Tris Mccall

Reckoning: that's a good, hard word. It's a word that comes with overtones of the Bible, the American West, piracy, shootouts, the Grateful Dead.

The English-language Ramayana has a multi-ethnic cast, a bright, upbeat, mix of subcontinental sounds and mainstream music, and a message that emphasizes loyalty, fairness, and the need for rulers to be rational and temperate.

Exhibition will be on display through Jan. 12.

Robots have been beeping and whirring away in our imaginations for a long time. There've been representations of androids and mechanical men in movies for over a century.

White Eagle Hall's sharp turn toward garage rock and power pop wouldn't have been complete without a visit from Redd Kross.

There's no particular reason that fiber artists should be tricksters. Nevertheless, the textile innovators who work in Hudson County are always getting one over on us.

Artist uses takbon, a traditional Korean technique.

But eventually I gave in to my desire to share what I'd seen — because I did see plenty. If a field of endeavor is meaningful to you, it's always worthwhile to figure out what you valued and why, and acknowledge the shows and works that left an indelible impression. Plus, writing a countdown is too much fun not to do, especially at this time of the year. Listmaking is notoriously subjective and invariably infuriating, but I'll stand by these calls. And if there's something you think I missed, I hope you'll tell me all about it, because in 2024 at least, there's a slim but significant chance I did.

Also Ben Jones, Didier William and Paul Gardère, Kate Dodd ...

So how'd we do? Well… let me be as straight as I can be. This was not a banner year for the arts in Jersey City.