Will Work For Pizza

I've been a fan of SICA (Shore Institute for Contemporary Art) and its mission to bring more adventurous art to the region since it first opened in Long Branch several years ago. Located in a huge industrial building that had housed an astounding variety of manufacturing and retail businesses over the previous 80 years, it offered a raw, but huge exhibition space, an almost equally large storage space, plus a cafe section (performances and hanging out) and artists studios. However, they made the decision a few years ago to transition from Long Branch to Asbury Park, and that day is coming soon. They recently announced their new location on Cookman Avenue (and a back door onto Lake Avenue), so much more convenient to get to (about 2 blocks from the Studio). I'm on the e-mail list and got a few notices about a request for help, a painting party to get the place ready to go for a possible event next weekend. Nothing gets my attention more than an offer of free pizza, so I decided to wander over from the Studio for a few hours and lend a hand.

The new space isn't as cavernous as the Long Branch building, divided by 8' walls into a several rooms of various sizes. (a few other dividing walls have already been taken down) The walls were mostly painted various shades of brown and greenish brown, and the mission was to make them gallery white. The photo above shows the first wall I tackled (part of a hallway) and the difference with the new paint. Below is that same wall from a different angle, and a piece of the room behind that wall, with the first coat of paint on each.

Another view of that interior room space, and the two walls of it that I painted.

While that was drying, I moved on to a small room next to it. Seems too small to be a gallery, so maybe it's destined to be an office. I got a coat on the wall next to the door opening and had worked my way partly down the adjacent wall when I was given a more important task- to go get the pizza. Just walked to the corner to order and pick up a couple of plain pies. Upon my return the crew of 6 (other jobs included more painting, spackling, cleaning floors, and some light construction) took a break to eat it.

After the break all the paint rollers and trays had been claimed by others, so I helped out by moving this large, heavy, awkward cabinet from that office room to the bathroom. I left the crew there to continue while I went to go work on some art.

SICA's new location is 608 Cookman Avenue, just off the courtyard behind the Words! book store. If they can finish the job, the plan is to have their 10th Annual Art Auction fundraiser there this coming Friday, November 18th. Check the website for details.