Kristen DeAngelis of the Bower's Street Gallery
Kristin J. DeAngelis and her husband Matt Schmidt opened Bowers St. Gallery in the Heights 18 months ago, while she was working 60 days a week at her day job in marketing. 6 months ago, she audaciously took the plunge and now devotes herself fulltime to her multiple creative passions – teaching, promoting other artists, and creating her own work.
How did you end up here in Jersey City?
I grew up in rural New Haven, went to Providence College, lived in Boston, and eventually moved to Princeton for work. I met my husband at a party in Jersey City, and then followed him here. We are very invested in Jersey City, and the Heights especially. We own a condo, our 2 family home, and we own our commercial gallery space as well.
There’s lots of great new retail popping in the Heights. Your gallery included, of course!
I have to tell you, I just love everything about the Heights. I have never been part of such a real community where everything is so walkable and everyone knows each other. That is what makes this community so special. There is a halo of good feeling and also everything you need is right here.
It took a lot of guts to quit your 9 to 5 for a life in the arts.
Thank you! It’s been so busy trying to get this going. You know, it’s a small gallery, I’m not Larry Gagosian sitting on a pile of money. It’s a lot of relationship building, and that part actually is enjoyable and comes natural to me. I have found though in pursuing this dream that my biggest passion is teaching. I teach two programs for kids in the studio, I teach a free class at our Riverview Farmers Market, and I also teach through a Guggenheim program in Brooklyn. Oh and I have teaching gigs coming up at a charter school and a senior center in Jersey City as well.
As well as curating shows and running a gallery! How do you stay on top of it all?
I need to show you my agenda, seriously. I have been known to carry five highlighters and I will leave it at that. Everything is color coordinated and meticulously planned so I can follow the book. Plus I love it so that helps.
Neighborhood Faves:
Modcup (479 Palisade Ave.) is the morning meeting place in the neighborhood. It’s a great place to talk to other artists and get to know each other and network in a totally informal way.
My husband and I are obsessed with The Tropicana (159 York Ave). It’s incredibly fresh, delicious Dominican food and it is so cheap. So many times I’ll be walking to my bodega to get my fresh fruit and vegetables and I realize, you know what, all I really want is the Tropicana.
We have a really good home grown music scene at the Fox & Crow (594 Palisades Ave). Walter Parks [a renowned guitarist/Congress St. resident who played with the late Richie Havens, also from Jersey City] plays here and his wife Margo Parks books the bands. They do it all here – art, local bands, spoken word performances. Come check it out sometime!
107 Bowers Gallery & ArtSpace, 107 Bowers Street, C2 Web: www.107bowersgallery.com
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