If you want to be inspired by great digital photography and artwork, you should head over to Ruben's World Gallery.
The gallery, owned by Ruben Martinez, is located at 723 Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park. As Martinez says on his website, for more than 6 years he has contributed to the city that he refers to as a "Jewel by the sea" by donating his artwork to restaurants and worthy benefits.
When visiting Martinez's gallery, you'll be in awe of the mesmerizing pieces on display. He has dedicated years to showing his talents on the canvas, and the years of hard work are evident in his work.
On First Saturday Asbury Park - a staple in the city - Martinez showcases the works of different artists at his gallery. On this night, shops and galleries are open late, music is everywhere and the city comes alive. This occurs on the first Saturday of every month.
"As a child I was always drawn to shiny and colorful objects or anything with a unique shape or texture. I have always had a deep and passionate appreciation for art in many mediums like free-hand drawing, painting, ceramic, ostrich egg creation, sculpture, and last but not least photography," Martinez says on his website.
The gallery's hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, or by appointment. You can contact Martinez at his gallery, (732) 222-1639, or via email at rubenamartinez@gmail.com.
Visit Martinez's website at http://www.rubensworldgallery.com to learn more about the photography and artwork, his upcoming exhibits, and the artists being featured.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
In retrospect: My top 5 posts of 2011
As 2011 has come and gone, I'm pretty happy that my blog, "Living in the gay scene of Asbury Park", has received more page views and has become more popular. When I began my blog in 2010, it was as a way of expressing my happiness, anger, dissatisfaction and my observations as a gay man who had planted himself in Asbury Park, the gay capital of New Jersey.
I've been through a lot of ups and downs while living in the fair city of Asbury Park. I made a boatload of friends, a lot of acquaintances, and even come across some people who have no idea what to think of me. I'm no Pollyanna, but suffice to say, I haven't been footloose either. The only times people see the outlandish side of me is when they put a microphone in my hands during karaoke, or when I hit the dancing floor at Paradise or one of the other many dance clubs. Dancing and singing karaoke are two of my favorite things to do, and thank God that he allows me to do both.
This past year has also showed me that I do have inner strength. I was cut from my job that I devoted my life to doing the best job I could, and when I thought that I wouldn't be able to get my life back together, I picked my butt up and changed gears. I also had to deal with a lot of repercussions and heartache following my mother's death. That was difficult for me because I couldn't spend a lot of time with my mother for different reasons and I blamed myself for a lot of issues and situations between us.
But as we are now in 2012, it was evident that 2011 was a significant year for so many people. I grew further into my gay life in a lot of ways, thanks to some valuable people:
1) my golden girls, who let me be crazy, humble, flirtatious and downright nuts ...
2) my Broadway boy, who allowed me to show him my sensitive and vulnerable side (and was instrumental in showing me that playing Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Patti Lupone and Liza Minelli on jukeboxes was right on the money) ...
3) some bartender friends who watched out for me, gave me some sound advice on survival in this city, and had my back, even when I didn't know they had my back ...
4) my lesbians, who for some of them, showed me that I can always count of them. I look at these gals as ones I can get crazy with, get some solid advice from, and who I can cry on their shoulders when I need a girl's sympathetic ear ...
5) a few of my gay boyz, who showed me I can call them my besties and have shown me that in some serious situations, all you need are some drinks, a little banter, and a hell of a lot of loud laughter to get through the day.
So, as I look back on 2011, here are my top 5 blog posts of the year ...
#5) "Trusting, sadly, is no longer a word that I will have in my vocabulary" from Feb. 13th. I think this is the post that had some of my friends and readers worried that I had about enough with Asbury Park and its citizens. Also, I posted this blog after I was stood up by someone in my life, and a friend of mine gave me some interesting news.
#4) "I'd forgotten how difficult it was to be gay and hiding it from everyone" from April 6th. I posted this blog entry after seeing the gay-themed movie, "Edge of Seventeen", and was reflecting on my own struggles when dealing with coming out and dealing with the fear of losing those closest to me.
#3) "Who knew getting a bartending gig around Asbury would be so difficult" from Dec. 28th. Now this blog post was just a little observation of mine, but it got a lot of page views because some individuals were very interested in the minority angle and how it related to the city's bars and restaurants. I didn't even think it was going to get a lot of views, nor start some serious dialogue. But it did, and I'm glad it did.
#2) "A friend called me a prude, and I have to admit, he was right on the money" from Sept. 18th. This post was inspired by a couple of my friends who thought I might need to reevaluate how I interacted with other gay men if I wanted to find a boyfriend. And I had to admit that they were correct in their assessment of me. It was difficult to admit it, and I knew it was time for change.
#1) "I'm no Regina George, but man, do I know a couple of them" from June 13th. I must admit, this was one of my favorite blog entries as well. This post was inspired by some questions from a good friend of mine. I would always talk with her about my gay friends, and I'd forget that the terms I was using to describe them, she had no idea what they meant. So I decided to analyze what each category meant in the world of gay, and so many people thought it was not only insightful, but hilarious! It started so much conversation, and that's what this blog is all about.
So I'm glad that you enjoyed my blog, and as 2012 is upon us, I hope I'll have many more blog posts that will spark conversation and debates, let us look into ourselves and do some self-analyzation, and make us laugh out loud!
I've been through a lot of ups and downs while living in the fair city of Asbury Park. I made a boatload of friends, a lot of acquaintances, and even come across some people who have no idea what to think of me. I'm no Pollyanna, but suffice to say, I haven't been footloose either. The only times people see the outlandish side of me is when they put a microphone in my hands during karaoke, or when I hit the dancing floor at Paradise or one of the other many dance clubs. Dancing and singing karaoke are two of my favorite things to do, and thank God that he allows me to do both.
This past year has also showed me that I do have inner strength. I was cut from my job that I devoted my life to doing the best job I could, and when I thought that I wouldn't be able to get my life back together, I picked my butt up and changed gears. I also had to deal with a lot of repercussions and heartache following my mother's death. That was difficult for me because I couldn't spend a lot of time with my mother for different reasons and I blamed myself for a lot of issues and situations between us.
But as we are now in 2012, it was evident that 2011 was a significant year for so many people. I grew further into my gay life in a lot of ways, thanks to some valuable people:
1) my golden girls, who let me be crazy, humble, flirtatious and downright nuts ...
2) my Broadway boy, who allowed me to show him my sensitive and vulnerable side (and was instrumental in showing me that playing Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Patti Lupone and Liza Minelli on jukeboxes was right on the money) ...
3) some bartender friends who watched out for me, gave me some sound advice on survival in this city, and had my back, even when I didn't know they had my back ...
4) my lesbians, who for some of them, showed me that I can always count of them. I look at these gals as ones I can get crazy with, get some solid advice from, and who I can cry on their shoulders when I need a girl's sympathetic ear ...
5) a few of my gay boyz, who showed me I can call them my besties and have shown me that in some serious situations, all you need are some drinks, a little banter, and a hell of a lot of loud laughter to get through the day.
So, as I look back on 2011, here are my top 5 blog posts of the year ...
#5) "Trusting, sadly, is no longer a word that I will have in my vocabulary" from Feb. 13th. I think this is the post that had some of my friends and readers worried that I had about enough with Asbury Park and its citizens. Also, I posted this blog after I was stood up by someone in my life, and a friend of mine gave me some interesting news.
#4) "I'd forgotten how difficult it was to be gay and hiding it from everyone" from April 6th. I posted this blog entry after seeing the gay-themed movie, "Edge of Seventeen", and was reflecting on my own struggles when dealing with coming out and dealing with the fear of losing those closest to me.
#3) "Who knew getting a bartending gig around Asbury would be so difficult" from Dec. 28th. Now this blog post was just a little observation of mine, but it got a lot of page views because some individuals were very interested in the minority angle and how it related to the city's bars and restaurants. I didn't even think it was going to get a lot of views, nor start some serious dialogue. But it did, and I'm glad it did.
#2) "A friend called me a prude, and I have to admit, he was right on the money" from Sept. 18th. This post was inspired by a couple of my friends who thought I might need to reevaluate how I interacted with other gay men if I wanted to find a boyfriend. And I had to admit that they were correct in their assessment of me. It was difficult to admit it, and I knew it was time for change.
#1) "I'm no Regina George, but man, do I know a couple of them" from June 13th. I must admit, this was one of my favorite blog entries as well. This post was inspired by some questions from a good friend of mine. I would always talk with her about my gay friends, and I'd forget that the terms I was using to describe them, she had no idea what they meant. So I decided to analyze what each category meant in the world of gay, and so many people thought it was not only insightful, but hilarious! It started so much conversation, and that's what this blog is all about.
So I'm glad that you enjoyed my blog, and as 2012 is upon us, I hope I'll have many more blog posts that will spark conversation and debates, let us look into ourselves and do some self-analyzation, and make us laugh out loud!
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