Mayor Wilda Diaz has announced that the Perth Amboy Gallery Center for the Arts will have a grand reopening at its new location at 339 Reade St. on Saturday, April 25, 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.
The gallery is fully funded by the Perth Amboy Business Improvement District (BID), which operates under the administration of the Urban Enterprise Zone Program (UEZ). Robert McCoy is the UEZ director.
The renovated site occupies city-owned space previously used by city government for other purposes. The gallery's previous location on Front Street was leased by the city for $40,000 annually.
"We are very pleased to once again offer cultural enrichment programs and activities to our community through the Perth Amboy Gallery Center," said Mayor Diaz. "The new location allows us to continue providing this important service to our community but at a significant savings since we no longer pay to lease the location."
For opening day, the gallery will feature an art exhibition by local artists, dance by the group Amar la Bomba and the Brandis Dance Theatre, and music by Luis Bermudez and other groups. The gallery will also host bilingual tours, and provide the opportunity for the public to register for art classes. Olga Bautista is the director of the Perth Amboy Gallery Center, which is in its fifth year of operation. The gallery offers art classes, workshops, seminars, and cultural enrichment sessions for school groups and seniors. It also displays local and regional artists, and hosts a variety of cultural exhibitions. Admission is free.