Discover Jersey Arts seeks to pair arts enthusiasts with the art forms and performances they’re passionate about; here, you’ll find a collection of passionate, insightful, and entertaining writers, talking about arts events and experiences throughout the Garden State.

JOHN BECK
Dance Blogger

John Beck is a recent Jersey transplant (from Central New York, with brief stopovers around the Mid-Atlantic), having moved to the Garden State to join the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company as their Communications & Development Associate. A graduate of Washington College and SUNY Binghamton, he is also a member of the adjunct faculty at Keystone College. An avid writer and arts lover, John is a published poet and Senior Writer for the Yankee blog www.pinstripealley.com

CHRISTOPHER BENINCASA
Film and Media Blogger

Christopher is an Associate Producer for NJN’s State of the Arts. He produces stories for the show and works on its overall production. Most recently, he won a 2008 Mid-Atlantic Emmy in the Outstanding Arts Program category for his work on the State of the Arts episode 20th Century Limited. He won his first Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award in 2003 in the Outstanding Magazine Format Broadcast category. A graduate of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, he has a strong interest in the visual arts. When not working on his favorite television show, he still manages to make and write about art. His work is featured in current issues of American Abstract Artists Journal and The Structurist. A native of New Brunswick, New Jersey, Christopher currently lives in Hunterdon County.

EUGENE CHAN
Visual Arts Blogger

Eugene Chan is a long-time native of Queens, NY. His goal is to serve you the readers, as the eyes and ears of New Jersey’s rich visual arts and cultural scene.

CAT COSENTINO
Singer/Songwriter Blogger

Cat is as singer/songwriter based out of Asbury Park and Red Bank New Jersey. Her performance can best be described as a blend of folk rock and indie vibes communicated through a voice both soulful and sweet. Cat is a spontaneous writer; her favorite waves of inspiration come when she is particularly moved by the sound and story of other musicians. She writes so that when you listen, you will be moved to write as well. She is currently working on her first EP in Woodstock, NY (will be released this winter). Cat is an improv comedian, an actress, a choreographer, a filmmaker and writer, a musical theatre artist, and a poet. Cat is a proud member of Tim McCloone’s volunteer band The Holiday Express. Visit: catcosentino.com

JONATHAN ELLIOTT
Culture Vultures Editor

John is a young arts manager, writer, and social media omnivore. A locally-grown specimen, he’s worked for organizations up and down the eastern seaboard. Most recently he helmed The Good Guys Arts Solutions, a producing consultancy firm dedicated to helping early-career artists develop sustainable business, marketing, and fundraising platforms. He writes for the popular film and tv site Cinema Blend as a news reporter and tv recapper, is a screenwriter for the web tv series Issues and NeverLanding, and his play Forward Motion is available for purchase and production via Playscripts, Inc.

PATRICIA KIERNAN JOHNSON
Opera and Classical Music Blogger

Patricia, Jersey born and bred, is a lifelong arts lover, arts patron, performer and artist. One of the very few people who actually cheers when The Dreaded Opera Category shows up on Jeopardy, Patricia is also an avid Yankee fan (from birth) and is learning to become an Eagles fan (from marriage).

JESSE NORTH
Theater Blogger

Jesse North is the founder and editor of Stage Rush. His work has been published in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, People, Time Out New York, Best Life, amNewYork, BizBash, and J-14. Jesse’s favorite musicals are Spring Awakening, Passing Strange, and Next to Normal. He secretly hopes to be cast in a non-age-specific revival of Spring Awakening.

SHEN SHELLENBERGER
Blogger-at-Large

Shen’s been a Jersey girl for most of her life, other than living for a three-year stretch in Portland, Oregon, and six magical months in Tokyo. Shen loves the arts in all of its various forms – from the beauty of a perfectly-placed base hit to the raw energy of rock ‘n’ roll – and has successfully passed on this appreciation to her three grown children. Shen’s most recent jobs include WXPN (1993-2001) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (2003-present). Shen also has been a working freelancer for 25 years, and operated her own frame shop in Mt. Holly in the late-70s.

COLLEEN VERBUS
On-the-Town Blogger

Colleen currently works for Broadway Inbound, a subsidiary of The Shubert Organization. Previously, she worked for Disney Theatrical Group and McCarter Theatre Center. She graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism. In her spare time, she likes to read, do yoga and hopes to own a dog some day.

GARY WIEN
Music Blogger

Gary Wien is a music journalist from Belmar, NJ. A three-time winner of Asbury Music’s Music Journalist of The Year, his writing and photographs have been seen in publications like Upstage Magazine, Backstreets Magazine, Gannett Newspapers, and Princeton Magazine. He is currently raising funds for a book on the history of rock music in Asbury Park called “Beyond The Palace.” For more information visit http://kck.st/ahOGLD

Guest Bloggers