Culture
music, art + literature music, art + literature
Newark’s Newark’s Vibrant Vibrant Arts Arts and and Culture Culture Thrives Amid Health Thrives Amid Challenging Challenging Times Times BY fayemi shakur,ideas City of Newark, Division of Arts and Cultural Affairs for wellness BY fayemi shakur,ideas City of Newark, Division of Arts and Cultural Affairs for wellness
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ewark is a city that prides itself on its resilewark a citythethat prides itself on protests, its resilience. isFrom pandemic to the ience. From the pandemic to the protests, local artists and cultural organizations joined local artistsaand cultural organizations joined to provide sense of hope and creativity like to provide a sense of hope and creativity like a guiding light. Local artists, residents, stubuiness, finance + work a guiding light. Local artists, residents, stufinance +Graphic work Design dents, and faculty buiness, from Rutgers-Newark’s dents, and faculty from Rutgers-Newark’s Graphic Design Program helped paint Black Lives Matter-inspired ground Program helped Lives Matter-inspired ground murals. The city’spaint local Black arts agency and nonprofit, Newark murals. The city’s local arts agency and nonprofit, Newark Arts, worked in tandem with the Division of Arts and CulturArts, worked in tandem with the Division of Artsand andresourcCultural Affairs to provide much-needed information al Affairs to provide much-needed information and resources to the sector while advocating for the Arts across the state. es to City the sector while responded advocating for the Arts across theneeds state. The of Newark to individual artists’ The City of Newark responded to individual artists’ needs theartsart + science ofThe learning and small to midsize groups by creating Creative theartsart + science ofThe learning and small to midsize groups by grants creating Creative Catalyst Fund, providing $750,000 in to 120 awardees, Catalyst Fund, providing $750,000 in grants to 120 awardees, and continued working with local muralists to beautify and and continued working with local muralists beautify and energize Newark’s neighborhoods and publictospaces. energize Newark’s neighborhoods and public spaces. “At every turn, the Mayor is touting the importance of “At every turn, theart—in Mayor how is touting the importance art—especially public we re-imagine Newark of as art—especially public art—in how we re-imagine as a city for all people,” said Newark Arts ExecutiveNewark Director aJeremy city for all people,” said Newark Arts Executive Director Johnson. “The pandemic, despite the real financial Jeremy Johnson. pandemic, despite opportunities the real financial and public health“The issues, has also created for and public health issues, has also created opportunities for artists to grow in and beyond Newark.” artists to grow in and beyond Newark.” In addition to an annual allocation of funding for indiIn artists addition an groups, annual at allocation individual andtoarts the Stateofoffunding the City for address, vidual artists and arts groups, at the State of the City address, the Mayor announced the city would commission a statue of the Mayor announced the citytowould commission a statueCoof abolitionist Harriet Tubman replace the Christopher abolitionist Harriet Tubman to replace the Christopher Columbus statue recently removed from Washington Park. Addilumbus removed from Washington Park. Additionally,statue he saidrecently the park would be renamed Tubman Square. tionally, he said the park would be renamed Tubman Square. The City’s arts initiatives are informed by Newark CreCity’s arts initiatives are informed by Arts Newark Creates,The a collaborative plan organized by Newark in 2018. ates, a collaborative plan organized by Newark Arts in 2018. The 18-month-long planning process included community The 18-month-long process community members, nonprofit,planning for-profit, and included governmental stakemembers, nonprofit, for-profit, and governmental holders. The culminating report and collaborative stakeplan holders. The social, culminating report growth and collaborative support civic, and economic via its goal toplan adsupport social,foundation and economic itsand goalculture to advance ancivic, equitable for a growth thrivingvia arts vance equitable forprogression a thriving arts and culture sector.an It is a markedfoundation time of both and challenge sector. It is a marked time of both progression and challenge for Newark, a “City of the Arts.” for Newark, a “City of the Arts.”is undoubtedly the most dif“While the current climate “While the current climate undoubtedly difficult in decades, ultimately weisknow a strong the arts most commuficult in decades, ultimately we know a strong arts community will be a way to come together again after this period of nity will be a way to come again after this period of isolation and stress,” said together Linda Harrison, Newark Museum isolation and stress,” said Linda Harrison, Newark Museum of Art CEO/president. Harrison decided to close the Museof CEO/president. Harrison close the virtual MuseumArt until 2021 but embarked on adecided series oftoexpanded um until 2021 but embarked on a series of expanded virtual programming, #NMOAatHome—discussions, virtual gallery programming, #NMOAatHome—discussions, virtual gallery
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Mayor Baraka, collaborators, and students at the Black Mayor Baraka, collaborators, and students at the Black Lives Matter Mural on Halsey Street Lives Matter Mural on Halsey Street Photo: Armando Diaz Photo: Armando Diaz
tours, workshops, social events, and virtual creative play actours, workshops, events,Looking and virtual creative play the activities for a broadsocial audience. ahead to 2021, tivities for a broad audience. Looking ahead to 2021, the Museum will welcome the New Jersey Arts Annual and host Museum willcelebration welcome the NewGarden Jersey State’s Arts Annual host an exciting of the robustand creative an exciting celebration of the Garden State’s robust creative community. “Every day, I am reminded of the essential role community. day, economic I am reminded of and the essential rolea the arts play“Every in fueling growth in creating the arts play in fueling economic growth and in creating deep sense of place in every corner of the country,” Harrisona deep sense of place in everywecorner of the country,” Harrison said. “As culture workers, are also providing a degree of said. “As culture workers, we are also providing a degree of emotional support and simple joy during these trying times.” emotional support and simple joy during these trying times.” The New Jersey Performing Arts Center also pivoted to The programming New Jersey Performing Arts Center also to virtual and was among the first to pivoted announce virtual programming and was among the first to announce the venue would remain closed until 2021. “We were obligatthe venue would remain closedundergo until 2021. “We werepay obligated to restructure our budget, significant cuts, ed to restructure our budget, undergo significant pay cuts, furloughs, and staff layoffs, but we are confident we will be furloughs, and staff layoffs, but we are confident we will be here when the pandemic passes,” said NJPAC CEO John here when the pandemic passes,” said NJPAC CEO John Schreiber. “We’re trying to stay present, useful, and creative. Schreiber. tryingintotraditional stay present, useful, and enhance creative. Though we“We’re can’t work ways, we can Though we can’t work in traditional ways, we can enhance our digital content and create life-affirming programming our digital content and create life-affirming programming for our audiences.” forNJPAC our audiences.” ramped up its online presence with a slew of NJPAC rampedranging up its from online presence a slew of panel discussions social justicewith to artist entrepanel discussions ranging from social justice to artist entrepreneurs, through their Community Engagement programpreneurs, through their Community Engagement ming series. In partnership with PSEG, NJPAC alsoprogramoffers its ming series. In partnership with PSEG, also offers its True Diversity Film Series, which pairsNJPAC thought-provoking True Diversity Film talkbacks Series, which pairs thought-provoking films with post-film and much more. Every week films with post-film talkbacks and muchcont’d more.onEvery next week page
cont’d on next page Fall 2020 The Positive Community 51
