are now available for artists to return to the city. Quinn said that the city has approximately $5,000-6,000 to pay the muralist.
And demonstrating that Asbury Park’s commitment to the arts is all-ages, the impetus to do the north side of the plant came from seniors in the Asbury Towers high rise next door.
“Every year, upon completion, we ask the artists to give us feedback about the project as well as how it is, being an artist working in town on this project,” said Hampton. “Last year, the artists all shared that some of the seniors would show up and watch them painting and had asked when ‘their wall’ would get done.”
“This was heartwarming for me, knowing that they care and are interested in seeing art too. In fact, with Wooden Walls Project (the mural project Hampton curates on the boardwalk), I am hoping to acquire a golf cart to do a mural tour for seniors, in case they have not been able to see them all because of physical limitations,” Hampton said.
Both Quinn and Hampton are on the city’s Public Arts Commission, which approves public murals in the city. The commission is sponsoring this next phase of the mural project at the sewage treatment plant, with the Asbury Park Arts Council helping to coordinate.
Unlike the other sides of the plant with multiple mural panels, the north side will have one mural concept for the six panels there, Quinn said. New artists who have not painted other murals on the plant will be given priority. In addition, residents of the senior tower will be given input on the final choice of the mural.
Local artists transform storm drains on Lake Avenue in Asbury Park to promote clean water initiatives
TAPintoAsbury Park
Your Neighborhood News Online - By Alissa Deleo
Local artists transform storm drains on Lake Avenue in Asbury Park to promote clean water initiatives
Presented by a collaboration between the Asbury Park Arts Council, City and Wesley Lake Commission
ASBURY PARK, NJ — In collaboration with the City of Asbury Park and with the support of the Wesley Lake Commission, the Asbury Park Arts Council commissioned artists Porkchop and Bradley Hoffer to beautify two storm drains on Lake Avenue to help bring attention to keeping trash and debris out of the lake.
Lake Avenue was selected for this demonstration project due to its high volume of pedestrian traffic. The designs feature an aquatic theme.
“These are two artists we’ve worked with before that we knew could complete this project really well,” said Carrie Turner, Executive Director of the Asbury Park Arts Council.
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“This is another creative way to inject art into Asbury Park’s landscape,” Turner noted, adding, “It has the dual purpose of being beautiful, but also drawing attention to a real need of keeping litter out of our lakes.”
Did you know that the city has an Adopt-a-Drain program where community members can sign up to volunteer to keep a storm drain in their neighborhood clear of trash to help keep Monmouth County’s waterways clean?
Excellent Qualifications
Excellent Qualifications in Asbury Park’s Top Job - Former Mercer County administrator Lillian Nazzaro is new City Manager
Independent Asbury Park Arts Council Leads The Initiative - TriCity News December 14, 2023
TriCityNews
Local weekly paper covering regional news and events, by Dan Jacobson, December 20, 2023
The City Council last week filled the most important position in our city — the city manager.
The city manager is the CEO of the city government. Make no mistake about the power of this post. It’s big. State law even bars a council member from communicating directly with a city employee without first going through the city manager. Elected officials who violate that law can be subject to removal after a hearing initiated by the city manager! (That set-up is to prevent meddling by politicians in city operations.)
The city council is meant to act like a Board of Directors, setting policy and monitoring the performance of the city manager, who also has broad power to hire and fire employees. Of course, the city council has ultimate power: they can fire the city manager if they disapprove of their performance. Obviously, that’s something you never want to see happen because it means there’s been much upheaval.
Complicating all this? Less and less talented people want to make a career of these high-profile positions, where the amount of shit you get is unprecedented with the advent of social media. So this is not an easy post to fill when you have a vacancy. (Current City Manager Donna Viero is retiring at the end of the year.)
But on paper, and personal first impression, it looks like the City Council found a great candidate to hire, current Mercer County Administrator Lillian Nazzaro, who will start January 16. Nazzaro has excellent credentials, especially because of her prior career before becoming a county administrator five years ago: Nazzaro, 60, was an attorney for over 25 years.
Almost 15 of those years were spent doing legal work for Mercer County, including serving as the top attorney, before she became county administrator five years ago. As county counsel, Nazzaro dealt with everything an administrator handles, since they’re always following legal advice. Like contract negotiations, employee discriminations cases, civil rights cases, construction lawsuits, injury
lawsuits. You name it. That’s a hell of a background.
Also understand the size of the government that Nazzaro has run for five years as Mercer County administrator. (And talk about a trial by fire: the pandemic hit about one year into her tenure!) Mercer County, which includes the capital city of Trenton, has an annual budget of $380 million with 1500 employees. In comparison, Asbury Park has an annual budget of $55 million, with 247 full-time employees, 52 part-time and 227 seasonal employees. Nazzaro is obviously ready for this.
Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn noted that Nazzaro is “the first woman appointed as County Business Administrator in Mercer County history, is an accomplished professional with a proven track record and her legal experience will make her an invaluable asset to this administration. As City Manager, Lilly will oversee day-to-day operations, strategic planning, and implementation of policies to further enhance the quality of life of Asbury Park residents.”
And, on top of all that, Nazzaro lives on a farm in Mercer County where she raises and breeds alpacas with her fiancé! Quinn made a point of highlighting that, with undisguised delight, after the vote to hire Nazzaro.
Of special interest to this newspaper, of course, is how the new city manager will work to help preserve and increase our city’s status as a nationally known center for the creative, as well as the regional engine for the growth of arts and culture.
Nazzaro said that the arts and culture in Asbury Park was a big part of the attraction, along with our diversity — all of which Nazzaro said she’ll give a high-priority to promoting, just as she did in Mercer County. She noted that the Division of Culture and Heritage in the Mercer County government reported directly to her as administrator and she found that a particularly rewarding part of the position.
In fact, one of the first people Nazzaro met at the Council meeting after getting appointed was Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC) Executive Director and Board member Carrie Turner, an important arts and cultural leader in the city. The non-profit APAC is independent of the city, but acts in collaboration to broaden the reach of arts programs. The APAC, for example, has access to grants that don’t go to governments, and the group developed and wrote the Arts and Culture Plan that the city adopted as part of the master plan. That will be a guiding document for key decisions. The APAC also directly gets involved with programming, such as by assisting in public murals and public art projects. So this is an important group for promoting creativity in Asbury Park.
Nazzaro said she was excited to meet Turner at the Council meeting, and she said she’s going to start meeting with APAC after she takes over as city manager on January 16. Nazarro said she understands that the Asbury Park Arts Council is an important partner to the city.
And Nazzaro also is well aware of one of the biggest challenges facing Asbury Park — the balance between change and preservation. That’s not an easy one, and a lot of it is in the control of a force beyond the power of human beings. Specifically, the forces of economics. (Yes, that includes greed!)
Nazzaro said that when she drives around the city she’s struck by the range of homes, from old Victorians to high rises. And she understands the challenges of gentrification in how it displaces people.
“I’d like to preserve Asbury Park as much as possible,” she said. “I know gentrification is going to be an issue because of redevelopment. For me it’s really important to recognize that and balance it. So that’s going to be something that I’m going to watch closely. I want to really make sure there’s the right balance in preserving Asbury Park as well as progressing.”
Asbury Park’s newly adopted Arts & Culture Plan Wins...
Asbury Park’s newly adopted Arts & Culture Plan wins County recognition for leadership in planning, exemplary public private-partnership
Collaborative effort between city, residents and artists leads to blueprint for vibrant cultural future
Tap into Asbury Park
Online Newspaper, By Alissa Deleo December 20, 2023
ASBURY PARK, NJ – The City of Asbury Park, known for its vibrant, multi-faceted arts scene, was recognized on Monday, December 18, by the Monmouth County Planning Board for the creation and adoption of the Arts & Culture Plan as a component of the City’s Master Plan.
The plan articulates a vision and strategies to promote the City’s cultural assets, stimulate economic growth and improve residential quality of life.
The Arts & Culture Plan is the result of an 18-month collaboration between the City of Asbury Park and the non-profit Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC).
In 2017, one of the co-founders of APAC, Mike Sodano, participated in the City’s decennial Master Plan Re-examination Committee.
As a local creative business owner, he worked with other committee members to formally recognize the need for an Arts & Culture plan for Asbury Park.
As a result, the committee recommended that the City create and adopt an Arts & Culture Plan as a component of the City’s Master Plan.
With the official recommendation for an updated master plan, Sodano, then owner of the ShowRoom Cinema, enlisted Jenn Hampton, co-owner of Parlor Gallery and curator of the Wooden Walls Public Art Project, to form the Asbury Park Arts Council.
They added several more like-minded townspeople and APAC was officially incorporated in 2019, with a primary goal to work with the City on the creation of an Arts & Culture Plan.
The Covid-19 pandemic slowed but didn’t stop APAC’s progress.
They began an active dialogue with City officials and advisors and conducted research into other plans.
During this time, they also raised their first grant funds from Monmouth Arts, the local county arts agency, to support the project.
The groundwork and research paid off in 2022 when APAC received significant grant funding from the Monmouth County government from COVID-19 relief funds earmarked specifically to support non-profit organizations.
APAC and the City of Asbury Park then engaged the leading architecture, planning, and design firm, FCA, to work with them on developing the Arts & Culture Plan.
An added bonus was that FCA’s Director of Planning and Urban Design, Eric Galipo, is a life-long resident of Asbury Park.
With the City, APAC, and FCA ready to start work on the Arts & Culture Plan, a steering committee of creative leaders and local, regional, and state government representatives kicked off the project in August 2022.
The planning process began with inventory, information gathering and public outreach activities that included online surveys, appearances at many community-based events, individual interviews, topical focus groups and multiple public open houses.
The information gathered informed the development of goals and strategies for the plan that culminated in six major recommendations and an implementation framework that lays out sequential steps for achieving the goals of the plan.
The recommendations focus on funding, staffing, partnerships, branding, placemaking and the development of a new community culture center.
The plan was adopted by the City’s Planning Board this past fall as an amendment to the Master Plan, incorporating it as an official part of Asbury Park’s vision for long-term growth and development.
At the Planning Board presentation of the document, Steering Committee member and Asbury Park resident Mary Eileen Fouratt, who works for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, noted, “I am impressed with the amount of outreach conducted in creating this Plan. I work with communities statewide and not all of them take this much time to see what residents need.”
The Merit Award recognizes the partnership that brought the Arts and Culture Plan to fruition, as well as the way it advances many of the goals and objectives of the Monmouth County Master Plan, including supporting comprehensive planning approaches, promoting the protection of cultural resources and supporting creative placemaking.
“As a collective, our goal was to develop a strategy that uplifts the arts and culture within the Asbury Park community––through detailed research and local engagement; the plan outlines initiatives to bolster access to activities for creators, residents, and visitors,” Eric Galipo said.
“As a life-long Asbury Park resident and professional urban designer, I was honored to be part of the Plan’s development, and it’s affirming to see the Plan receive this recognition and award,” Galipo added.
Asbury Park Mayor John Moor, who is also a Planning Board member, said that the City greatly appreciates the recognition by the Monmouth County Planning Board for its Arts & Culture Plan.
“I believe we may be the only municipality in Monmouth County that has a plan like this, and I could not be more proud of the teamwork that went into getting it done,” Mayor Moor said, adding, “I especially like the way the recommendations of the Plan are presented as not “all or nothing,” or “now or never,” but laid out in incremental steps that are more realistic for the government to achieve.”
Venue Change Announced
TAPintoAsbury Park
Your Neighborhood News Online - By Alissa Deleo
Venue change announced for the APin3 Film Challenge premier event to the Jersey Shore Arts Center
Showcasing films from top finalists, and entries from two community groups nurturing Asbury Park's future filmmakers
ASBURY PARK, NJ – The Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC) is pleased to present the APin3 Premier Screening Event on Sunday, October 22, at 6:30 p.m. at the Jersey Shore Arts Center, 66 S. Main St. Ocean Grove.
This Premier Screening Event will showcase the finalists of this year’s APin3 Film Challenge, as well as entries from two community groups nurturing Asbury Park’s future filmmakers – the Boys and Girls Club and Inspire Life, Inc. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Filmmakers submitted three-minute films shot in Asbury Park over the course of three weeks this summer with the hopes of winning the top three awards and the acknowledgment of their peers.
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The audience at the screening participates in the night’s ceremony by nominating their favorite film for a special Audience Award.
Filmmakers in the finalist category, in alphabetical order, include Alissa Deleo, Tom Cavanaugh, Kevin Clark, Chloe Evangelista and Noah Falco, Patrick Greene, Mat Hale, Elden Harris, Paul Kaplan, Thomas Louis, Jennifer Suwak and Caryn Whitman.
Mike Sodano, Board President of APAC and filmmaker, said about this year’s event, “As the only filmMAKING event held in Asbury Park, we are excited about the creativity of this year’s entries. Filmmaking is flourishing in our city, and this Challenge supports our local talent and celebrates film as an art form in Asbury Park.”
Nancy Sabino, Executive Director of the APin3, commented, “Asbury Park is the star in these films, and the variety of the submissions always serves to humble us as we rate the finished films for the event. These filmmakers are creative, and their work is evocative, and we are pleased to acknowledge their efforts on the big screen.”
Carrie Turner, Executive Director, APAC, offered the big picture, “APAC works to help pave the way for more art and culture to grow in the city.
The recently adopted Asbury Park Arts and Culture Plan has identified that the community wants more opportunities
for artistic engagement, and we are doing our best to act as champions for that request.”
Filmmakers, their fans and the public are invited to this free event.
Tickets can be reserved online at AsburyParkArtsCouncil.org. Whatever tickets are not pre-reserved
will be offered on a first-come, first served basis at the door that night.
Donations can be made to APAC online and at the event so that even more events like this can be
produced in the future.
This year’s APin3 Film Challenge is made possible by support from Monmouth County, Manasquan Bank Charitable Foundation and the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce.
The Asbury Park Arts Council is a 501c3 group formed to advocate for and promote arts and culture initiatives in the City.
A Love Letter to Asbury Park
Discover Jersey Arts - A Love Letter to Asbury Park: The APin3 Film Challenge
Asbury Park, NJ, a modest-sized, historic city of sixteen thousand with a rich tapestry of history, “punches above its weight” artistically and culturally. Founded as a premier seaside resort destination and connected to New York City (and the world) by rail, it drew countless visitors to its boardwalk and beaches even before the age of the automobile. The city faced significant economic challenges during the latter half of the 20th century, leading to urban decline and disinvestment. But, the resilient spirit of its community has been evident in its recent revival, as major efforts have been made to rejuvenate its cultural attractions, restore historic sites, and foster economic development, all while navigating the complexities of gentrification and maintaining the city’s unique character.
Sponsored by the Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC), the APin3 Film Challenge is not so much a “film festival” as a community filmmaking challenge in which budding directors and filmmaking teams create a 3-minute short film highlighting aspects of, and shot entirely within, the city of Asbury Park. The challenge asks filmmakers to include a supplied theme and line of dialogue, a prop native to Asbury Park, and one specific location within the city – the prompt keeps all the contestants on a level playing field. With its rich history and coastal allure, the city provides ample material for gripping narratives and documentaries. In essence, the APin3 Film Challenge aligns perfectly with Asbury Park’s artistic legacy and the potential for cultural celebrations that use the film short in unforgettable ways.
APAC president Mike Sodano said: “Last year was our first year, and we set up the auditorium for about, oh, 40-50 chairs. We got close to 100 people to attend! The reception was overwhelming. It was so much fun and very heartwarming. When the filmmakers get up and give their one-minute pitch as to why they did what they did, it’s an insight into the filmmaking process that audiences don’t really get a chance to hear very often. Each story becomes a different kind of love letter to Asbury Park. It’s a different perspective on the city. Filmmakers manage to find locations in the city and document them on film – places that a lot of people never even knew existed. You go ‘gee whiz! Where is that? I’ve never seen that from that angle.’ It’s a unique interpretation of the city. Seeing Asbury as illustrated in a 3-minute film really opens the eyes of the audience. It’s incredibly enjoyable.
“The goal of the challenge is really to elevate filmmaking in Asbury Park. The city is known obviously for music. Bruce Springsteen, and all the groups that came out of it, and it’s known for other visual arts. But we’re trying to give the art of filmmaking in Asbury Park a focus and a spotlight. We give the filmmakers a theme, a line of dialogue, a prop that must be included in the film. The film has to be no more than 3 minutes long and shot over the course of the three-week challenge.”
We asked APin3 organizer Nancy Sabino what makes the perfect APin3 entry: “I think it’s a combination of addressing the theme, getting in all the elements, and doing it in the most clever way possible,” she said. “It’s the use of the techniques and filmmaking that really sings to me personally. The use of exceptional editing techniques and a variety of storytelling- that’s how you get your 3-minute story across. I think it’s a great opportunity for filmmakers who never tried their hand at making a film to venture into this world and team together and play with film.
“Everybody who we’ve talked to who’s entered past or present has said it’s a lot of fun, and they really enjoy doing it. We think it’s a great match between our love of Asbury Park and filmmaking. Filmmakers who may not have experienced that yet get to put the city they love on screen. It’s a combination of texture, community and opportunity,” continued Sabino. “It’s an incredibly welcoming city. You’re able to walk the streets and go into shops and just start talking to people. You get an incredible sense of community. If you have an idea, Asbury Park is a great place for growing that idea because you get immediate feedback, whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent! It’s an incredible breeding ground for creativity and opportunity.
“The judging is sort of like a casting session. You know you know it when you see it, and it hits you over the head as being one of the best. This year, we were very fortunate, and we got a lot of great selections that were really clever and creative. For us, that’s humbling. To know that so many people could get it right and do it differently because each selection has a different slant to it.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the entire community into this event. Everyone can come. It’s a free event, and tickets will be available soon. Come meet the storytellers of the future and those that are applying their trade currently. It’s a wonderful thing to see Asbury Park interpreted in so many different ways on the big screen, and we hope to continue the challenge with the support of our amazing community.”
The films will be screened at the House of Independents on October 22. The event is free, but reservations are required. The top three winners, and an audience favorite entry chosen by the assembled audience on the premier night, will be given prizes. It will also be a networking event for local filmmakers, a test of creative skill, and a source of feedback for filmmakers. If you’re a filmmaker, sound tech, actor, director, or simply love film, don’t miss it.
From Drab Walls to Color, Creativity
The Coaster
Area artists painted these murals on the Asbury Park Sewage Treatment Plant - by WILLIAM CLARK
Area artists painted these murals on the Asbury Park Sewage Treatment Plant.
The Coaster, Aug 9, 2023
What began as just the drab, brown bricks of the Asbury Park Wastewater Treatment Facility became four vibrant murals for beachgoers and those driving along Kingsley Street.
The continuation of the collaboration between the city’s Public Arts Commission and the Asbury Park Arts Council has brought murals from artists Judith Hull, Chloe Evangelista, Jude Harzer and Zachary Manning to the east side of the building, as part of a project that started last year.
“In the fall we opened up submissions for the four panels that face the water,” Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said. “We received over 75 submissions from artists and we picked four, including two local arts.”
The goal, according to Quinn, is to one day have the entire building covered in artistic works.
The project is funded by the city’s Public Arts Commission but received help from the Arts Council when it came to choose submissions that would grace the walls for residents and visitors. The Arts Council also provided financial assistance to bridge the gap for part of the project.
Jenn Hampton, chair of the Public Arts Commission, said that the members of the commission each picked their top 10 which didn’t provide much overlap.
“Barely any of them matched,” Hampton admitted.
As the process moved forward, they took special care to give priority to local artists from the city itself.
In the end, Hampton was thrilled with the choices the commission made.
“This year was interesting because we chose different skill sets, backgrounds and aesthetics,” Hampton said.
Evangelista of Ocean Township chose to show the activity of the boardwalk from a different perspective, creating a mural of different legs and feet as they pass by.
Hampton, an admitted extrovert, appreciated how another person may see the world a bit differently.
The youngest of the muralists, Evangelista impressed Hampton as she saw her move through the work putting the piece together.
“Watching her excel so well will give her the confidence boost to do it again,” Hampton said. “I think she’s really good.”
This project was the second time Hull worked with the art commission. Last year Hull, provided a timely piece on Ukraine. This year she focused on the ocean creating a striking blue fish surrounded by colorful sea plants.
“It’s a motif we are all really familiar with,” Hampton said.
Harzer, an art teacher from Brick Memorial High School, made her contribution to the wall after helping students fill the halls of the school with their murals.
Harzer was also a second time participant of the project.
“She was also more confident and excited,” Hampton said.
Hampton said that Harzer, a Brick Township resident, has one of the only programs within a school that helps support student muralists.
Finally, mixing art and science is Manning’s piece.
“He had an online quiz where he would ask you five questions asking you rate how you feel about certain things,” Hampton said. “He took all the responses and created an algorithm to create the design.”
Hampton appreciates the participatory nature of Manning’s piece which is titled Life in Color.
“It’s a beautiful color palette and really nice to see something different in terms of an artist’s process,” Hampton said.
Manning also lives in Asbury Park.
The Wastewater Treatment Facility is located along the oceanfront north of Convention Hall.
APAC Hosts Filmmakers Meetup
TAPintoAsbury Park
Your Neighborhood News Online - By Alissa Deleo
The APin3 film challenge kicks off August 7
ASBURY PARK, NJ — The Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC) hosted a first-of-its-kind filmmakers meetup on July 27 at the Parlor Gallery.
The event was an opportunity for creatives to engage with each other and with the APAC on ways to increase awareness and advocacy of film, videography and photography in Asbury Park and the surrounding areas.
The meetup was well-attended, with over 25 people stopping by to share conversation about thier passion of filmmaking.
Michael Sodano, APAC Board President said that the arts council plans to continue to host these meet-ups every other month.
“Everyone was thrilled to meet and share ideas,” Sodano said, adding, “It really all goes back to the mission of the arts council which is to advocate, promote and support the arts in Asbury Park.”
Several updates about the arts council’s current endeavors were shared.
The APAC is working with the City to have Asbury Park registered with the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission in their Film Ready New Jersey program, a five-step certification and marketing program that educates municipalities on the basics of motion picture and television production.
The program enables cities and towns to effectively accommodate on-location filming and market their communities as filming destinations for movies, television and commercials.
The program also sets basic standards for attracting filmmaking and positions the state as a top production destination, according to the NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission.
The APAC is helping the City create a photo catalog of locations throughout Asbury Park as well as a database of services (production, support, stages, etc) in the area that are available to production companies when they scout a location.
The arts council is encouraging members of the public to help by sharing photos of the City, and if they know of any production services in the area (including their own) to add to the database by emailing mike@asburyparkartscouncil.org.
The APin3 Film Challenge, the only filmmaking event in Asbury Park begins on August 7.
Participants will have three weeks to produce a three-minute film set in Asbury Park including a prop, line of dialog and location chosen by the arts council.
All entries to the challenge must be submitted by August 27.
Each of the entries will then be reviewed and the top ten films will be chosen by a panel of local judges. Finalists will be screened to an audience at Asbury Park’s House of Independents Theater on October 22.
The online submission platform, Film Freeway, will be utilized for the challenge, which is now accepting applicants.
There is a $25 entry fee, but no one should feel that the cost is a barrier as there are discounts and sponsorships available for qualified applicants to help with the entry cost.
The Asbury Park Arts Council is a 501c3 group formed to advocate for and promote arts and culture initiatives in the City.