Mana Contemporary

I think the five star caption sums it up perfectly. «As good as it gets.» I spend a wonderful morning here. I can’t believe this art utopia exists so close to me and I’ve only now just checked it out. I hear they may start offering classes here, which would be fantastic. Take my money, Mana Contemporary.

This was the best kept secret of the art lovers world in Jersey City. Now that it is growing in development and art, it remains a gem but also draws in the crowds on event days.
For art lovers, it truly doesn’t get any better than this. This is what art exploration is all about. Now that they have really expanded and developed they have included a WIDE range of talent. Local artists… international artists… The collage of it all is perfection!

Amazing!!! Service is great food is amazing try there southern fried chicken! Guys working there friendly and nice. Will be back again! Thanks

The spaces here are quite nice. If you’re rich, you can afford a space here. If not, forget it.

A secret in jersey city.
Behind the scary looking unkempt warehouse walls is a beautiful space filled with art galleries, artists studios and artists at work.
GO VISIT!!! That have yours every week day at 11, 2 and 4.
Mine turned out to be a personal tour as I was the only one that morning…
FANTASTIC!

This place is incredible. The variety and scope of the wide-​ranging artistic mediums makes it really fun and entertaining. Plus the space is incredible. Rather than go into a ton of detail describing it, I’d rather just encourage everyone to go check it out. Free parking if you’re going by car and a short walk through Little India from the JSQ Path.

Wow, this place is a treasure trove of art! I stopped in for Mana Fest January 2014 and was not disappointed. So many great exhibitions: Sculpture, architectural models, photorealism, live piano performance art, live dance, furniture, a light installation, and a variety of paintings on every medium imaginable. Did I leave anything out? I was actually tired from walking half way through my tour, and I’m a walking monster. Stand-​outs for me were Paolo Pelosini’s fantastic sculpture show, Richard Meier’s Model Museum, and Jae Yong Kim’s whimsical Snails and Donuts exibition*
Be sure to catch some of the fantastic views of the Pulaski Skyway on the higher floors (I’m serious) and wear your walking shoes! Also worth mentioning, there is a great café onsite, I had a Kale caesar salad for about $ 10 that was pretty tasty. A lot of other reviewers mentioned how ‘off of the beaten path’ Mana is, but I don’t really agree. It’s one or two blocks past Little India, so all told we’re talking about a four avenue-​long walk off of JFK blvd, which is reasonable in my opinion, and there is a ton of parking onsite.
Oh yeah, and did I admission is FREE!!!
*Fun fact — the artist’s uses snails in his work as a self-​reflection!

An artists’ paradise.
It truly is… Does it have a very artist bourgeoisie vibe to it all? Absolutely.
But nothing beats seeing artists at work. It’s amazing to witness the creative process.
I’m sorry I’m a writer and I would HATE people speculating as I write but alas writing requires a different creative process that requires SILENCE & definitely no one looking over your shoulder. So kudos to these artists for being kind enough to answer questions and let strangers into their creative space.
I even had a conversation with an artist about her inspiration and her reason behind choosing water as the focal point of her sculptures.
Awesome stuff. I’m always so inspired by what inspires others & artists are always my kind of people… Well, the sane down to earth ones.
Big open spaces. Individualized artist studios– interesting to see how artists decorate their spaces. I wonder how would I decorate mine if I had such a place? Like can I live here? I would love to but this area is quite desolate and a little too far from Manhattan by train and foot… Unfortunately a place like this wouldn’t exist in Manhattan so push yourself to go!
Yeah I’m talking to NYers like me who think Jersey is a different country, it does feel like it but that doesn’t mean this place isn’t worth the trip! …It’s not THAT bad.

Very interesting space and so large. I was here yesterday for their Mana Fest event showcasing 4 new exhibits and was extremely impressed by the space.
First of all, there is a large amount of parking in front of the space. As it is about a 15 – 20 minute walk from the PATH station, we decided to drive instead and were surprised by the amount of parking at Mana.
When we walked in, there was first an exhibit in an outdoor warehouse that was filled with floor to ceiling panels from Michael Zansky. Next, we continued to the right and entered the building where Sante D’Orazio and Ray Smith’s exhibits were on the first floor. Definitely some very provocative and interesting pieces. On the third floor was a group exhibit by Middle Eastern artists.
Overall, it was very interesting to see. and I love the open layout of the place where you can kind of roam and wander about and take as long as you please. There was just the right amount of staff that if you had questions there was always someone standing around to ask.
One thing I didn’t like were the freight elevators. It was a long wait in between to go up or down. I would have rather that we could use the stairs to save time. Other than that, it was an enjoyable experience and I look forward to coming to more exhibits in the future.

This space is awesome. It’s so big and there’s so many things to see. It’s a very big and spacious. I came for a Unilocal event and they were able to completely utilize the awesome space. Check it out!

I came here for a Unilocal event, but was underwhelmed. I think this space has so much potential and, on a normal day, could be a lot of fun to tour. But when I came here, nearly all of the studios were closed despite there being hundreds of Unilocalers there who were eager to check out the art and could be counter on to write reviews about what they saw.
From what I did see, I was impressed. This is a huge space with multiple floors in an old warehouse, which I love.
The location? Well, it is kind of in no-​mans land, which stinks, because there is not much foot traffic in this area of Jersey City.

Mana Contemporary is an amazing and unexpected space, set back in Jersey City amidst abandoned unassuming warehouses just past Little India. When I stepped into MANA my mind was blown. Based on the old industrial exterior, I was not expecting the giant contemporary spaces, clean white and professional. The studio spaces here are HUGE and as an artist, they left me feeling quite envious. There are a number of other unique features including an enormous beer garde/​installation space, and a café featuring surprisingly famous original artworks. There is also an area for dance, and performers practice there frequently. I couldn’t believe to find this artistic goldmine in Jersey City. I will definately come back to check out shows and studio tours and I will continue to dfream of a day that I can afford a studio of my own!

Despite the fact that our walk to the gallery made wonder if we were literally on the «wrong side of the tracks,» Mana has it going on and is totally worth the trip! The entrance to the building is around back and as we approached it the entire space seemed to open up, revealing a hip and happening space that has made great strides. However, as far as the space has come it still holds great potential for not only art but for the greater good of the surrounding community.
I was able to explore the space with fellow Unilocalers, which was also rockin’. We met a few people who work for Mana and even made useful connections for future endeavors — Mana is definitely looking to be involved in the community and with educational institutions. What better time to build a relationship than when the space is just now blossoming into the «it» place for modern art?
I’m so excited to now know that this unique art space is here and I’ll be looking forward to a return visit. Not only are they hosting visual art, but they will soon be the home of «Armitage Gone!» a modern dance company. Perhaps we might even see some live theatre in this space before the year is out. *hint*hint*
Thanks, Unilocal,for showing us hidden gems in the community around us!

If this place goes under for lack of business, I will have lost all hope in humanity. Seriously, this art management/​storage/​gallery/​studio/​turn-​key enterprise is DA BOMB. If I was in the art-​dealing business/​world, I would associate myself with this place. WITHOUT QUESTION. Yes, it is in Jersey City and somewhat out of the way. But I don’t care. Awesome, simply awesome venue and staff. The international staff here have got their stuff together. Docents and back-​office staff from Europe and Israel. I was highly impressed.
Mega huge air-​conditioned industrial (but not too-​brick-​walled-​exposed) gallery/​storage/​exhibition/​studio. There is even a section devoted to performance art. Museums, please store your reserve pieces here. Artists, please rent and show your stuff here. And rich collectors, buy your conversational pieces from here. Everybody wins!
If you got some spare coin, be a patron of the arts and support your local artists/​dealer/​museum/​studio. Come and visit. Free parking. (try to find that in nyc).
(I will get into specific artists in my subsequent elite event review)