The Jersey City Independent "

Share/Save

Grace Church Van Vorst barely seemed open from the outside Friday night, even as the first-ever Green Teen Music and Arts Festival was happening within. But as the red double doors swung open, the clamor of people gradually got louder until it swept over us like a rush of hot air from an oven.

Movable walls around the perimeter of Grace’s main room featured art from local Jersey City teens hailing from seven area high schools. Photographs, oil paintings and abstract art pieces hung proudly as the artists roamed about the venue hob-nobbing with other artists and friends.

Organized by McNair Academic students and siblings Katie and Hart Welles, the festival sprang from a need for an artistic showcase for teenagers.

“There is no real opportunity for budding artists and photographers,” Hart said in a rare free moment Friday. The 18-year-old was busy all night, tasked with everything from organizing who was going on stage next to making sure all the equipment was running properly to eventually performing with his band Wine and Dinosaurs.

Hart and Katie came up with the Green Teen idea back in December, and with a few calls to a St. Peter’s Prep art teacher and the support of fellow artists, the festival began to take shape.

“I called the art teacher at St. Peter’s Prep, and she loved the idea,” said Katie, an artist with a love for film. She said that they were able to attract teen artists from seven different Jersey City schools.

With the crowds examining and admiring the art, getting close was at first a difficult task, so we decided to check out some literature from a group we first thought was one of the organizers. But we quickly discovered the group was, in fact, a benefactor.

The Friends of Liberty State Park was one of two environmental nonprofits receiving proceeds from the festival. The group has been working with Katie and Hart since they volunteered their time to help during the All Points West festival last summer.

“We have planted 40,000 trees in the park already,” said Jim Legge, a volunteer for the Friends of Liberty State Park. But there are plenty more to be planted and upkeep to be done, he explained. Green Teen will be helping this cause by donating 50 percent of the proceeds from art purchases and 100 percent of the proceeds from the refreshments. That comes to $1,700, an amount that will divided between the Friends of Liberty State Park and American Forests, a national conservation organization that will plant one tree for every dollar donated.

“I wanted to do an event that combined music and [the environment],” said Hart, who hopes to get his degree in sustainable or environmental engineering.

In the middle of the room, about 100 guests sipped and snacked on the refreshments, while on stage, music — from jazz to rock ‘n’ roll to even a fun a cappella group — was played loud and clear. The impressive sound forced feet to tap or voices to sing a loud; everyone in the crowded room shared the gift of gab while bobbing their heads to familiar songs.

“A lot of the [teens] here are regulars of mine,” FJB Comics & Games owner Floyd Bennett said, adding that it was good to see this kind of event going on in Jersey City, with teenagers taking action on something they have a passion for.

Katie and Hart plan on making the Green Teen Music and Arts Festival an annual event, keeping with the theme of nature, art and music, all the while giving the youth of Jersey City an accessible venue to showcase their artistic talents.