Jonathan Levine is a working class punk rock kid from Trenton who was — as the title of the book about him suggests — “Delusional” enough to think he could earn a living selling and curating the art he loves. Call it “lowbrow” or “pop surrealism” or “street art.” Whatever you call it, Levine, with galleries in New Hope PA, then Philadelphia and finally New York City, rode a wave of popularity that, by the late 1990s, saw him connecting unknown artists across the globe with collectors ranging from corporate CEO’s to rock stars.
But now, Levine is making another off-beat move.
He’s moving his Jonathan Levine Gallery from Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood to the Mana Center for Contemporary Art in Jersey City, New Jersey. It’s a huge move for Levine and a big coup for Jersey City’s exploding art scene. Brian, an old pal of Levine since their days spent in Jersey City and Trenton in the 1990s, paid a visit to Levine on the eve of his great New Jersey grand opening.
