NJ TRANSIT LAUNCHES 'MUSIC IN MOTION' LIVE PERFORMANCE PORTION OF TRANSITIONAL ARTS PROJECT
NJ TRANSIT Expands In-Station Arts Presentations to Include Live Dance, Music Performances Through January 2020
December 10, 2019
NJ TRANSIT welcomed Xiaofang Huangmei Arts Academy to the Secaucus Junction station for the initial live performance of the 2019-2020 TRANSITional Arts Project. The Academy performed two traditional Chinese dances in the main atrium of the station to the applause of customers in the first of four live performances by various artists through the end of January.
“NJ TRANSIT’s ‘Music in Motion’ program is a great complement to the TRANSITional Arts platform, bringing diverse arts to our public spaces for our customers to enjoy,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “We worked to reflect the great variety of cultures that make up the Garden State and will continue to search for talented visual and performance artists as we continue this project.”
The inaugural exhibition entitled ‘Dwell Time’ launched at Newark Penn Station in October 2019 and will run through December 2019. The exhibition includes paintings, installations, videos, and even a giant children’s book along the windows of a bus shelter. The initial works, which are still available to the viewing public, include pieces from painter Serena Bocchino, visual artist Michael Dal Cerro, animator Juliacks, and filmmakers Marylou & Jerome Bongiorno.
The Xiaofang Huangmei Arts Academy was founded by Xiaofang Chen in 2015 to spread the joys of the Huangmei Opera tradition and Qipao fashion arts throughout North America. The performers have danced at theaters, cultural events and festivals throughout the tri-state area over the past three years.
Upcoming shows will all be featured at historic Newark Penn Station, and will include live performances from artists such as electronic and experimental music band Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves, native and traditional percussionist Machuco, and playwright Yasmine Beverly Rana.
The goals of the TRANSITional Arts program are to connect NJ TRANSIT customers and their community with new and exciting experiences in their daily lives and to provide New Jersey artists both exhibition opportunities and a supportive experience creating public art in transit spaces. NJ TRANSIT and the State Arts Council intend to continue providing new art exhibitions at Newark Penn Station and Secaucus Junction in the future and expand to other stations throughout the state.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 251 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines, and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations, and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia.
This document and others are available for translation on njtransit.com.