About Us
The opening credits for the URBAN IMAGE showcases were created through the collaboration of accomplished students and alumni of the Media Arts Department. The images were shot on film by Clint Higgins ('06) and Michael Smythe ('06) and edited/animated by Clint Higgins. The music was composed by Eddie R. Ahumada.
Clint Higgins (cinematographer, editor, and title designer) graduated from the Media Arts Department in May 2006 and was awarded the prestigious Dr. Joseph Drew Award for Excellence in Media Production. His work has been screened at the Jersey City Museum, the Hoboken Historical Museum, and the Landmark Loew´s Jersey Theater in Jersey City, NJ. Clint was the videographer for the title sequence of Jane Steuerwald´s recent film "The Memory Box," screening at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) this November 2006. He worked as a production assistant and assistant camera on the acclaimed documentary "8-BIT" which premiered at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in October 2006. He is in great demand as a director of photography, sound recordist, videographer, and editor on film junkets and on independent film productions.
Louis Libitz (showcase editor) was born in Jersey City, NJ and now resides in Bayonne, NJ. He is an award-winning videomaker and graduate teaching assistant who received the prestigious Shaffer Award from the graduate faculty, of Syracuse University, College of Visual and Performing Arts, and graduated with his M. F. A. from Syracuse University in May 2007. His work has been screened at Anthology Film Archives and the Robert Beck Memorial Cinema in NYC; the Landmark Loew´s Jersey Theater and The Jersey City Museum in Jersey City, NJ; and at the Hoboken Historical Museum in Hoboken, NJ. His work has been screened at the Fine Art School of the Aristotelian University in Thessaloniki, Greece; at the 7th Biennial of Video and New Media of Santiago, Contemporary Museum of Art, Santiago, Chile; and at the York Arts Gallery in York, PA. He received an Honorable Mention at the 24th Annual Black Maria Film/Video Festival. Louis designs and creates DVD´s for other artists/filmmakers, and is highly sought after as a video and audio post-production engineer. Upon graduation from NJ City University, he was awarded the prestigious Dr. Joseph Drew Award for Excellence in Production. He taught as an adjunct professor of video production in the Media Arts Department at NJ City University, and advanced post-production at the Department of Transmedia at Syracuse University. His work has been featured at the Cape May Film Festival, SPEMA (Society for Photographic Education Mid-Atlantic Region) at the University of Pennsylvania, at the Red Saw Gallery in Newark, NJ, the Hoboken Historical Museum, and at the Athens Film and Video Festival. He is currently teaching in the Media Arts Department, NJCU, and is the Assistant Director/Associate Program Coordinator of the Black Maria Film and Video Festival.
Michael Smythe (cinematographer) graduated from NJ City University in May 2006 and was chosen for the Dean´s List at NJ City University every semester. He served as a teaching assistant and as a video editing tutor in the Media Arts Department and was also a Professional Services Staff member responsible for instructing media students in the operation of film, video, lighting, and audio production equipment. Mike was chosen as the projectionist for the Black Maria Film and Video Festival final jurying weekend in December 2005, and as the projectionist for the premiere weekend screening at the Jersey City Museum in February 2006. He worked with award-winning filmmaker Joel Katz, on a documentary portrait of former NJ City University professor and Civil Rights activist, Lee Hagen. Mike currently works as a production assistant on feature film junkets, and at the Museum of Television and Radio, NYC.
Jane Steuerwald (coordinator) has produced numerous experimental works in film and video including "Terrorist Activity Redux," Director´s Citation Award, Black Maria Film Festival, 2007. Her work includes "The Memory Box," Jury Selection – Black Maria Film Festival, (2006); MoMA, "Black Maria Film Festival: The Legacy of the Short Film." "The Memory Box" also at the NJ State Museum; Athens Film and Video Festival; Cape May Film Festival; Jersey City Museum; Fort Lee Museum; Red Saw Gallery, Newark; and the Hoboken Historical Museum. "Rocket Experts" (2002) MoMA´s Documentary Fortnight Festival; Athens International Film Festival; Fort Lee Film Commission; Cape May Film Festival. "Adventures in Nutrition" (2004) Collective Unconscious, NYC; Atlanta Film and Video Festival, and The Franklin Furnace, (1981). "Terrorist Activity" (1981) at The Kitchen and Meet the Artists at the Donnell Media Center. "I am driving in my car. I am walking up the hill." (2003) Asian-American International Film Festival; Anthology Film Archives; and the Asian Pacific American Film Festival. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Donnell Media Center. Jane Steuerwald served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Black Maria Film & Video Festival for many years. She has also served as a pre-screener for the Black Maria Festival and as a juror of film, video, and sound in 2007 for NJ State Council on the Arts/Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. Two Artist Fellowships from NJ State Council on the Arts, and many from the NJ Historical Commission and NJ City University. Curator of URBAN IMAGE, www.urbanimageshowcase.org, and the Womenswork Media Collective, www.wwmediacollective.org. She has taught media production for twenty-five years at NJ City University, and was named to Who´s Who in American Colleges and Universities - 2005.
The URBAN IMAGE collective includes: Maxim Almenas, Eddie R. Ahumada, Charlie Arrigo, Tracy Austin,Ronaldo Baluyot, Brian Boswell, Adrian Brevard, Gary Broderick, Elizabeth Cavanagh, Teri Clarke, Christina Conti, Sonya Davidova, Janine Delaney, Shani Difarnacio, Michael Difeo, Nedelka Douglas, Steven Dressler, Maria Espinosa, Raul Garcia, Matthew Gochman, Barry Goldman, Patricia Gonzalez, Tatiana Gonzalez, Ignacio Guzman, Dan Hendlowitch, Clint Higgins, Michael Krivicka, Maria Larrea, Fabian Leon, Stephen Leon, Rodel Lescano, Louis Libitz, Michelle Lopez, Nelson Mayo Jr. – in memoriam, Nicole Mc Neill, Robert Meyer, Maggie Menjivar, Jameel Mills, Michelle Mumoli, Shawn Nadolny, Eli Quinonez, Carlos Orrego, Joseph Ortiz, Janine Orzechowski, Melissa Polin, Jason Roque, Daniel Rose, Anthony Rudick, Sheryle Samson, Martha Sandoval, Jimmy Santiago, Michael Smythe, Justin Strawhand, Jonas Torres, Rick Torres, Yutaka Ueda, Delmira Valladares, Jaime Villacis, Summer Wosu, Juneyup Yi, Polina Zaitseva.
URBAN IMAGE is grateful for the generous support from Jo Bruno, Esquire, Interim Vice-President of Academic Affairs, NJCU; Dr. Liza Fiol-Matta, Dean of the William J. Maxwell College of Arts and Sciences, NJCU; Roddy Bogawa, Chair, Media Arts Department, NJCU; James Wallace, Associate Director, Media Arts Department, NJCU; Marilyn Consulmagno, Media Arts Department, NJCU; Tom Gannon, Technical Services, Media Arts Department, NJCU; Ellen Wayman-Gordon, Public Information, NJCU; Kelly Resch, Public Information, NJCU; Hugo Morales, Publications, NJCU; Rocio Aranda-Alvarado, curator, Jersey City Museum; Robert Foster, Director, Hoboken Historical Museum; Stephan Prosky, New Jersey State Film Festival at Cape May; Jason Roque, Technical Services Staff, Media Arts Department, NJCU.