NJN's State of the Arts Presents
Second Acts
Sunday, November 2, at 6:30 pm

Second Acts are the stuff of American legend. Despite F. Scott Fitzgerald's assertion that there are no second acts in America, we all love the hope of redemption and a chance to improve on the past.

STATEWIDE - In November, State of the Arts explores the idea of Second Acts with a collection of stories about people, places and objects that are enjoying new lives. Viewers meet Howard Tate, a rhythm & blues star who's recently made a comeback from alcoholism and homelessness; and potter Mikhail Zakin, a wife and mother who returned to her first love of making art in order to support herself after a family tragedy. Learn how the old RCA Victor complex in Camden was turned into sophisticated new condominiums; and see how scraps and cast-offs become works of art in the Newark Museum's exhibition of "Quilts: From Folk Art to Fine Art". Second Acts on State of the Arts airs on Sunday, November 2, at 6:30 pm; and is rebroadcast on Saturday, November 8, at 1:30 am; Saturday, November 15, at 6 pm; and Thursday, November 27 at 10:30 pm.

Howard Tate - Rhythm & Blues Star - Is Back
Howard Tate seemed to have it made - in the 1960s he was a bright young star on the R&B scene. But his life fell apart, and Tate dropped out of sight - many thought he was dead. One old fan (and radio DJ) never gave up looking for him, and now, after alcoholism, time spent living on the streets in Camden, and finding God, Howard Tate is back with a new, critically acclaimed CD, "Rediscovered." This is his first recording in thirty years.

Mikhail Zakin - Successful Potter and Cultural Center Co-Founder
Mikhail Zakin was happy as a wife and mother, but when her husband became permanently brain damaged, she found herself at fifty years of age driving a school bus and wondering how she was going to support her family. By returning to her early love of the arts, she became a successful potter, co-founded the Old Church Cultural Center in Demarest and began a series of cultural tours that took her around the world.

Patchwork Quilts - An Art Form
While quilts are often assumed to be works of necessity - reusing scraps of fabric and discarded clothing - they actually are extremely time-consuming and labor intensive. As a "second act," a quilt is often far more complex than the materials from which it is constructed. The Newark Museum's "Quilt Masterpieces from Folk Art to Fine Art" explores the major role this art form has played in the creative and communal lives of women throughout American history.

The Victor - From RCA to Luxury Apartments
On the waterfront of Camden, NJ, in the midst of history and one mile from Philadelphia's historic district, developer Carl Dranoff has opened a luxury apartment complex named "The Victor" in honor of its past. The $60 million renovation of the old RCA building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features 341 loft apartments. Constructed between 1909 and 1916, the structure was home to the RCA Victor Company and was known as the "Nipper" building after its 75-foot-tall tower's stained-glass images of the terrier in the Radio Corporation of America's logo. Dranoff Properties is a company that specializes in the adaptive reuse of historic structures, breathing new life into old buildings. Dranoff Properties acquired the 525,000-square-foot complex because "of its vast impact on a whole city," Dranoff says.