On a rainy Saturday afternoon, about fifty artists, gallery owners, and arts leaders gathered at the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center at 140 Martin Luther King Drive.
They had come together to discuss something much bigger—the future of the Jersey City Artist & Studio Tour (JCAST), the city’s longest-running annual arts event.
At the front of the room, Amy Elise de Jong, chair of the Jersey City Arts Council (JCAC), clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.
With a warm but serious tone, she compared herself to a camp counselor managing a lively group of creatives.
She knew the people in the room had strong opinions and big ideas, but she needed them to focus on the main issue at hand: Who would lead the next JCAST?
For the past 35 years, this citywide arts celebration has been a major event, drawing artists and audiences from all over.
But now, as plans for its 36th edition should already be underway, there’s one big problem—no one is in charge.
- The Jersey City Artist & Studio Tour (JCAST) is at risk because no one has organized it for 2025. Without leadership, the event may not happen.
- The Jersey City Arts Council (JCAC) and the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs support JCAST but have made it clear that they will not take charge of organizing it.
- Artists and supporters agree that JCAST is important and should continue, but without someone taking the lead soon, the event could shrink or disappear altogether.
No Clear Leader, No Clear Plan
The meeting was, in a sense, about survival for JCAST.
Artists expected a clear plan and maybe even a new leader.
Instead, Amy Elise de Jong confirmed that the Jersey City Arts Council would not run JCAST.
The city’s Office of Cultural Affairs, which had managed it for years, wouldn’t either.
This left many unsure.
If neither the Council nor the city government was stepping in, then who would?
De Jong reassured everyone that both groups would still offer their support, but someone else had to take the wheel when it came to actual leadership.
For some, this wasn’t the news they wanted to hear.
Planning JCAST is a massive job that requires funding, organization, and strong leadership.
It’s more than picking dates and sending invitations—it takes months of coordination, marketing, and community engagement.
And if the event will happen in 2025, work needs to begin now.
The Challenge of Finding a New Organizer
For the past two years, JCAST has been in the hands of Robinson Holloway, the director of Art Fair 14C.
However, she has a packed schedule in 2024, with the May return of the Art Fair in the Powerhouse Arts District and the launch of Project 14C, a huge new artist residency program.
Even if she wanted to take on JCAST again, juggling everything would be nearly impossible.
Still, Holloway attended the meeting and wasn’t sitting on the sidelines.
When de Jong asked the group to break into five smaller groups and brainstorm ideas, she joined in with enthusiasm.
Each group was assigned a question about JCAST’s future, and everyone wrote their thoughts on Post-it notes before presenting them to the rest of the room.
At first, it might have felt like a school project, but the energy in the room soon changed.
It became an opportunity for artists to reconnect, share their hopes for the Tour, and discuss what it means for Jersey City.
Several themes stood out in the discussion.
Artists agreed that JCAST should be more inclusive, making space for diverse voices and communities.
They wanted better transportation to connect different tour locations so it’s easier for visitors to get around.
They also saw JCAST as an opportunity to boost local artists’ careers, creating more ways for them to sell their work and reach new audiences.
Everyone in the room believed JCAST was important, and no one wanted to see it disappear, but passion alone wasn’t enough to make it happen.
Without leadership, all those ideas and dreams won’t go anywhere.
If No One Leads, What Happens Next?
The big question now is whether someone or a group will step up to organize JCAST.
If no official leader emerges, there’s a chance the Tour could happen in a more informal way.
Maybe galleries and studios could open their doors independently, coordinating their schedules loosely rather than through one central plan.
Some artists liked this idea because it reminded them of JCAST’s early days when the event was more spontaneous and community-driven.
But others pointed out the challenges.
Without an official organizer, would there be any funding?
Would there be advertising?
Would there be a way to ensure that people showed up?
The artists at the meeting had big ideas for JCAST’s future, but without leadership, those ideas might not turn into reality.
At this point, it’s up to the Jersey City arts community.
JCAST has survived for 35 years because artists and organizers worked hard to keep it going.
But now, it’s at a critical moment.
If no one takes charge, the event could get smaller or even stop completely.
However, if the right person—or group—steps up, JCAST could survive and grow into something even greater.
