Past Events + Exhibits

Since 2018, SMUSH Gallery has provided a vibrant home for art and community events in the Journal Square neighborhood of Jersey City, NJ. In our lifetime, we have hosted visual art, dance, music, multidisciplinary performance, installation art, pop up markets, open mics, workshops, artist services, and a wide range of community events including seasonal potlucks, movie and game nights, and an eighteen month anti-racism discussion series.


What We’ve Been Up To…

  • 2023-2024 Season
    Black History Month Pop Up by Eleven
    Old School, New Worlds, curated by Dense Magazine/Jersey Art Book Fair
    Fever Dream
    disaster [place], an immersive installation by Katelyn Halpern
    Hangups II: A(nother) Community Curated Art Show

    2022-2023 Season
    Zero to 90: An Affordable Art Show
    Nocturnal Medicine’s Earth Temple
    Once She Dries, a multimedia installation about coral reefs and climate change
    Black History Month Pop Up by Jo Bell
    Are You There? An Immersive Poetry Installation by Benedicto Figueroa
    Hangups: A Community Curated Art Show

    2021-2022 Season
    Zero to 80: An Affordable Art Show
    Bodies Boobies Bootys: An Intimately Public Display of Pleasure and Play
    The Body As An Archive, photography by Olga Rabetskaya
    Alive is a Matter of Opinion: Photography by Christian Gallo
    Please Scream Inside Your Heart, art by Kate Eggleston

    2020-2021 Season
    Innards, curated by Danni Bellando
    An Artist’s Duty, curated by Stephanie Geremito
    Exile in Orange: Visual Art by Buttered Roll
    Occupation: Artists in 2020, curated by Morgaine De Leonardis
    The Zine Show

    2019-2020 Season
    īîìïíinches by Myssi Robinson
    Heart Echoes: Paintings by Marta Blair
    Art on Toast: a surreal collection from SMUSH Gallery
    Netted Seas: work by Zoe Frederick & Caroline McAuliffe
    Tangible Imaginings, curated by Fred Fleisher

    2018-2019 Season
    TouchTouch: Interactive Sculpture by Alex Pergament & Friends
    Zero to 70 // Seventy Works of Art for $70 or Less
    In The In Between: Contemporary Queer Portraiture, curated by Joey Sbarro
    Home Space, curated by Danni Bellando
    Soft News: immediate, everyday artwork for the human in you
    Heartstrung, an immersive installation by Talita Cabral & Katelyn Halpern
    In This House: Gestures of Unrest by Rina Espiritu

    2018 Season
    Be Southern, photography by Breathing Art Company
    Modern Life: paintings by Tom Wolf
    Zero to 60 // fast art // sixty dollars max
    The Flower Show, curated by Maria Ross
    Instax Arrangements, 2018, art by Katelyn Halpern

    Artist Talks
    disaster [place] Artist Talk
    Nocturnal Medicine Earth Temple Artist Talk
    Once She Dries Artist Talk
    Are You There? Artist Talk
    Tour The Zine Show, Hosted by GOMO aka Ghost of Mr. Oberon
    Myssi Robinson on ìīíïîinches
    An Evening In the In Between

  • Dance Fellowship + Spring Dance Series, 2024
    Friends Who Dance’s MOLD
    Mamiko Usuda’s Echoes of the Subconscious
    morgaine de leonardis + Regina Ippolito

    Curatorial Fellowship In Dance, 2021-2022
    Brooke Rucker’s The [Jersey] Function
    Olga Rabetskaya’s The Body As An Archive
    Sarah Rose’s Begin, Again

    Curatorial Fellowship In Dance, 2020-2021
    Maranda Barry’s Dreamlife
    Alison Clancy’s Mutant Gifts
    Iman Louis-Jeune’s Essence of Embodiment Festival
    Jonathan Matthews-Guzman’s Protean Pieces

    Solo Projects
    new immortal
    Sarah Rose’s 12 Hours
    DanielRose Projects’ four shores
    Breathing Art Company’ s Be Southern
    A Day with eSKay Art Collective
    DanielRose Projects’ Translocate
    stb x at’s Blanc & Bonk
    Rachel Erdo’s Castle
    Tinted Windows
    kamrDANCE’s Defining Characteristics

    Mixed Bills
    International Women’s Day of Dance, co-produced with MeenMoves
    I Love Your Vibe
    We Are Particles
    SMUSH Moves, Vol. 1-9

    Monira Foundation Performance Residency

  • Comedy
    Emotionally Inappropriate Stand Up Comedy Series
    A Comedy Show!

    Music
    The Stop Shopping Choir
    Movie Night with the Just Now Orchestra
    "I wonder if she can tell I'm hard right now... Hmm." and Other Classics
    The Just Now Orchestra & Bonnie Lander*
    The Ukuladies in Wintertime!
    Gengis Don & The Empire*
    The Just Now Orchestra w/ Max and Los Americanos
    Alex & Ben Play Quietly
    The Just Now Orchestra & Viktor.Digital
    Bonnie&Batya + LoveLoveLove
    After School Activities | “TouchTouchTouch”
    After School Orchestra | COVER(songs)
    Color of the Snow
    Marmalakes + Friends

    Open Mics
    2nd Annual Black History Month Open Mic: Sunday Service
    Golden Light Open Mic at Hangups II
    Earth Temple Open Mic, Honoring Mama Gaia
    Black History Month Open Mic
    Are You There? Open Mic
    GOMO’s Pre-Summer Open Mic & Lounge
    GOMO’s Pre-Halloween Open Mic & Lounge
    GOMO’s 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Annual Pe-Christmas Open Mic & Lounge
    Slyce of Lyfe: Poetry Reading + Open Mic Series

    Theater
    Message in a Bottle

    Variety Shows
    Disaster Theater
    The New Fantastics II
    An Evening In the In Between
    Fake Summer

    Virtual
    GOMO’s Pre-Tax Day Open Mic & Lounge
    GOMO’s Pre-Valentine’s Open Mic & Lounge
    GOMO’s Pre-Christmas Open Mic & Lounge
    Occupy My Mind: Livestream Virtual Performance
    Quarantine: Solo. The No Contact Telethon.
    GOMO TV
    Weekly MORESOUND Mini Series w/Ben Figueroa, Ezzy Nightingale*, Movie Night with the Just Now Orchestra, Zach Herchen, Rashad Wright, Elliot Cole, Alex Pergament, Gengis Don, & Lateef Dameer

    *MORESOUND Music Residency Artists, co-produced with After School Activities

  • Markets
    Winter Market
    Gallery Aferro Holiday Market
    Spring Market at Zero to 80
    Cold Weather Free Store
    MUYU Market
    T-Shirt Pop Up Shop

    Off Site Events
    Infinite Possibility: an Urban Plant Walk
    Curious Birds
    Jersey Art Book Fair
    Art Fair 14C @ the Armory
    Golden Light Open Mic @ Lackawanna Coffee
    Bergen Square Day
    ESTIA Day Fest
    “The Meaning of The Seed” Dinner Gathering
    Field Trip w/ Larissa Belcic [Bayway Oil Refinery/ Morses Creek Area]

    Other Unique Happenings
    Desire Line
    Coral Woman” Screening
    JC Fridays Open House & Portfolio Review
    Tarot with Joe's Instant Reading Guide Release Party
    Xmas Emergency Dance Jam
    “The Meaning of The Seed” Screening
    JC Fridays Open House
    White Space - Conversations for Anti-Racism Series
    Earth Day Manifesto E-Book Release & Online Discussion
    Drag Queen Megillah Hour
    Honey, What’s a Femdom?
    Refresh Your Headshots w/ Joey Sbarro
    Masked Halloween Dance Party
    The Wet Lounge: A Meadowlands Clubhouse
    Midterms are Coming: Vote For Freedom! a For Freedoms Lawn Sign project
    I Ran in Jersey City - A Celebration of the Democratic Process
    Art + Community Mixer

    Series
    Seasonal Community Potlucks
    Neighborhood Game Night
    The “I Haven’t Seen It” Film Festival
    Family Focused Open Studio Days

  • Series
    WORK/SHARE monthly artist feedback series
    Backstitch Gatherings
    Sound + Motion Improvisation
    The Silent Committee

    Dance, Music, & Performance
    Body of Letters
    Improv Jam with Indah Walsh
    Drills & Skills with spacejunk dance
    Spatial Economy with Hannah Garner
    Structured Exploration with Sienna Blaw
    Yoga with Allison
    Introduction to Ableton
    Find Your Funny: Improv Comedy Workshops
    The "Art" of Translation Workshop by Mignolo Dance
    Making Dances: a kamrDANCE Workshop Fusing Body Rhythms + Modern Movement
    DRIGGProductions Community Dance Class

    Visual Art
    How to Summon an Elemental: a workshop by Sean Suchara
    Once She Dries Youth Arts Workshop
    Visible Mending
    48 Hour Zine-A-Thon
    Beginning Weaving Workshop
    Open Crafting Circle: Lez Craft
    Natural Dye Workshops with Talita Cabral

  • 2023
    Katelyn Halpern
    Heather Warfel Sandler
    Rachel Murdy

    2021
    Muhammad Moves and Artists, Movement
    Reaction Dance Company NYC, Movement
    Black Sheep Contemporary Ensemble, Music
    coHERence, Movement
    Aubin Niragira, Photography
    Jacqueline Viola Moulton, Poetry
    Candice Schnurr, Movement
    Julie Opiel, Movement

    2020
    Benedicto Figueroa, music + poetry
    Rita Jimenez, light installation
    Heather Warfel-Sandler, dance + craft
    Rachel Murdy, performance + visual art
    Anisa Rahim, photography
    Zach Herchen, music

    2019

    Myssi Robinson, Visual Art
    Sarah Rose, Dance
    Nerissa Tutiven, Visual Art
    Larissa Belcic, Landscape Architecture/Social Practice
    Holly Ledbetter, Dance
    Leslie Ann Kilpatrick, Dance/Pedagogy

    2018
    Grant Jacoby, Dance
    Curet Performance Project, Dance
    Valleto Dance, Dance
    Sam Pullin + Noah Tavlin, Visual Art