The art world in Manhattan and Jersey City is very different. Often compared yet rarely merged, art in these cities is vastly different in terms of buyers, sellers, and artists alike. While in Manhattan you may come across well-known artists of the past century such as Mr. Brainwash or Banksy, in Jersey City you will probably come across artists who are lesser-known, as well as lesser-paid.

For resident artist at JCTC Merseles Studios, Lucy Rovetto, Jersey City is not just Manhattan?s pit stop across the river; it is her home. Raised in Greenville, a small community located in the southernmost part of Jersey City, Rovetto always pictured herself as an artist, even when it seemed she needed to take a break from the scene altogether.

?My upbringing was very strict Christian and my mom thought that art was the devil, so she wasn?t behind me even going to school for art. But I always did it. I always doodled on my walls. My parents were supportive, but they were also patiently waiting for me to realize that art wasn?t the way to go. After awhile, I think they saw that I wasn?t going to get it out of my system,? says Rovetto.

During her time pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts at New Jersey City University, Lucy was selected to work as an intern for what had just become the Jersey City Museum, located on the fourth floor of the local library.

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