LET THE MUSIC PLAY
Siren Arts presents…
A collaboration highlighting the community of artists that support the
Asbury Park African-American Music Project (AP-AMP)
January 25 - March 1, 2025
Siren Arts Project Space
Asbury Ocean Club / Corner of Kingsley St & 4th Avenue
Closing Reception Fundraiser in support of Transformer’s Siren Arts Program and the Asbury Park African-American Music Project
Sat. March 8, 2025
3 - 5 PM with Special Musical Guest Performance by Al Holmes at 4 pm
Donations requested; not required to attend
SUPPORT SIREN ARTS & EMERGING ARTISTS THIS MARCH!
Non-profit organizations like Transformer & our Siren Arts program which are dedicated to the equitable & inclusive support of a diversity of BIPOC, queer & trans artists are facing difficult challenges this year.
Transformer has received a $5,000 donation commitment from an anonymous individual to support our efforts. They will match every dollar Transformer receives in support for Siren Arts now through the end of March up to $5,000, potentially allowing for $10,000 in vitally needed support for our Siren Arts program.
Support Siren Arts & emerging BIPOC, queer, and trans artists by contributing to our spring fundraiser! Donations will support our core residency program. We can’t wait to be back on the beach with you this summer!
MEDIA:
PRESS:
Siren Arts exhibit celebrates resurgence of legendary Asbury Park West Side club
- Asbury Park Press, Jan 2025
Transformer’s Siren Arts program launches its 2025 programming with Let the Music Play - a special collaboration highlighting the community of artists that support the Asbury Park African-American Music Project (AP-AMP). Featuring an installation of photographic prints by very emerging and more established photographers, images presented in Let the Music Play at Siren Arts document the musicians, community members, and events that have been part of building awareness and support for the work of the AP-AMP.
A volunteer-run, community-driven nonprofit organization, AP-AMP celebrates the stories and music of Springwood Avenue, the heart of Asbury Park’s African-American community. Since AP-AMP’s founding in 2018, the AP-AMP team has been fortunate to have talented photographers generously share their time and talent to help capture the spirit of AP-AMP and its community.
Asbury Park’s Springwood Avenue was once referred to as “Little Harlem” and lined with music venues, businesses and homes, many of them Black-owned and several cited in the Green Book. After civil unrest in 1970 and decades of disinvestment, little of the historic fabric remains. In 2022, AP-AMP purchased the Turf Club, the last standing music venue on Springwood Avenue, and is working to restore the building and bring it back as a community music and cultural venue. Since 2021, AP-AMP has hosted the Tuesdays at the Turf music series each summer. Tuesdays at the Turf events are “coming home celebrations” that welcome musicians who used to play in the Turf Club, and many who have fond memories of enjoying music there decades ago, as well as the next generation of musicians and community.
Images presented within Let the Music Play at Siren Arts, curated by Transformer’s Founder and Director Victoria Reis, reflect AP-AMP events at the Turf Club, Blackbird Community Commons, Asbury Park Public Library and more, by photographers including: Johnnie Bouie Jr., Macy Butcher, Brian Comer, Conni Freestone, and Shilpa Iyer. Also featured are AP-AMP banners created by artist Charles Trott.
ARTIST BIOS /
Johnnie Bouie Jr grew up in Asbury Park, NJ: “I love taking pictures of birds in flight, people, anything that catches my eye. It became a hobby. It is just amazing what you see through the camera lens.”
Macy Butcher is a 15-year-old sophomore at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology. Butcher is a photographer at her school. Over the summer, she volunteers taking pictures for AP-AMP: “My love for photography started at six years old when I got a toy v-tech digital camera for Christmas. When I’m not taking pictures I’m usually hanging out with my friends.”
Brian Comer is a 26-year-old photographer from Manasquan, New Jersey. He is also the owner of Faded Productions, a production company based out of Charles Town, WV that specializes in capturing live concerts and music festivals.
Conni Freestone is a visual philosopher whose photography explores the intersection of self, music, automotive culture, and the human experience. Known for capturing the vibrant essence of Asbury Park and its rich musical heritage, her images blend documentary authenticity with fine art aesthetics. Through her lens, Conni celebrates the transformative power of art, inviting viewers to see the world through her eyes and fall in love with the stories, places, and moments that inspire her.
Shilpa Iyer is a freelance food photographer based in New Jersey. An avid traveler with a healthy obsession for cookbooks from around the world, Shilpa attributes her strong interest in food to her upbringing in multicultural Singapore. Her work has been featured in Culture Magazine, King Arthur Baking Company and Simply Recipes. Formerly an environmental consultant, Shilpa has a B.S. in Music and Biology from Bates College and a M.S. in Hydrogeology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Vel Johnson not only played the Turf Club back in the day, but he shares his music today at the Asbury Park African- American Music Project’s Tuesdays at the Turf and Turf Jams. Vel is a native and resident of New Jersey and is well known on the Jersey Shore music scene. Vel has opened for Hugh Masekela, BB King, Spyro Gyra and others. His musical influences include Miles Davis, Grover Washington, Lester Young, John Coltrane, and Charlie Parker. His interest in music started at an early age; his first instruments were the trombone and the keyboards. The turning point for him was in 1986 when a very good friend and musical artist inspired him to play the saxophone. Currently he plays the Alto, Tenor and Soprano Saxophone. “When I was a kid, we lived in the Boston Way Village, a few blocks away from the Turf Club. I used to stand on the corner and wait for the door to swing open to see the band on the stage. When I came home from the military, I started playing the Turf with some of the local bands in the area. The Turf is a very special place and will always be home to me.”
Charles Trott was born in 1951 in Brooklyn, NY. He moved to Asbury Park in 1953 with his parents. His brother, Gladstone Trott, was an active pianist in Asbury Park and the surrounding area. Charles grew up surrounded by music, playing clarinet and singing in the choir. He was also in a swing band in high school. He turned from music to visual art attending Pratt Institute. Mr. Trott is a visual artist and arts educator. He joined the Asbury Park African American Music Project (AP-AMP) in 2017 and designed the logo for the organization. The illustration used in the AP-AMP logo depicts a jazz quintet with a saxophone, pianist, bassist, drummer, and singer. The colors used in the logo are the colors of the Asbury Park schools. Charles is the founder of the Diasporic Images of Africa (D.I.A.) Project, which is the culmination of a multi-generational quest for personal full disclosure and transparency, born out of Charles Trott’s perseverance, faith, and love.
