Jersey City Museum

Jersey City Museum is an art museum located Jersey City, New Jersey. Its original incarnation was part of the public library and opened in 1901. It relocated to a new building in 2001, but due to financial difficulties closed in 2010. As of 2018, a new, unaffiliated organization, bearing the name is in the process of preparing a new building at Journal Square.

1901–2000
Jersey City Public Library

The Jersey City Museum dates back to 1901, when it was located on the fourth floor of the Jersey City Free Public Library on Jersey Avenue. It remained under the aegis of the Library until 1987, when the Museum Association initiated efforts for the founding of a separate institution. In 1993, the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency donated the building at 350 Montgomery Street. Jersey City historian J. Owen Grundy served five times as the museum's president.[1]

2001–2010
Montgomery Street

The museum relocated to its new location in 2001.[2]

The cream-colored brick building, a former post office warehouse circa 1929, was renovated for $6.5 million.[3] Designed by architect Charles Gifford of Meyer & Gifford of New York, the interior offered an attractive modern space enhanced by a skylight lobby. The museum holds a collection of 20,000 pieces. The museum consists of offices, a classroom, several galleries, a 152-seat theater, and a gift shop.[4]

Located in the Van Vorst Park section of Downtown, it served a diverse community. The mission of the museum was to serve the community by "maintaining, preserving, and interpreting the region's cultural heritage." In order to stimulate community participation in the visual arts, and to reflect the cultural diversity of New Jersey, the museum gave special attention to the exhibition of contemporary art, and recognized the many visual artists who make their home in New Jersey and the neighboring metropolitan area. The collection includes the large body of work of painter August Will.

Due to financial difficulties (the museum was months behind in its mortgage payments) and in danger of losing the building, it closed to the general public in December 2010.[5] and was not expected to re-open.[6][7] The building was purchased by the Jersey City Medical Center in February 2012, to use partially as offices, with the remaining space and theater re-opening as a museum in June.[8][9][10]

A 10,000-piece collection, including over 350 works by August Will, was given to the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in 2018. [11]

New museum (2018–)
25 Journal Square aka Pathside

In April 2016, it was announced that the city was considering purchasing a building at Journal Square, then owned by Hudson County Community College.[12] It made the purchase in 2018 and awarded Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) commission to conceive and design the new space.[13][14]

See also

References
  1. - New York Times, January 30, 1985, J. Owen Grundy Dead at 73; Official Jersey City Historian
  2. Zimmer, William (30 September 2001). "ART REVIEW; Political Art Inaugurates the Jersey City Museum's New Space". Retrieved 8 May 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  3. https://www.njcu.edu/programs/jchistory/Pages/J_Pages/Jersey_City_Museum.htm
  4. Hayes, Melissa (17 September 2010). "Jersey City officials say art museum is behind on mortgage, bills". nj.com. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  5. http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/7440901/article-Unanswered-questions-about-JC-Museum-109-year-old-institution-faces-uncertain-future-?
  6. T, Terrence (30 July 2011). "Jersey City Museum unlikely to regain its luster and reopen to public". nj.com. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  7. "Jersey City Art Museum Closes Amid Steep Cuts in the Garden State - BLOUIN ARTINFO". www.blouinartinfo.com. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  8. http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2012/06/29/museum-board-medical-center-and-art-school-all-play-a-role-in-jersey-city-museums-reopening/
  9. Cronk, Aiyana (26 June 2012). "Jersey City Museum will reopen on Saturdays, starting this week". nj.com. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  10. Musat, Stephanie (1 July 2012). "Jersey City Museum opens doors to warm reception after being closed since 2010". nj.com. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  11. https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/10/jersey-citys-loss-is-rutgers-gain-dormant-museum-collection-gifted-to-state-university.html
  12. T, Terrence (12 April 2016). "Jersey City in talks to bring art museum to Journal Square". nj.com. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  13. "OMA selected to design a new Jersey City Museum". 7 August 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  14. https://hudsonreporter.com/2018/01/28/world-class-arts-facility-planned-2/

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