An Artistic Ripple Effect
Sometimes all it takes is one thought to create something extraordinary and this extraordinariness isn’t necessarily defined by others, but by ourselves. In Sandra Bendor’s case, one single thought brought forth a space for music, fashion and design; she named it ArtsEcho.
Sometimes all it takes is one thought to create something extraordinary and this extraordinariness isn’t necessarily defined by others, but by ourselves. In Sandra Bendor’s case, one single thought brought forth a space for music, fashion and design; she named it ArtsEcho.
ArtsEcho, located on Park Avenue between 38th and 39th streets in Union City, New Jersey, is a galleria that spotlights up-and-coming fashion designers, artists and musicians. Bendor, the owner of ArtsEcho, used to be a professional singer and actor who performed in the United States, Europe, India and Israel. Two years ago, when she turned 60, a thought occurred to her: “If I were 10 years older than I am now, what do I wish I had done back then?” Within one month, Bendor found a location and the galleria opened shortly afterward in July 2008.
Coming from a musical background, Bendor has a deep appreciation for all creative arts, which is why she named the galleria ArtsEcho.
“I feel (and hope) that the arts echo through every aspect of people’s lives in a positive way,” Bendor says. “The arts are not only things in museums, but also colors, design, music. All of the clothing you wear, all of the accessories, the entertainment you see, the movies you love and much, much more are all part of the arts.”
What makes ArtsEcho unique is that it’s a nonprofit organization originating from what Bendor founded back in 1988 — a not-for-profit organization that created and produced theater and concerts for schools and family audiences across the U.S.
“Having a nonprofit organization in place made it a little easier to create a ‘store’ in which we can help support artists and musicians by selling fabulous things to fund the art exhibitions and the concerts,” Bendor says.
Apparently, ArtsEcho is not only a boutique, but it also serves as a performance space as well, where concerts of Latin, jazz and classical music take place.
“Our last two concerts had more than 100 people attending,” Bendor says. “We match the music to the art, so for our Bravo Brazil concert, we had the artwork of Duda Penteado, a well-known Brazilian artist. We also serve food that is related to the music and art (and the Brazilian goodies were amazing) And all of this is for free to the audience, although we always pay the musicians well. And when we sell artwork, the artist gets the entire fee with no commission to us.”
Of course, artists and musicians are not the only stars in the galleria. Fashion designers, too, are part of the game. Showcasing new, pre-owned, or vintage clothing, ArtsEcho receives items from contacts within the theater and nonprofit world, from designers and stylists who use clothing for photo shoots. As of now, Bendor is working on a new label called ArtsEcho Design, which is geared toward sustainable couture. A group of designers who possess sewing, draping and designing skills are creating one-of-a-kind pieces for the label with the fabric provided by Bendor.
As a nonprofit, though, things can be difficult for ArtsEcho during the recession. But Bendor sees the silver lining even in the darkest hour.
“When my children were little, they heard about the recession in the early ‘90s, got frightened and asked me if we would lose our money and become poor,” Bendor says. “I replied that artists are always in a recession and we know how to cope with it. And we do.”
Bendor and her partner do much of the work at ArtsEcho themselves. They find items to sell and run the organization in a very hands-on way, as well as allocate their limited funds carefully.
Doing the best she can, Bendor has much planned for ArtsEcho in the coming months. On May 15, a fashion show is taking place, where customers will model, and it is on this day that the Sustainable Couture line will be launched. In the summer, a celebration and outdoor concert is planned for the new Watertower District Association, co-organized by ArtsEcho and other businesses in the area. In October, a Mexican Day of the Dead concert will take place, where only people wearing all black are allowed to attend.
There are ongoing projects organized by ArtsEcho as well, including the “Human Jeans Project.” High school students are asked to take a seven-inch square of jeans and create a piece of artwork on it, either by drawing, painting, embroidering, or whatever they can think of. ArtsEcho will then judge the artwork, award the winners, sew the entire piece into a quilt and display it.
ArtsEcho is a boutique, a gallery, a performance space, but perhaps more importantly, it’s a place where a community bonds through a shared love for the arts. And all of it is thanks to that one thought Bendor had on her 60th birthday.
http://www.artsechogalleria.com
(Photo credit: Arts Echo)
DA
