Artworks inspired by 99 cent stores.

Jersey City Museum and Victory Hall Inc. have teamed up yet again to bring you a new exhibition of contemporary art, 99¢. This exhibition was inspired by several things, including a mere walk down Jersey City’s Newark Avenue, where a surplus of 99¢ stores and other discount stores crowd the sidewalks, alongside nail salons and little eateries. 99¢ CREATIONS, 99¢ DREAM, TODO-TODO 99¢, 99¢ OR LESS… these are the various names accorded to these institutions of mass quantity, cheap goods, and abundance of both the extremely necessary and the utterly frivolous.

The uber-discount store has its roots in the five and dime store of the mid-20th century and has grown to become part of a worldwide economy. These establishments of overwhelming abundance underscore the effects of globalization. At the same time, they are rife with aesthetic possibility. This exhibition explores the influence of the 99¢ store and its merchandise on contemporary art. Artists were asked to be inspired by the stores, make works from their products, or represent them in some way in their work. The result is a monument to kitsch, with a nod to Pop Art, global politics and the legacies of big business. Artists whose work served as inspiration for the concepts behind this exhibition, such as Maggie Ens, Margaret Murphy, and Alejandra Villasmil, are also included in the show.

The Jersey City Museum and Victory hall present Shua Group’s, Crowded Action at 99¢ during the exhibition of 99¢. Crowded Action at 99¢ is a site-specific dance which features fifteen performers and live music by Brooklyn based composer Stephen Cooper and will be performed at the artist opening and the closing party for the 99¢ exhibition. The performers will move through the crowd, on stage, outside and throughout the exhibition space. The choreography relates both to the behavior of crowds and the artwork at the 99¢ exhibition.

Michael Alan, Gema Alava-Crisostomo, Aliza Augustine, Susan Breitsch, Curtis B. Carman, Patricia Dahlman, Priscila De Carvalho, Wendy Deschene, John Donovan, Maggie Ens, Norm Francoeur, Asha Ganpat, J.D Gaul, Tamara Gonzales, Rebecca Goyette, Allison Green, Colwyn Griffith, Robert Kosinski, Junho Lee, Jeff Macaluso, Norma Markley, Graham McNamara, Margaret Murphy, Mollie Murphy, Gary O’Connor, Alexandra Pacula, Ronnie Mae Painter, Nicholas Parisi, Lisa Petsu Lagunes, Laura Quattrocchi, Molly Schwartz, Jason Seder, Keungsuk K. Sexton, Michael Steele, Paul Sullivan, Raul Villarreal, Alejandra Villasmil, Jason Watson, Amy Westpfahl, Stephanie Wright

Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado