Mana Contemporary announced this week that it will open the Mana Museum of Urban Art, a 100,000-square-foot permanent museum that focuses on street art and graffiti. The museum will established in an old ice factory at 581 Monmouth Street near the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City and will be the first of its kind in the world.
Mana founder Eugene Lemay has enlisted the help of street artists Logan Hicks and Joe Iurato to get the new space up and running and to organize some of its programming. "This is long overdue for one of the most significant art movements of our time," said Iurato. "For me, it’s not just about housing a spectacular collection of art. It’s about community, roots, and being a catalyst for future artists. Mana is approaching this project with the integrity and respect that these art forms deserve."
Earlier this year, Mana announced plans to expand with new locations in California and London. Add that to their already massive space in Jersey, and the art center may soon be the largest and most diverse art centers that we've ever seen. Construction on the new space is scheduled to begin as early as June 2014 and Mana says that programming will begin in September.
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