Sneak Peek: Fall Arts Preview for Montclair

About 12 years ago, the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) hosted a live broadcast of the very popular WNYC “Brian Lehrer show.” The discussion was about the arts and the suburbs. The message?—The arts are happening outside New York City and they are happening in a big way.

True then; truer now. There is a thriving arts community here and a thriving audience for the arts.

That audience best start juggling their calendars to accommodate the proliferation of musical performances, art openings, exhibits, lectures, discussions, dance and more coming up in the next few weeks.

Here is what’s high on my personal list for September with some peeks into the following months. Expect future "Montclair Arts Talk" columns to talk more about many of these events.

The leadoff events take place at the Montclair Art Museum starting with “Marina Zurkow: Friends, Enemies, and Others,” the first exhibition in the Montclair Art Museum’s “New Directions” series of contemporary art. Digital media artist Zurkow will be present and accounted for on Saturday, September 17 for a special exhibition preview between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. See a screening of digital animation videos (soundtrack by Zach Layton) both on the museum’s front lawn and in the Marion Mann Roberts Gallery. It’s all free and there will be a family activity. The exhibit runs through January 8, 2012.

Staying at MAM, there is an Employee Art Fair on Sunday, September 25 from noon to 5 p.m. with works for sale by many of the excellent artist who are on the museum staff—all mediums and a wide range of prices.

Peeking ahead, pick out two treasures to bring to MAM’s Appraisal Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 1. Call 973-259-5137 now to charge your ticket—$15 members; $18 nonmembers.

 “The Spectacular of the Vernacular,” a major show traveling from the Walker Art Center, opens October 7; the wonderful Alexandra Schwartz, MAM’s curator of contemporary art, will moderate a discussion of the show at the 25th Annual Julia Norton Babson Memorial Lecture on Thursday, October 20 at 7 p.m. $12 members; $15 nonmembers. Call now.

At the north end of town, Montclair State University’s marvelous George Segal Gallery and adjacent Alexander Kasser Theater continues to bring in exciting visual and performing arts. A one woman show of the sculptures and paintings of Carolyn Brown Goldberg begins on September 20, running through December 10 with a major symposium on her works Saturday, September 24 followed by an opening reception in the gallery from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The symposium features the show’s curator and is being held at University Hall’s Phyllis and Gerald Leboff Lecture Hall on campus. Register by September 20; call (073) 655-6941 or email jacobsm@mail.montclair.edu. The $25 fee includes the exhibition catalogue and refreshments.

The Alexander Kasser Theater “Peak Performances” series is the best kept secret and—at $15 for all seats—is also the biggest bargain in town. Adventuresome dance and music from around the world attracts NYC audiences and critics. The 2011-2012 season starts on September 17; I have later in the year performances by the Shanghai Quartet (the complete Bartok String Quartets) and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company circled in red. See www.peakperfs.org

StrangeDog Theater Company has returned to Tierney’s Tavern, 136-138 Valley Road; tonight is the last night to catch “Kitty, Kitty, Kitty,” a love story for today’s generation plus a multi band bash, all for one low price. For details, go here. 

You can count on both Tierney’s and Trumpets Jazz Club at 6 Depot Square for music most every night of the week. See www.trumpetsjazz.com for a complete schedule. In addition to world class jazz artists, including Montclair based trumpet ace Wallace Roney on Saturday, September 24, Trumpets has some rock events planned and a collaboration with Montclair’s School of Rock on Sunday, September 18.

Trumpet’s owner, harmonic player/guitarist/vocalist Enrico Granafei is among the Montclair based musicians-others include tenor saxophonist Mike Lee—playing in the spectacular Swiss Global-Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center (OSPAC) 9th Annual Jazz Festival just beyond the Montclair boundary at 4 Boland Place, West Orange. The world class festival kicks off Friday night, September 16 and resumes all day and into the evening on Saturday, September 17. Pianist Bill Charlap and tenor man Houston Person are among the luminaries coming in; rain date is Saturday, September 24. Suggested donation is $10 adults, $5 teens/seniors, kids free, with lots of activities. (Full Disclosure; my husband, guitarist Bob DeVos is in the lineup.)

“Cut Copy,” a psychedelic band about which I know nothing (having been around for the original wave of psychedelic bands), is at the Wellmont Theater this Tuesday and smooth jazz heartthrob Chris Botti comes in on Thursday, September 23. In October, there is lots of rock, with some very big names, new and old in October—I confess nostalgia for Cyndi Lauper. http://www.wellmonttheatre.com/calendar/

Earlier this summer, singer songwriter Bruce Cockburn made his debut as one of a handful of platinum recording artists appearing on a Canada commemorative stamp, one of his many, many honors. As part of a stateside fall tour, Cockburn appears in person at “Outpost in the Burbs” on Tuesday, September 27 singing selections from his 31st album. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 67 Church Street, www.outpostintheburbs.org.

Studio Montclair has been mounting terrific group exhibits at the Galleries at Academy Square, 33 Plymouth Street, and from preview peeks, “Black and White” and “Full Spectrum” promise to be two more feathers in their talented cap. Upstairs in the Virginia S. Block Gallery is an exploration of color while downstairs the many permutations of black and white are the subject at hand. There is an Opening Reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, September 16 for both shows, which continue through December 21, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment, see www.studiomontclair.org or call (973) 744 1818.

Two stalwarts of the not-for-profit Studio Montclair artist collective are on view at the BrassWorks Gallery on Grove in “Beneath the Layers” see the interplay of the always intriguing collages of Rachel Leibman and Nancy Tobin. The opening reception is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, September 23; 105 Grove Street. The show continues during business hours through December. Leibman is about to decamp for San Francisco, so you can expect her many friends and admirers (count me in) tol be at the opening.

I understand they really crowded the floor at the opening of the Jennifer Ann Moses show at the wonderful 73See Gallery at 73 C Pine Street in town; the show runs concurrently with works by Jo Bradney all September. I made it over during the Labor Day weekend, simply put, if you are within the sound of my voice, GO! Moses’ visual word poems will make you laugh, make you cry and make you feel more fully human. Artist Dan Fenelon comes in for October.

Also, at 73See, vocalists Felicia Moss and Joe Eaton return tonight via the ever powerful force of popular demand to the gallery stage as part of the gallery’s 2nd Saturday of the Month Sight and Sound Series. Advance tickets only at events@gallery73seegallery.com or call (973) 746 8737. The $15 admission includes the show and refreshments; door prizes too.

Also tonight is “Painting a Song” at StudioKidsArts, 211 Glenridge Avenue at 8:00 p.m. Watch mixed media artist Jennifer Levine create a work to a performance by singer/songwriter Scott Massarsky with some special guests sitting in. See www.studiokidsart.com; $10.

No month seems complete without “Writing Matters,” the third or fourth Friday of the month panel discussion at Watchung Booksellers.This month’s promises to be another SRO-start lining up now edition as authors and columnists discuss, “The Writing Life: The Lonely Life-Building A Sense of Community” and the all important topic of how do you get out the word about your book. See http://www.watchungbooksellers.com/writing-matters for details. It starts at 7 p.m. at 54 Fairfield Street in town and series co-founder Jenny Milchman is back, which also means great refreshments, too.

There is always something happening at the main branch of the Montclair Public Library (MPL) at 50 Fullerton. This month, it’s some great classic films from Fox Studios: “House of Strangers” on September 14; “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” on September 21 and “How Green Was My Valley” on September 28—drama, romance and get out the handkerchiefs on Wednesdays at 1 p.m.

Before or after the screenings, think about supporting the library by purchasing a work of art by the “Jersey Fresh Artists,” led by Diana Stewart. The group of area artists in many mediums contribute a portion of their sales to the MPL foundation. The exhibit continues through the month and there is an Opening Reception today at 1 p.m.

Hooray! The Matinee Club returns to the Clairidge Cinemas, 486 Bloomfield Avenue, on Wednesday, October 5 at 11 a.m. Not just for women—men have been sighted—sign up now for the chance to sneak in a great, regular season Clairidge flick while the kids are at school. Get all the details here.

Like they say, see you at the movies—and at the galleries, museums, festivals, theaters, and clubs.