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The Roosevelt Arts Project (RAP) is a collaborative venture of friends and neighbors in and around Roosevelt, New Jersey. Bringing together artists in a variety of media, our mission is to foster collaboration and present their work to the public.
Founded in 1986 by the nationally known artists, Bernarda Bryson Shahn and Jacob Landau, and others including writers and musicians, the Roosevelt Arts Project presents a series of annual events. This varied series premieres new works by Roosevelt playwrights, painters and potters, folk singers, poets, and composers, as well as experimental collaborations.
To download the new
RAP 2023–2024 events schedule, please click
the icon below.
Eighth Annual Art Walk and Open-Air Gallery
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 1:00–4:00 pm
Roosevelt Public School, 2 School Lane, Roosevelt NJ, then to the trail along Empty Box Creek
Spend an autumn day walking down a wooded trail beside a gently flowing creek, and along the way enjoy artistic creations made by Roosevelt residents. On your journey you may take a moment to hear a tune played by local musicians or listen to poetry being recited.
NEW THIS YEAR! The Art Walk will begin at the Roosevelt Public School. There you will be able to view the New Deal mural in the school’s lobby, painted by the local Great Depression-era artist Ben Shahn.
Light refreshments and restroom facilities will be available. Follow the signs and you will see the monumental sculpture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt created by renowned sculptor Jonathan Shahn.
ALSO NEW THIS YEAR! Children’s arts and crafts projects will be set up on tables beneath the FDR bust sculpture at the amphitheatre.
Videographer Eric Vuolle captured the entire RAP Open Mic concert on August 19. He just posted it on YouTube. Click the image and watch the show!
The Roosevelt String Band is back in their old home base, Roosevelt Borough Hall.
Formed in 1987, the RSB with some of its original members performs Canadian folk in this first post-Covid concert.
The folk music is interspersed with interviews with some of the long-time band members including founders, David Brahinsky, Paul Prestopino and Ed Cedar.
Go to: https://youtu.be/917nkM9b5mE
A Conversation with Baruch Spinoza
Don't miss Part 1 of this fictional interview with 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza, whose ideas about God and Nature were far ahead of his time. This introduction to the embattled Jewish-Portuguese thinker who lived in Amsterdam will be followed by a more extensive look at his ideas in Part 2.
Spinoza is the latest addition to the ongoing multi-media collaboration, "Conversations with Great Dead Writers."
The interview was written and performed by Dr. David Brahinsky, and the video was produced by Ron Kostar and Ben Johnson.
Go to: https://youtu.be/q57QRuy2AmM
To view videos of past historical conversations, visit the Collaborations page on this website.
In Case You Missed It
Taken All Too Soon
Listen to the video of Alan Mallach's February 26, 2022 recital, in which he performs the works of gifted composers who died in their twenties. In order of performance, works featured include piano sonatas by George Frederick Pinto and Norbert Burgmuller, Three Pieces for Piano by Lili Boulanger, and conclude with the Piano Sonata of Guillaume Lekeu. An encore features a prelude by Yulian Scriabin (son of the famous composer), who tragically died at the age of 12.
Jacob Landau's Stained Glass Windows
A Talk by David Herrstrom is now available on YouTube.
The nationally-known Roosevelt artist Jacob Landau created 10 breathtaking windows,
which he titled "The Prophetic Quest," for a synagogue in Elkins Park, PA. Each one is 23'
high and 5' wide featuring a Hebrew prophet's quest for justice. This video of the talk was made possible by the architectural photographer Tom Crane and the videographer Eric Vuolle.
The Roosevelt Mural
The mural shown in the header was created by Ben Shahn in 1937-38 to commemorate the New Deal resettlement community of Jersey Homesteads, now called Roosevelt, N.J. The mural can still be seen in the Roosevelt Public School. As one of the first and finest art works in the town, it is only appropriate that it should serve as the header for the RAP site.
NEW: a video of the excellent talk given by Alan Mallach about the mural as part of RAP's 25th anniversary celebration is now available.
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Revised COVID Guidelines: For most events masks are not required.
