February Update
a NJ Bakesale for LA, lots of opps, sticker club in Montclair, and more!
Jersey Collective has been on Instagram for over ten years, since the end of 2013, when I created the account after finally settling on a name. I even once wrote an essay about how much I valued the ways the app could bring people together for the now-defunct Alternative Music & Art Magazine Lamplighter. That version of Instagram, the one that connected me to so many people I love, feels so far away. I don’t blame anyone who wants to get off the app.
There are a lot of things I don’t love about Instagram at the moment, and haven’t for a while, from their new non-moderation policy to the redesign that got rid of the squares. I don’t want AI searches or chatbots or any of that stuff. I miss the version of the app that just allowed us to share bits of our lives with each other, and to find out about events and new places to visit.
But I’ve been building this community using Instagram as our only social media platform for over a decade, so I don’t plan, at this point, to leave. Among other things, it’s where I find out about a lot of the links and opps I include in these newsletters. I also just don’t have the energy to figure out how to use something new right now.
I value this space because I get to come into your inboxes every month with a bunch of stuff I think will amuse, distract, entertain, or teach you something interesting about the state we all love. There’s a lot of heaviness elsewhere, and a lot of people who do great, serious news reporting on issues that affect our state, so if you’re looking for those things, there are plenty of other places to find them. I’m going to keep sharing my projects, weird/fun/cool stuff I think you’ll like, interviews, and lists of local opportunities for artists and writers here, and I hope you look forward to getting these issues as much as I enjoy putting them together.
Earlier this week, New Jersey Go Fish officially turned one year old! Producing this project in collaboration with Alex was one of the most fun things that occupied my time in 2024. Thanks to everyone who picked up a deck, played with friends, and shared photos with us on Instagram!
Kerri
Recent buzz
Thank you to Rachel and Janette for having me on the Lost in Jersey podcast! I enjoyed talking to them about all things Jersey Collective and New Jersey Fan Club. And thanks to our mutual connection, Laura, for suggesting I’d be a good guest!
A lot of my friends and colleagues sent me the link to the January edition of the New Jersey Library Association newsletter, which features a write-up (on page 9) about our exhibit held over the summer at the Paul Robeson Library at Rutgers-Camden!
Upcoming Events
Bake Sale for LA
Sunday, February 9 from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Artie’s upstairs: 15 Newark Way, Maplewood, NJ
I will not be here during the event (except at the start when I drop off/probably buy some things), but I am baking some cookies that will be available for sale! I learned to bake cookies I actually think are good a few years ago thanks to my friend of many talents, Kamelia, because I wanted to do a good job for my work’s annual cookie exchange. I haven’t decided what I’m making yet, but they’ll be available along with a bunch of other great stuff, I’m sure!
Jersey Art Book Fair
Saturday & Sunday, February 22 & 23, 2025
Mana Contemporary: 888 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ
50 Pies, 50 States Q&A at the Montvale Public Library
Monday, February 24, 2025 at 6:30 PM
In conversation with my friend Stacey Mei Yan Fong about her pie cookbook, 50 Pies, 50 States! Registration required.
Burlington County Book Festival
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Burlington County Library: 5 Pioneer Blvd., Westampton, NJ
Can’t make it to an event? Shop our online souvenir shop! New Jersey Fan Club is also available wherever books are sold—if your favorite local shop doesn’t have it, ask them to order it!
Sticker Club
There’s still time to see our machine at Iris in Montclair! The pop-up runs through February 15th. Full details here!
The Hoboken Historical Museum is holding a poetry event called Jersey Grown, “a special celebration of Garden State born-and-raised poets representing Paterson, Jersey City, and Central Jersey,” on February 16th.
Curbed has a feature on the architecture of Bell Labs, tied of course to its current pop culture relevance as a location in the AppleTV+ show Severance, complete with some cool old photos of the building that show how little it has changed.
Congrats to two New Jersey chefs on being named 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists for the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category: Dan Richer of Razza in Jersey City and David Viana of Lita in Aberdeen.
I can’t wait for the spring, and I especially can’t wait to see The Jersey Diners play again—new merch just dropped and it’s amazing.
If you’ve been to a Devils hockey game this season, you may have noticed that the Mrs. Fields Cookie has lost every single dessert race. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, basically there is this thing they do on the screen during a break where 3D versions of Mrs. Fields cookie, a Welsh Farms soft serve twist, and an Auntie Anne’s pretzel run a race and a designated section of seats get free dessert vouchers for whichever item wins. The cookie has human-looking legs which are honestly terrifying, and I love it. You can see a good video of this here, complete with everyone booing at the end when Cookie loses. I just really want to know what is going on here. Did Mrs. Fields decrease their ad amount? Did they increase it? I honestly have never thought so much about Mrs. Fields as I have the last few months because of this, so whatever is happening is working. I really hope I’m present for the game when Cookie finally wins, because everyone is going to lose it.
Welcome to the NJ Q+A, where we hear from an interesting New Jerseyan! Interview has been lightly edited for space.
This month, I talked to Tacy of Friluftsliving Family, about how we can embrace the last bit of winter. She has a great newsletter you can check out here, and scroll down for our conversation!
For those who are unfamiliar, can you explain the concept of Friluftsliv?
Friluftsliv (pronounced "free-loofts-liv") is a Scandinavian ethos and Norwegian word that translates literally as “free air life.” It's a way of living in nature and the seasonal moment... and this means all seasons, including the toughest one (winter).
What is your personal connection to the concept and why is it a passion of yours?
I first came across the concept of friluftsliv in a National Geographic article in the fall of 2020. It caught my eye because my side of the family has Norwegian roots and I was deeply missing my extended family, who we could not visit due to the pandemic. We were also at a moment where my husband and I had just spent a beautiful summer outdoors in New Jersey with our two boys, which felt like a reprieve from the lockdowns and online demands of work and school. We were doing all kinds of things outside in a way we had not before, and I was dreading the thought of having to go back indoors when colder weather returned. Our time outdoors had been so healing and energizing. I realized we could change our mindset and find joy, outside, in even the darkest of months. We needed a little motivation to brave the cold and dark, so we came up with a family challenge: “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv.” The idea was to have one meaningful outdoor experience a week, for the 15 weeks from December to Daylight Savings. We took turns coming up with ideas that were not, in our boys' words, “another hike,” and we surprised ourselves with how many wonderful winter outdoor activities there are.
How has New Jersey influenced your relationship with friluftsliving?
I grew up in Utah and California and my husband is from New Hampshire. You can imagine the number of jokes our families made about the wilderness of New Jersey when we first moved here in 2006. The Jersey Collective community knows the real beauty of this state and so do we. There is incredible biodiversity and nature to explore. I didn't fully appreciate it until we embraced friluftsliv. The mindset of being in the seasonal moment and observing what's around you inspires you to explore new places. We joke that you can friluftsliv where ever you live, even in New Jersey, but the truth is that this state offers so many outdoor opportunities, it's not that hard to step outside and experience awe. We are so fortunate to have so many nature organizations and preserves where you can sign up for programs that are fun and offer incredible insight into the environment around us.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to learn to embrace winter?
You don't have to be “outdoorsy” to get outside and enjoy winter. Friluftsliv is not a competition and is not about conquering anything. It's for everyone, and it's an opportunity to find joy and awe. It helps to plan ahead and be intentional with your time, but this is why we love sharing ideas in our weekly winter newsletter to make activities easy and welcoming. Food is often a great motivator (especially if you have middle and high schoolers!) and serving up seasonal hot beverages is always a highlight of our winter adventures. It also helps to find a group that can help with the outing if you're new to winter adventures. Programs through organizations like Audubon, Raritan Headwaters Association, and county parks are wonderful to give you the opportunity to explore alongside helpful guides. Get ready to be inspired by how much the season really offers.
We're about halfway through your 15-week initiative. What are a few things you have planned for the remainder of the winter?
We are in the middle of an incredible fifth (!) year of "15 Weeks of Friluftsliv" and this is the moment in the season when, without friluftsliv, the winter blues could really get you. We have several things lined up to get us outside as a family in coming weeks, including checking out "froga," a frozen yoga + hike program at Raritan Headwaters Association and we're doing a super fun collaboration for all ages with Dance Local in Bernardsville. When you think of the worst winter weather forecast, it has to be the “wintry mix,” so we're turning that on its head with a Wintry Mix silent disco and dance party OUTSIDE! It will be the ultimate mix of music and moves to make you chill in the best way possible.
“Isles, Inc. is requesting proposals for the design and completion of a mural project located in the Old Trenton Neighborhood (OTN) at Perry & Montgomery Street, Trenton, NJ. The mural will be created on a free-standing structure on a vacant lot.” Deadline: 2/7.
Flemington DIY is hosting an analog photography exhibition that “aims to bring together and celebrate New Jersey based photographers who carry on the legacy of analog photographic traditions.” Deadline: 2/9. Submission fees.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of The Great Gatsby, Princeton University Library and the Arts Council of Princeton are accepting proposals for a mural that takes “inspiration from Fitzgerald’s writing and the iconic imagery that’s since accompanied The Great Gatsby to propose a design to be translated into a 32×8′ public art piece.” Deadline: 2/13.
The Monmouth Museum’s 45th annual juried show is accepting submissions. Deadline: 2/14. Submission fees.
The Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund is accepting grant applications from artists and art organizations. Deadline: 2/18 at 5:00 PM.
New Jersey State Council on the Arts’ 2025 New Jersey Arts Annual Exhibition “Artist as Activist” at Rowan University is accepting work from New Jersey artist “whose work tackles a wide range of topics and concerns such as human rights and access to resources, environmental awareness and justice, racial and gender equalities, health and well-being, and the political and cultural climate.” Deadline: 3/3.
Middlesex County is holding a winter photography contest. Deadline: 3/23.
Self or traditionally published authors are invited to apply for the Passaic County Book Festival, which will be held on June 14 at Weasel Brook Park in Clifton.
Thanks so much for the NJ Q&A feature! Love the Jersey Collective community.
I’ve been seriously considering getting off of instagram as well, but I’m hesitant because I find out about so many events, artist talks, and other info. I am very glad you put out this newsletter and put in the work for us.