I went to one of their parties a few months back and it was really fun. Great group of people and there was a ton of talent in the place.

Will the coalition provide a clay studio? Otherwise I'm wondering how I can sneak a 2500 lb gas-fired kiln into my third floor walk-up apartment. Also?I'm hoping I can get some volunteers to help carry all the pieces of the kiln up the stairs.

Summer Dawn Hortillosa / For The Jersey Journal




Get in touch with yourself at Spiritual Creations, an art, music and community event tomorrow in Jersey City.

The Good Vibes Coalition is once again taking over Cafe Sole in Bergen-Lafayette to give artists a place to share their work.

?We created this space for us to experience art,? said co-organizer Wendelin Regalado. ?With this show, the focus is really on grounding ourselves in a new year and taking time to center ourselves as we embark into 2014.?

Guests can enjoy art by local artists like Melina Ortiz, Tatiana Lopez and Fermin Mendoza as well as a jam session led by Mark Santos (better known as ?Wyme? of former local band Audiobodies) and Alex Pergament.

There will also be more interactive experiences including a communal sand mandala and ?body work? by Carol Crystal, which includes massage therapy and acupuncture methods.

Regalado, who will also present some of her own poetry at the event, is especially looking forward to a street theater piece that will kick off the show.


?It?s going to speak to spirituality in this particular area of Jersey City,? she said. ?What does it mean to be on land that was colonized so many hundreds of years ago and to live on the land? How does it affect our spirit??

?Also, this is a culturally predominantly Black neighborhood,? she added. ?A lot of people in this neighborhood have been here for their entire life ... we?re going to incorporate the spirituality of the people who have been here historically, even going back to the time of colonization.?

Aside from showcasing work by artists from the neighborhood, the Good Vibes Coalition also brings in artists from other parts of New Jersey.
?It?s not a matter of tribalism, where it?s just our people, but it?s also not a matter of gentrification or, ?Hey guys, look what?s going on over there,?? said Regalado.

Since the coalition began hosting events at Cafe Sole, Regalado says they?ve been catching the attention of passersby.

?We?re just getting started. There?s definitely a buzz being generated and at least a question or acknowledgement of something different happening,? she said.

Spiritual Creations will be held on Thursday, at 6:30 p.m. at Cafe Sole, 496 Communipaw Ave., Jersey City.