NJ Biz reports on the the JC art scene as seen on the gallery walls of some recent new real estate.
From the story:
For Eyal Shuster’s 2-year-old, boutique apartment building in downtown Jersey City, “The Art House” is more than just a fancy name.
The sixth floor, for instance, is adorned with a row of color-splashed “encaustic” or hot-wax paintings by local artist Kathy Cantwell. Priced at $800 each, the pieces are available for purchase by tenants or visitors who attend one of the building’s open houses and viewing events.
And it’s just one of the collections that are displayed in each of the building’s 12 floors — creating a vibe that helps the luxury building stand out in a crowded field.
“We see that people are staying because of the service and the lifestyle, which is good to help us against the competition,” said Shuster, owner of The Shuster Group. “But we can also see that the art helps to create the community and people appreciate it.”
That connection is felt in communities around New Jersey — and recognized by developers, planners and local officials who see the benefits of incorporating the arts into their efforts. For some, it’s a way to give a new identity to a project or a place that is already established. {SNIP}
A CREATIVE SOLUTION
In Jersey City, away from the downtown, the arts community is anchoring development in the still up-and-coming Journal Square neighborhood. Mana Contemporary, a 2 million-square-foot cultural center on Newark Avenue, has led to developments such as 25 Senate Place.
The 265-unit upscale property is about a block away from the complex and includes a host of amenities, including a landscaped terrace and seating area. But to obscure two large industrial air vents that are in the middle of the deck, the developer commissioned Conrad Allen, a New Jersey-based sculpture artist, to come up with a solution.
The result was two nature-inspired sculptures, including a lotus made of metal, above.
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