Bohemian rhapsody: Canco Lofts kicks off studio tour

Real Estate Weekly,  Oct 17, 2007  

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More than 1,000 people came to Canco Lofts recently to see the largest art exhibition in Jersey City history during the kick-off celebration to the 2007 Jersey City Artists Studio Tour, an annual two-day walking tour of artists' personal studios, curated group exhibitions and art in public places.

The 17th annual studio tour was the largest in history, attracting thousands of visitors to Jersey City to take in the work of over 500 artists exhibiting at various locations throughout the city.

The Oct. 5 kick-off celebration at Canco Lofts, which served as the main anchor location of the tour, featured an impressive line-up of eight curated group art exhibitions, musical performances, video screenings, a vintage fashion show, belly dancing, mini-workshops, a wine tasting and more.

Over 30,000 s/f of raw space at Canco Lofts was converted for this event to house the work of over 200 artists--forming the largest art exhibition in Jersey City history. The work of many artists will remain on display at Canco Lofts through Oct. 21. The public is invited to visit Canco Lofts to view this exhibition from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays through Sundays, through Oct. 21.

Canco Lofts is a conversion of the iconic American Can Co. factory at 50 Dey Street in Jersey City into a development of luxury lofts. The building's dramatic architecture, soaring 14-foot ceilings, 10-foot panoramic windows and abundance of open space make it the ideal main host location for these year's Jersey City Artists Studio Tour.

Additionally, Canco's groundbreaking lobby, designed by the renowned Manhattan-based architectural studio, LOT-EK, includes a permanent 21-screen media wall that was used to show video art throughout the studio tour, creating a visually enticing entrance for tour visitors that seamlessly blended the event's art with the building's architecture.

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The Jersey City Artists Studio Tour is an immensely important cultural event that looks to broaden the exposure for local artists' among the public.

The City of Jersey City and Pro Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing and supporting professional visual artists, support the event each year. The exhibit is an annual overview of Jersey City's best modern visual art.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Hagedorn Publication
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning