Park Performing Arts Center
Encyclopedia
The Park Performing Arts Center is a cultural center
located at 32nd Street
and Central Avenue in Union City, New Jersey
, USA. Originally built by a church parish, it became a non-profit organization in 1983, and hosts appearances of local, national, and international artists as well as community events The center also houses a small museum dedicated to the craft of embroidery
, gallery spaces, and supports programs offering classes in the performing and visual arts. The nation's longest running passion play
production is performed annually at the center's main stage. The programming is often reflective of the cultural ties and influences of North Hudson County's
Hispanic
population.
, under the guidance of Msgr. Joseph Grieff, reputed to have a taste for theater. Under his watch the German Catholic parish had originally built the church in 1887, which at the time was the only stone parish church between Jersey City
and Fort Lee
along the crest of the Hudson Palisades. The neo-Gothic building houses ornate stained glass pieces which were attributed to Innsbruck Art Glass Studio of Austria and were completely restored in 2008. The year after its completion the cornerstone was laid for the parish's new school, which housed a public hall, auditorium and dressing rooms.
The Park is one of few remaining of the early big theaters that once dotted the North Jersey
theater landscape still in operation, as are Newark Symphony Hall
and Loew's Jersey Theater
. The centerpiece is its a vaulted
1,400-seat proscenium theater
, built in the atmospheric style
. The three-manual, twenty-rank orchestral Möller organ
includes two pipe chambers containing 1,390 pipes plus a 25-note chime and a 61-note Deagan Harp. After years of disuse, it was restored in 1991 and is now well-maintained. The complex also contains a small black box theater
, exhibition spaces, classrooms and rehearsal auditorium. To the dismay of some, the marquee
was replaced in 2010, citing irreparable damage, though portions have been incorporated into its replacement.
While the church and rectory are listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places
, the theater and other buildings are not.
is a theatrical production presented during Lent
depicting of the last days of Jesus Christ. The traditional Oberammergau Passion Play
in Bavaria
has taken place since 1634. At the turn of the 20th century, much of North Hudson, New Jersey
was populated by German-speaking immigrants
who had established Catholic
parishes, and by the mid-1910s two of the churches had begun annual presentations of a passion play, which sometimes led to friendly rivalry. Similar to the German version, the production were made possible by volunteers of the extended community.
One production was sponsored by St Joseph's Church on Central Avenue in what then West Hoboken
(now the southern half of Union City). It was called "Veronica's Veil", in reference to the Veil of Veronica
, and one of the stations of the cross
. Opening in 1915, this production was billed as America's Passion Play, and ran until 1999.
The other production was created under the auspices of Holy Family in what was then Union Hill
(the northern half of town) and has been presented annually since 1915, making it the longest-running passion play in the United States. The show has been presented at the Park since it was completed, leading to the nickname America's Oberammergau.
While some consider passion plays to be anti-semetic, the Park's production has adapted to modern times. The 1997 show caused a stir when a black actor, Desi Arnaz Giles, was cast to play the part of Jesus Christ, sharing the role with a production veteran. This led to derogatory phone calls to the theater, a death threat left on an answering machine, and subsequently, cancellations by five tour groups. The theater also received hundreds of calls and faxes from around the world expressing support, ticket sales improved by 20%, his performance garnered a standing ovation, and Giles played the role the following season.
and lace-making. The towns in North Hudson
and nearby communities such as Fairview have, since the turn of the 20th century, been the center of the industry, the Embroidery Capital of the United States, producing more than 70% of US output. Originally introduced by German and Swiss immigrants who imported the craft from their homelands, the industry expanded after the introduction of the Schiffli machine by Reiner and Sons in Weehawken
in 1902. The manufacture of embroidery in the region has steadily provided employment to the various waves of immigrants, the last from Central and South America.
, there is a long-term lease with the non-profit. The arts center was originally run by the initiator of the project, Kevin Ashe, pastor of Holy Family at the time, who felt the resource in the community was being underused. In 1991, it began operating as a full-time arts organization. When later there was a controversy with funding denial by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts
, some claimed that there was a conflict with concept of separation between church and state
. Nonetheless, the organization does receive some council funding for education and staff. Art for the Park is an annual fundraiser that includes exhibitions and performances.
, another long-running event at the Park is the Multi-Arts Festival, which first took place in 1981. It was initiated by Agnes Dauerman, a Union Hill High School
art teacher, who also organized the festival until her retirement in 2005. The festival is a forum for students and others in the community to celebrate artistic and cultural diversity, and includes workshops, exhibitions, and performances. It was held at the PPAC until 2010, when it moved to the Union City Performing Arts Center.
Since its inception the center has presented a variety of performances, ranging from broadway shows, music concerts, Off Broadway productions, recitals, film screening
s, variety shows, talent showcases
, and community celebrations. The resident theater company Hudson Exploited has used the 32nd Street Playhouse, the black box theater
of the center, since 1992. Three Kings Day is celebrated annually. Hudson Theater Works, a company dedicated to plays geared toward “the working people” of Hudson County, became the new resident company of the center in February 2011, it first presentation a reading of Of Mice and Men
.
Among the many musicians who have performed at the Park are Johnny Cash
, Paquito D'Rivera
, the Clancy Brothers, Maynard Ferguson
, and El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. Dance groups have included Jose Greco
, Nai Ni Chen Dance Company, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
, Maria Benitez Spanish Dance Company and Hispanic Flamenco Ballet of Miami
.
The theater has also been used for film and video shoots and screenings. In 1986 the bands Aerosmith
and Run-D.M.C.
filmed the groundbreaking video for their single "Walk This Way
" at the theater, In the same year performance artist Laurie Anderson
filmed Home of the Brave
. Comedian George Carlin
recorded his album What Am I Doing in New Jersey?
and performance for the HBO special in 1988. The New Jersey City University
–based Black Maria Film Festival has screened films at the venue.
.
, Hudson County
. It is located a few blocks from the Plaza of the Arts, an outdoor venue for artists to congregate and showcase their work and plazas dedicated to Pietro Di Donato
, a writer and native son, and Celia Cruz
, the salsa
superstar. on Bergenline Avenue at the Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix. The vehicular cut
bisecting the Hudson Palisades travels east–west between the tunnel
and the New Jersey Turnpike
. Its above-ground marginal roads (30th and 31st streets) are served by numerous bus lines travelling between the Port Authority Bus Terminal
in Manhattan
and points in Hudson
, Bergen
, and Passaic
counties. Many local buses travel along north–south transit corridors (Bergenline and Kennedy Boulevard) south to Hudson Place (Hoboken)
and Journal Square
to PATH
connections and north to Nungessers
and GWB Plaza, passing the Hudson Bergen Light Rail Bergenline Station
.
Cultural center
A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run...
located at 32nd Street
Hackensack Plank Road
The Hackensack Plank Road was a major artery which connected the cities of Hoboken and Hackensack, New Jersey Like its cousin routes, the Newark Plank Road and Paterson Plank Road, it travelled over Bergen Hill and across the Hackensack Meadows from the Hudson River waterfront to the city for...
and Central Avenue in Union City, New Jersey
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
, USA. Originally built by a church parish, it became a non-profit organization in 1983, and hosts appearances of local, national, and international artists as well as community events The center also houses a small museum dedicated to the craft of embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
, gallery spaces, and supports programs offering classes in the performing and visual arts. The nation's longest running passion play
Passion play
A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition....
production is performed annually at the center's main stage. The programming is often reflective of the cultural ties and influences of North Hudson County's
North Hudson, New Jersey
North Hudson is the collective name of the municipalities of Weehawken , Union City , West New York , Guttenberg and North Bergen in Hudson County, New Jersey...
Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
population.
Architecture
The Park Theater was originally built 1931 as an extension of the Holy Family Church complex by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of NewarkRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
, under the guidance of Msgr. Joseph Grieff, reputed to have a taste for theater. Under his watch the German Catholic parish had originally built the church in 1887, which at the time was the only stone parish church between Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
and Fort Lee
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
along the crest of the Hudson Palisades. The neo-Gothic building houses ornate stained glass pieces which were attributed to Innsbruck Art Glass Studio of Austria and were completely restored in 2008. The year after its completion the cornerstone was laid for the parish's new school, which housed a public hall, auditorium and dressing rooms.
The Park is one of few remaining of the early big theaters that once dotted the North Jersey
Gateway Region
The Gateway Region is located in the northeastern part of State of New Jersey in the United States of America. The area encompasses Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Union and Middlesex counties...
theater landscape still in operation, as are Newark Symphony Hall
Newark Symphony Hall
Newark Symphony Hall at 1020 Broad Street in Newark, New Jerseywas built in 1925 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was known for many years as The Mosque Theater.-Design and construction:...
and Loew's Jersey Theater
Loew's Jersey Theater
The Loew's Jersey Theatre is a New Jersey Registered Historic Site in Jersey City, New Jersey of the United States of America. Opened in 1929, it was one of the five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship Loew's movie palaces in the New York City area. It was designed by the architectural...
. The centerpiece is its a vaulted
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
1,400-seat proscenium theater
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
, built in the atmospheric style
Atmospheric theatre
An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace which has an auditorium ceiling that is intended to give the illusion of an open sky as its defining feature...
. The three-manual, twenty-rank orchestral Möller organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
includes two pipe chambers containing 1,390 pipes plus a 25-note chime and a 61-note Deagan Harp. After years of disuse, it was restored in 1991 and is now well-maintained. The complex also contains a small black box theater
Black box theater
The black box theater is a relatively recent innovation, consisting of a simple, somewhat unadorned performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor.-History:...
, exhibition spaces, classrooms and rehearsal auditorium. To the dismay of some, the marquee
Marquee
Marquee may refer to:* A large tent, open-sided and installed outdoors for temporary functions* "Marquee", a song by Superchunk from their 1997 album Indoor Living* Marquee Cinemas, a movie theater chain in the United States...
was replaced in 2010, citing irreparable damage, though portions have been incorporated into its replacement.
While the church and rectory are listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
The New Jersey Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The program is administered by the Historic Preservation Office of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.The register was...
, the theater and other buildings are not.
"America's Oberammergau"
A passion playPassion play
A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition....
is a theatrical production presented during Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
depicting of the last days of Jesus Christ. The traditional Oberammergau Passion Play
Oberammergau Passion Play
Oberammergau Passion Play is a passion play performed since 1634 oberammergau-passion.com. 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2011. as a tradition by the inhabitants of the village of Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany.-Origins:...
in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
has taken place since 1634. At the turn of the 20th century, much of North Hudson, New Jersey
North Hudson, New Jersey
North Hudson is the collective name of the municipalities of Weehawken , Union City , West New York , Guttenberg and North Bergen in Hudson County, New Jersey...
was populated by German-speaking immigrants
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
who had established Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
parishes, and by the mid-1910s two of the churches had begun annual presentations of a passion play, which sometimes led to friendly rivalry. Similar to the German version, the production were made possible by volunteers of the extended community.
One production was sponsored by St Joseph's Church on Central Avenue in what then West Hoboken
West Hoboken, New Jersey
West Hoboken was a municipality that existed in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, from 1861 to 1925.West Hoboken was originally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1861, from portions of North Bergen Township. The township was reincorporated on...
(now the southern half of Union City). It was called "Veronica's Veil", in reference to the Veil of Veronica
Veil of Veronica
The Veil of Veronica, or Sudarium , often called simply "The Veronica" and known in Italian as the Volto Santo or Holy Face is a Catholic relic, which, according to legend, bears the likeness of the Face of Jesus not made by human hand The Veil of Veronica, or Sudarium (Latin for sweat-cloth),...
, and one of the stations of the cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
. Opening in 1915, this production was billed as America's Passion Play, and ran until 1999.
The other production was created under the auspices of Holy Family in what was then Union Hill
Union Hill, New Jersey
Union Hill is a section of Denville Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The Union Hill section comprises the southernmost part of Denville and is mostly south of Route 10. Although one of the oldest settled parts of Denville, it is characterized by having the most recent housing...
(the northern half of town) and has been presented annually since 1915, making it the longest-running passion play in the United States. The show has been presented at the Park since it was completed, leading to the nickname America's Oberammergau.
While some consider passion plays to be anti-semetic, the Park's production has adapted to modern times. The 1997 show caused a stir when a black actor, Desi Arnaz Giles, was cast to play the part of Jesus Christ, sharing the role with a production veteran. This led to derogatory phone calls to the theater, a death threat left on an answering machine, and subsequently, cancellations by five tour groups. The theater also received hundreds of calls and faxes from around the world expressing support, ticket sales improved by 20%, his performance garnered a standing ovation, and Giles played the role the following season.
The Cultural Thread/El Hilo
The Cultural Thread/El Hilo is an exhibition about the craft of embroideryEmbroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
and lace-making. The towns in North Hudson
North Hudson, New Jersey
North Hudson is the collective name of the municipalities of Weehawken , Union City , West New York , Guttenberg and North Bergen in Hudson County, New Jersey...
and nearby communities such as Fairview have, since the turn of the 20th century, been the center of the industry, the Embroidery Capital of the United States, producing more than 70% of US output. Originally introduced by German and Swiss immigrants who imported the craft from their homelands, the industry expanded after the introduction of the Schiffli machine by Reiner and Sons in Weehawken
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...
in 1902. The manufacture of embroidery in the region has steadily provided employment to the various waves of immigrants, the last from Central and South America.
Non-profit organization and funding
The Performing Arts Center was established in 1983 with the creation of a non-profit organization. While the building is still owned by the archdioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
, there is a long-term lease with the non-profit. The arts center was originally run by the initiator of the project, Kevin Ashe, pastor of Holy Family at the time, who felt the resource in the community was being underused. In 1991, it began operating as a full-time arts organization. When later there was a controversy with funding denial by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts
New Jersey State Council on the Arts
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts was founded in 1966 to support artistic activities in the state of New Jersey. It is funded by the New Jersey State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts ....
, some claimed that there was a conflict with concept of separation between church and state
Separation of church and state in the United States
The phrase "separation of church and state" , attributed to Thomas Jefferson and others, and since quoted by the Supreme Court of the United States, expresses an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States...
. Nonetheless, the organization does receive some council funding for education and staff. Art for the Park is an annual fundraiser that includes exhibitions and performances.
Stage
Along with the passion playPassion play
A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition....
, another long-running event at the Park is the Multi-Arts Festival, which first took place in 1981. It was initiated by Agnes Dauerman, a Union Hill High School
Union Hill High School
Union Hill Middle School is a public middle school in Union City, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Union City Board of Education, an Abbott District. The school was built in what was formerly Union Hill, New Jersey, which merged with West Hoboken in 1925 to form Union City...
art teacher, who also organized the festival until her retirement in 2005. The festival is a forum for students and others in the community to celebrate artistic and cultural diversity, and includes workshops, exhibitions, and performances. It was held at the PPAC until 2010, when it moved to the Union City Performing Arts Center.
Since its inception the center has presented a variety of performances, ranging from broadway shows, music concerts, Off Broadway productions, recitals, film screening
Film screening
A film screening is the displaying of a motion picture or film, generally referring to a special showing as part of a film's production and release cycle...
s, variety shows, talent showcases
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
, and community celebrations. The resident theater company Hudson Exploited has used the 32nd Street Playhouse, the black box theater
Black box theater
The black box theater is a relatively recent innovation, consisting of a simple, somewhat unadorned performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor.-History:...
of the center, since 1992. Three Kings Day is celebrated annually. Hudson Theater Works, a company dedicated to plays geared toward “the working people” of Hudson County, became the new resident company of the center in February 2011, it first presentation a reading of Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, USA....
.
Among the many musicians who have performed at the Park are Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera is a Cuban alto saxophonist, clarinetist and soprano saxophonist. The winner of multiple Grammys and other awards, D'Rivera has lived in the United States since the early 1980s. He has worked in a variety of contexts, but is perhaps best known for playing Latin...
, the Clancy Brothers, Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
, and El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. Dance groups have included Jose Greco
José Greco
Jose Greco was a flamenco dancer and choreographer.He was born in Montorio nei Frentani, Italy of Italian parents. He was raised in New York City from the time he was 10 years old. He began dancing in Brooklyn with his sister Norina at a young age.He made his professional dancing debut in 1937 at...
, Nai Ni Chen Dance Company, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
Ballet Folklórico de México is a folkloric ballet ensemble in Mexico City. For five decades it has presented dances in costumes that reflect the traditional culture of Mexico...
, Maria Benitez Spanish Dance Company and Hispanic Flamenco Ballet of Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.
The theater has also been used for film and video shoots and screenings. In 1986 the bands Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
filmed the groundbreaking video for their single "Walk This Way
Walk This Way
"Walk This Way" is a song by American hard rock group Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the 1975 album Toys in the Attic. It peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit...
" at the theater, In the same year performance artist Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson
Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
filmed Home of the Brave
Home of the Brave (1986 film)
Home of the Brave is a 1986 American concert film featuring the music of Laurie Anderson, who also directed the movie. The film's full on-screen title is Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson. The performances were filmed at the Park Theater in Union City, NJ during the summer of 1985.The...
. Comedian George Carlin
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
recorded his album What Am I Doing in New Jersey?
What Am I Doing in New Jersey?
What Am I Doing in New Jersey? is a standup comedy concert album by American comedian George Carlin, recorded at the Park Performing Arts Center in Union City, New Jersey for a Home Box Office special and released on August 15, 1988.-Track listing:...
and performance for the HBO special in 1988. The New Jersey City University
New Jersey City University
New Jersey City University is a public university in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. It is a member of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities....
–based Black Maria Film Festival has screened films at the venue.
Visual arts
In addition to the embroidery museum, the Multi-Arts Festival, and Art for the Park, the center also hosts other exhibitions, presenting work of local artists, some of national or international renown. Since 2004, a group show called NoHu Vision has presented work by those living in NoHu, or North HudsonNorth Hudson, New Jersey
North Hudson is the collective name of the municipalities of Weehawken , Union City , West New York , Guttenberg and North Bergen in Hudson County, New Jersey...
.
Location and transportation
Park Performing Arts Center is located at 560 32nd Street, in densely populated Union CityUnion City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
, Hudson County
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
. It is located a few blocks from the Plaza of the Arts, an outdoor venue for artists to congregate and showcase their work and plazas dedicated to Pietro Di Donato
Pietro Di Donato
Pietro Di Donato was an American writer and bricklayer best known for his novel, Christ in Concrete, which recounts of the life and times of his bricklayer father, Geremio, who was killed in 1923 in a building collapse...
, a writer and native son, and Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
, the salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
superstar. on Bergenline Avenue at the Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix. The vehicular cut
Cut (earthmoving)
In civil engineering, a cut or cutting is where soil or rock material from a hill or mountain is cut out to make way for a canal, road or railway line....
bisecting the Hudson Palisades travels east–west between the tunnel
Lincoln Tunnel
The Lincoln Tunnel is a long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...
and the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
. Its above-ground marginal roads (30th and 31st streets) are served by numerous bus lines travelling between the Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and points in Hudson
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
, Bergen
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, and Passaic
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
counties. Many local buses travel along north–south transit corridors (Bergenline and Kennedy Boulevard) south to Hudson Place (Hoboken)
Hudson Place (Hoboken)
Hudson Place, designated Hudson County Route 736, is a 0.05 mile long street in Hoboken, New Jersey that runs along the north side of Hoboken Terminal, providing the only automobile access to the major transportation hub...
and Journal Square
Journal Square
Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues...
to PATH
Port Authority Trans-Hudson
PATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey...
connections and north to Nungessers
Nungessers
Nungessers is the name of the confluence of roads that meet at the Hudson and Bergen county line at North Bergen and Fairview in northeastern New Jersey. The area is former site the Nungesser's Gutenberg Racetrack, a late 19th century gaming and gambling venue. The neighborhood just south of...
and GWB Plaza, passing the Hudson Bergen Light Rail Bergenline Station
Bergenline Avenue (HBLR station)
Bergenline Avenue is a station on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail . The intermodal facility is located on 49th Street between Bergenline Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard at the border of Union City, West New York and North Bergen, New Jersey The station opened for service on February 25, 2006.-Design and...
.
See also
- Exhibitions in Hudson County
- Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the ArchangelMonastery and Church of Saint Michael the ArchangelThe Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel is a state and national historic place in Union City, New Jersey. Formally opened in 1869 and completed in 1875, the grounds of the complex are bounded West Street and Summit Avenue between 18th and 21st Streets. The small street leading to...
- Schuezten Park
- Stanley TheaterStanley Theater (Jersey City)The Stanley Theater is a theater venue near Journal Square in Jersey City, New Jersey.The theater opened to the public on March 22, 1928. Mayor Frank Hague attended the ceremonies that evening and, with the audience, was greeted on the screen by actress Norma Talmadge...