The Jersey City Independent "

JC Fridays, Art House Productions’ seasonal arts, crafts, and music festival, returns this Friday with craft sales, gallery openings, live music (audience participation encouraged and otherwise), workshops, and film screenings. Whatever the neighborhood, whatever the medium, there’s something happening. Here are just a few to consider:

Anti-Fracking Documentary Gasland at City Hall – 280 Grove Street, 8 pm

BrightMoment and No Gas Pipeline will be screening the Oscar-nominated documentary Gasland Friday at 8 pm in the Council Chambers of City Hall (280 Grove Street). The film, directed by John Fox, investigates just how dangerous fracking is, and just how close to home it can be found (spoiler: the Delaware River).

About the Film: “The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a “Saudia Arabia of natural gas” just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called Gasland. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown.”

For More Information visit the website, watch the trailer.

Pro Arts Jersey City’s Art Eat-Up: Democratically Chosen Art Proposal Takes Home Cash – 39 Erie Street, 7 pm – 10 pm UPDATE: This event has been canceled and is being rescheduled for February.

Pro Arts Jersey City, the arts umbrella group, is holding their fourth Art Eat-Up, a fundraiser dinner with a democratic sensibility. For a small donation you can cast a vote on the artists’ proposals you find most deserving of funding. $20 gets you a meal, a beverage and a ballot, $10 a drink and a ballot, and $5 just a ballot. The votes will be counted at the end of the night and a winner awarded. In previous Eat-Ups, winning proposals have received upwards of $600.

Not Yo Mama’s Holiday Craft Fair and Art House Productions Fundraiser 1 McWilliams Place, 6 pm – 10 pm (Friday); 11 am – 6 pm (Saturday)

The 3rd annual Not Yo Mama’s Holiday Craft Fair brings together local artists and artisans for a two-day crafts fair starting Friday, at 6pm to 10pm, and running through Saturday, December 3rd, from 11 am – 6 pm. Featuring over 50 vendors (partial list: Bag the Habit, the Jersey City Craft Ma#a, Sassy Sweet Treats, The Craftmen, Bonnie Gloris, Kudu-lah Kritters (Brooklyn), and many more), the crafts fair gives you the opportunity to shop early and local for your holiday gifts.

The Fair will continue Saturday with craft tutorials such as a free ornament-making workshop and “holiday how-to’s.” The fair encourages a $5 donation to benefit Art House Productions.

4th Street Arts Presents Round Two of “Take Your Chances” – 371 4th Street (and surrounding area), 7 pm –10 pm

4th Street Arts wants you and whatever instrument / noise-maker you have nearby to swing by for a night of music performance and participation on and around 371 4th Street. The group’s positive message to those on the fence: “Scratch the surface and find it inside you. It’s okay, we’re right here.” It’s as “posi” as music gets.

Dynasty December Gallery Opening / Costume Party – 315 3rd Street, 7 pm – 10 pm

Wealthy affectation, 80′s hair stylings, champagne and caviar, all to the backdrop of a screening of exclusively the “cat-fights” from ABC’s soap opera “Dynasty.” Jersey City arts collective _gaia’s costume party and gallery opening is going to have “big hair, big shoulder pads, and power dress attire… Dress to impress!” So wear your costume of dated affluence and watch as political correctness rolls over in its grave for the night. Oh, and there will be hors d’oeuvres, and cocktails along with art on the walls in case you grow tired of mud fights and face slaps (we’re thinking unlikely).

Jersey City Art School Workshop – 313 3rd Street, 1 pm – 8 pm

JC Fridays wants your budding and/or latent talent to (re-)emerge and is offering the tools for you to do this. Visit the Jersey City Art School Workshop to get your art skill sets back on track.

JCAS, the downtown for-profit artist collective and studio space, is looking to pair your visual arts skills-in-progress with one of their artists. Whether it’s portraiture, poster design, T-shirt design, or just about any other visual medium, you’re going to find an artist’s guidance at the JCAS workshop. There are 7 studios in the 1,800 square-foot facility, as well as an event space and screen printing/etching studio. While you’re there learn about their weekly illustration seminars and film screenings, not to mention the plethora of other visual arts taught at JCAS.

A Sound Start / Winter Open House 489 Jersey Avenue, 10 am

A free day of music lessons for children is being offered at A Sound Start every hour on the hour (from 10am until 2pm). Founded by Kindermusik Maestro Andi Gunden, A Sound Start’s interactive demonstration will give a look at how the school works and the classes offered throughout the year such as Kindermusik, Itsy Bitsy Yoga, and a Percussion Workshop. For more information on the school visit the website.

Pianoland @ Morgan Junction, After-After Party, 196 Morgan Street, 11:30 pm – 6 am

Because why stop when the bars do? Live music and DJs spinning at this free to all event that will “bring you safely to the morning sun,” according to the organizers. Of course at that point you’ll probably want to get your 5 hours of sleep in before Not Yo Mama’s Craft Fair continues at 11:30 am on Saturday.

Too many to choose from? There are dozens more listed at the JC Fridays website, so check the schedule and plan accordingly.

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