Here is the morning update from New Jersey's arts newswire. We regularly publish between 8-15 new articles and news reports each day. Nobody covers the Arts throughout the Garden State like New Jersey Stage!
If your arts organization sends out press releases, make sure you have info@newjerseystage.com on your media list for coverage.
theatre
Two River Theater Announces 2024-2025 Howard Aronson Metro Scholars 
(RED BANK, NJ) -- Two River Theater has announced the 2024-2025 Howard Aronson Metro Scholars. This year-long program offers a unique opportunity for high school juniors from across New Jersey to learn about professional theater and contribute to the work at Two River. Since 2005, 223 outstanding students have completed the Howard Aronson Metro Scholar program, some of them going on to pursue collegiate and professional careers in theater. The 2024-2025 Metro Scholars will be the 20th class to take workshops with professional artists, assist staff in a variety of departments throughout the organization and see every show in Two River's season for free.
music
CBS Mornings Profiles JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, Melissa Walker, & Christian McBride 
On July 30, 2024, CBS Mornings aired their profile of the nationally recognized jazz education organization JAZZ HOUSE KiDS. CBS host Vladimir Duthiers spoke with Founder Melissa Walker and her husband, nine-time GRAMMY-Award winning bassist and the non-profit's Artistic Director Christian McBride. While visiting the JAZZ HOUSE headquarters in Montclair, NJ, Duthiers also interviewed JAZZ HOUSE KiDS students Mark Ricco and Sinclair Powell about the positive impact the organization has had on their lives.
film
First Look Review - "Starve Acre" 
The current crop of cinematic folk-horror hasn't yielded much of a harvest in terms of quality. Perhaps the 21st century just isn't a good fit for this sub-genre, which had its heyday (or hay day) in the '70s, particularly in Britain. The cream of this crop amounts to a handful of movies and TV shows made in the UK in that post-flower-power decade that saw many turn away from the progress of the modern world and embrace "the old ways." As such, folk-horror has become inextricably linked with beige and corduroy.
9th Annual Indie Street Film Festival Preview 
(RED BANK, NJ) -- The ninth annual Indie Street Film Festival (ISFF), presented by Basie Center Cinemas, takes place August 19-25, 2024. ISFF 2024 will kick off at the Vogel theater with the New Jersey Premiere of the acclaimed documentary Mediha, directed by ISFF alum filmmaker Hasan Oswald (Higher Love). Both Oswald and subject Mediha Alhamad will be in attendance.
dance
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Announces New Board Member Jen Gong 
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company has announced the addition of a new member to the board of the company. Jen Gong is an Associate Director at Copper Hill Development, a commercial real estate advisory firm based in New York City. Prior to Copper Hill, she was a Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle. Jen is currently the Executive Vice President of the MIT Club of New York. Her previous board experience includes the Emerging Leaders board for the Bottomless Closet. Jen received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees from MIT, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
community
5th Annual New Brunswick HEART Festival 
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick Cultural Center, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), and I Am D.Muse present the 5th Annual New Brunswick HEART Festival on Saturday, August 10, 2024 from 2:00pm-6:00pm; hosted by New Jersey Radio Hall of Famer Bert Baron and Founder of TSO Productions, Sharon Gordon. This free family-friendly festival celebrates the vibrant arts and history of New Brunswick and Middlesex County, featuring live music and dance performances; free dance classes for kids; food, craft, and art vendors; arts and crafts for kids; free face painting, Henna, caricatures, and balloon animals; and more. The festival will take place in downtown New Brunswick on Livingston Ave (Monument Square, 2 Livingston Ave).
New Jersey State Council on the Arts Approves Over $30 Million in Grants, Names New Chair 
(TRENTON, NJ) -- On July 30th, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts awarded more than $30 million in grants to support approximately 900 arts organizations, projects, and artists throughout the state. The grants were approved at the Council's 58th Annual Meeting in Trenton, which featured a special musical performance by Hector Morales, a 2024 Arts Council Heritage Fellow.
books
Shed College Admissions Anxiety: Dr. Irena Smith's Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk 
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Teens and parents feeling the pressure and uncertainty of college applications will want to hear what Irena Smith, Ph.D. learned through experience. The former Stanford admissions officer will offer clarity and insight during her Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk on Thursday, August 15, 2024. Dr. Smith will present constructive, sensible ways to undertake the admissions process, help preserve parent-teen relationships and help teens define success on their own terms rather than chasing the elusive "golden ticket." The event begins at 2:00pm.
