The Golden Door

Happy “Golden Door” players have sent us photos of...

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:20:00 -0400

Happy “Golden Door” players have sent us photos of them getting their mini-golf on. If you have enjoyed the course and would like us to post photos of your experience, please send them to thegoldendoorjcm@gmail.com

I just wanted to know if there was any limit to the number of people who want to play as a group? i personally would like to invite 6 or 7 people to come and play mini golf. would we have to be split up in any way or can we all play as a group?

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:13:32 -0400

Hi there,
You are welcome to bring your group of 7 to the course, but please note that you will enjoy your game more if you divide your group. Our scorecards only allow for 4 players in each game and some of the golf holes have secrets and tricks, so you should probably divide your group into separate games of 4 and 3 players.

Have fun!
Best wishes,

The Golden Door

Thanks to all who attended the PBR tour on July 22!...

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:57:31 -0400

Thanks to all who attended the PBR tour on July 22! Hyperallergic threw an amazing party that raised $1,400 for Jersey City Museum and ushered in a whole new set of art lovers and mini-golf enthusiasts.

More press

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:42:07 -0400

Everybody loves to write about a worthy cause.
The Golden Door has been on the lips of a lot of reporters and bloggers recently. The exhibition was mentioned in the Metro section of The New York Times a couple of weeks ago, as well as The Star Ledger and on NJN News. Brooklyn-based art blog Hyperallergic posted an in-depth article and is even organizing a field trip to the exhibition on July 22.

hyperallergic: Does the thought of mini-golf, beer, and...

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:41:40 -0400

hyperallergic:

Does the thought of mini-golf, beer, and wieners excite you?

If the answer is yes, then join us for an awesome evening in Jersey City on Thursday, July 22 where you will have more fun with an art work than should be legally allowed … READ MORE

Party On! Part IIPhotos from our artist reception on Sunday,...

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:04:00 -0400

Party On! Part II
Photos from our artist reception on Sunday, June 27, which included an ice cream truck, BBQ, and mini-golf!

Party on!

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:53:08 -0400

We had a fantastic grand opening on Wednesday June 23, and Irene Borngraeber from The Jersey City Independent was there to photograph the festivities. She did a fantastic job of capturing the excitement.

Press

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:26:00 -0400

There’s nothing like a worthy cause and a unique project to get people talking and writing. Here is a fantastic article about The Golden Door in The Jersey City Independent. The exhibition was also mentioned in The Wall Street Journal and The Jersey Journal. The Wall Street Journal also covered the fund raising goals of the exhibition in this article.

Putting some paint on it!The building phase is complete and now...

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:00:00 -0400

Putting some paint on it!
The building phase is complete and now the artists are able to concentrate on embellishing their sculptures/golf holes.

This is an aerial view of “The Golden Door”...

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:16:03 -0400

This is an aerial view of “The Golden Door” mini-golf course. We are entering the last phase of construction now and it’s getting closer to being a playable course!

"MY FIRST TIME"

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:15:00 -0400

Mark Rodrick: I remember vividly the last hole when a clown swallows your golf ball, and being so disappointed that I could not retrieve it. As children we always wanted to continue playing, after walking along the Point Pleasant boardwalk, climbing up the staircase above the arcade and waiting on line to play miniature golf, the round always ended too quickly. I’m sure “The Golden Door” participants, especially the children, will have longstanding memories of this course.

Exhibition design & The Golden DoorIt doesn’t look...

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 07:06:00 -0400

Exhibition design & The Golden Door
It doesn’t look like much yet, but we’ve got one of our super carpenters, Mike Mecca, on the case. He’s making an 8 ft tall fountain that will have water gently cascading over concrete cores. We decided to use some of the construction materials we found in the basement of the 232 Pavonia building so that we could further emphasize the “industrial kitsch” aesthetic we are capturing.

We’re also making pathways between each golf green that evoke railroad ties because of the major role that the rail industry has played in Jersey City’s history—from it’s part in the Underground Railroad, to the significance the Pennsylvania railroad had on the city’s prosperity in the 19th century, to its use today as a major commuting option.

What’s the best way to enliven a shadeless lot covered in...

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:05:00 -0400

What’s the best way to enliven a shadeless lot covered in gravel? Put some artist designed mini golf holes on top and add some landscaping! 14th Street Garden Center in Jersey City has generously agreed to donate plants and a heaping dose of creativity to the exhibition.

Yesterday we met with one of the owners, Mike Giordano, who basically read our minds when we told him the aesthetic we are going for: industrial kitsch. His suggestion was to concentrate on grass and trees. Then, he told us a very romantic story about how his grandparents first met on the boat trip to America from Italy. No wonder he was so inspired with ideas to contribute to the “The Golden Door.”

A Puttable Art Experience

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:05:00 -0400

Art + miniature golf = awesome. 
Artists can add something special to miniature golf. They bring an insight and sensitivity that you don’t find in most commercial courses. During the design phase of “The Golden Door” mini golf exhibition, the participating artists were asked to consider how their golf holes translate as visual objects, relate to an exhibition theme, and behave as part of a leisure sport—which presented a unique challenge.

There are few other mediums that are both sculptural and experiential. In miniature golf, unlike regular sculpture/installation, there are several different audience perspectives to acknowledge: 1) the player, 2) the ball, and 3) the players’ opponents. It is through an understanding of “putt-putt psychology” that the artists were able to create golf holes that successfully guide the players through different situations, in which they identify with their golf ball’s journey and become engaged with their own standing in a competition.

The elements of each golf hole (obstacles, topography, decorative elements, etc.) are integral to expressing the artists’ messages. Some of the features serve in a literal capacity while others assume a more abstract identity, allowing players to draw their own conclusions about the evolution of ideas in each golf hole. There is also a temporal aspect to consider—each hole has a starting point, a goal, and a path in between—which lends itself well to drawing comparisons or creating a narrative.

The goal of the exhibition is to promote individual interpretations of “The Golden Door” by mediating the game play and amplifying the players’ emotions as they play the course. Handling the golf holes as interactive art pieces, the concept of each sculpture is evident in the formal components as well as the putting experience. It’s not just about making a golf hole that looks interesting (though that’s important)—it’s also about expressing a concept that carries throughout the game.  

But above all else… miniature golf is fun!!

Day 5 installation photos of Risa Puno’s “Leap of...

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 07:13:29 -0400

Day 5 installation photos of Risa Puno’s “Leap of Faith” golf green. That’s right—you’re looking at a loop-de-loop!

"The mind messes up more shots than the body."

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:56:57 -0400

“The mind messes up more shots than the body.”

- Tommy Bolt

DAY 4 installation photos. Witness the evolution of Asha...

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 07:58:01 -0400

DAY 4 installation photos. Witness the evolution of Asha Ganpat’s golf green throughout the course of the day. We all had fun testing it for playability.

"Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game."

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:00:00 -0400

“Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game.”

- Jack Nicklaus

DAY 3 Installation photos! Here we have construction in progress...

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:54:00 -0400

DAY 3 Installation photos! Here we have construction in progress by Darren Jones & Ryan Roa, and Tom McGlynn. Everything is moving along nicely.

Hiroshi Kumagai talks about how working with sculpture for The...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:16:00 -0400

Hiroshi Kumagai talks about how working with sculpture for The Golden Door mini golf exhibition is providing a new direction for his art. He also discusses how the concept of his golf hole, “The Long Narrow Way to Heaven” relates to his own immigration experience.