Luis Emilio Romero, a Jersey City native, moved from Bushwick to the Monira Foundation's residency at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, where he now paints intricate, textile-influenced patterns in a calm basement studio. Mana Contemporary, a 2 million-square-foot former tobacco warehouse converted in 2011 by Moishe Mana, Eugene Lemay, and Yigal Ozeri, hosted its Spring Open Studios on May 17, with over one-third of its 300 artists participating—the largest turnout in years. The event featured installations by TLaloC, sculptures by John Chamberlain, and an exhibition of artist books, "Open Book(s): Observations," presented by Pierogi Gallery, Mana, and the Monira Foundation. Pierogi co-owners Joe Amrhein and Susan Swenson also brought their Flat Files containing nearly 4,000 works to Mana for six months to a year.
This matters because Mana Contemporary, once a major artist-run facility on par with MoMA PS1 and MASS MoCA, struggled after closing during COVID-19 and a 2021 indictment of co-founder Lemay for tax evasion. Its revival through biannual open studios, partnerships with galleries like Pierogi, and the Monira Foundation's residency program signals a renewed commitment to supporting artists and attracting audiences from New York City, just a PATH ride away. The event underscores the resilience of Jersey City's art scene and the importance of affordable studio space for emerging artists like Romero.