This unique art experience can only be found in New Jersey
Manhattan may be known for its art museums, but for a truly unique experience involving murals, sculptures and an old tobacco factory, you’ll have to head to Jersey City. Mana Contemporary is a one-of-a-kind collection of artist studios and exhibition spaces housed within unique, historic buildings in Miami, Chicago and Jersey City. Mana’s flagship space, located in Jersey City, is housed within an old tobacco warehouse that offers visitors firsthand access to a range of art-making techniques.
As Mana Contemporary is an active work and studio space, the only way for the public to get a look inside is on a guided tour, which are held at 3pm on weekdays. Can’t make it for a weekday tour? Don’t fret! Mana offers an immersive artistic experience both inside and outside, as the building itself is covered with multi-story murals and unique sculptures that are worth a visit on their own. Mana also holds book discussions, films, curator talks and dance performances on some evenings and weekends. Mana Jersey City currently hosts residencies by Armitage Gone! Dance, Ayn Foundation and Jonas Mekas Studios, among others, and includes art by ShinYoung An, Doug Argue and Shaleeka Ahuja, among others.
To get there, take your pick from cars, ferries, buses and trains that seamlessly connect the Big Apple with Jersey City. What better way to spend a warm weekday afternoon than by enjoying a beautiful, breezy ride on the NY Waterway ferry while taking in magnificent views of the Manhattan skyline? Ferries leave regularly from Wall Street, downtown Manhattan and Midtown. You could also take the PATH train to Journal Square and walk 10 minutes, grab a Citi Bike or bring your own bicycle on the ferry or train to get around.
For more great recommendations for New York City and the Tri-State Area, please visit our friends at Time Out New York, who authored this article.