THE HEIST PROJECT
World Premiere November 2005
CALL FOR ENTRIES - visual artists/set designers
*The Heist Project encourages former tenants of 111 First Street and the Powerhouse Arts District to participate, though all artists’ work will be considered.
Creators of The Heist Project are asking artists to choose 1 or more pieces from the works which were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (see below) for reinvention. Please note: we do not want replicas. We want work that puts a fresh, imaginative spin on these pieces of art. We are looking for large-scale, three-dimensional installation pieces. All art should allow for the incorporation of live actors “inside” the paintings. These actors will speak and interact with the audience.
Artists should be prepared to dialogue with the show’s creators, as their work will be part of a larger theatrical concept. Small stipends are available.
The stolen works can be viewed at: http://www.arthouseproductions.org/heist.html
All proposals must be received by Monday, September 26, 2005. Work must be completed and ready for installation at Victory Hall on or before Tuesday, October 25, 2005.
To be considered for the show, artists must submit the following:
Name, address, email, phone #
Images (any format) of previous artwork and a written and/or sketched plan of what you intend to display. Please include thoughts on how you arrived at your choice(s) and interpretation(s).
Indicate which stolen Gardner work(s) you are interpreting. Please note where you see the live actors existing inside of your piece.
Include an SASE for the guaranteed return of submitted materials. Notification will be made by early October.
For questions, call or email Christine Goodman, Producer, at 201-915-9911 or email info@arthouseproductions.org
Send all materials to Art House Productions, PO Box 3264, Jersey City, NJ 07303
or email submissions to heistproject@aol.com. All materials must be
RECEIVED BY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th.
ABOUT THE PLAY:
Fifteen years ago, paintings by Rembrandt, Degas, Vermeer and others were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA, leaving a massive hole in the collection of one of the world's foremost patrons of the arts. Although these works are valued at over $500 million, they are considered by many to be priceless. Due to stipulations in Ms. Gardner's will, the museum could not be altered after her death, leaving huge spaces of bare gallery wall where the art once hung.
Right now, Jersey City, NJ, is experiencing a similar sense of artistic loss. Due to struggles over space and property development, artists who once resided in the Powerhouse Arts District have been forced to vacate their studios and homes. The heartbeat and creative force of Jersey City lives on, but hundreds of artists who once lived and worked together do so separately now, and many have left town by necessity. The arts community is rebuilding with fervor, but there is no denying that Jersey City was wounded terribly by this loss within the Powerhouse Arts District.
In November 2005, Art House Productions will present The Heist Project, an exciting, collaborative, multimedia play exploring these two true stories. The Heist Project is a "living art exhibit" where modern interpretations of the stolen Gardner works come to life with actual actors inside of the paintings (dialogue to be created by area poets and writers). Ultimately, The Heist Project is meant to be a reflection of the value our society places on its art and artists.
The Heist Project will take place in Victory Hall’s 4,000 sq ft. third floor space. The show will open on Friday, November 4, 2005 and performances continue on Thursdays - Saturdays at 8pm. Performance schedule is as follows: November 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19. Though all care will be taken to handle and protect artworks properly, we are an active, community-oriented space. Artists display work at their own risk.
VICTORY HALL is at 186 Grand St. (at Marin Blvd.) in Jersey City (do not use this as a mailing address). For more information about Art House Productions, visit www.arthouseproductions.org.
