Express Newark, which opened in January, is hosting a series of monthly open houses to introduce the community to its partners and programs.  All are welcome to attend these FREE events.  The first open house is scheduled for March 8, from 6-9 p.m., featuring four Express Newark partners: Newest Americans, Shine Portrait Studio, the Newark Print Shop, and the Paul Robeson Gallery.  Come tour the facilities, located in the iconic building once occupied by the Hahne & Company department store, and meet some of the people who are making Express Newark a vibrant new neighbor in Newark.  

Express Newark is an arts incubator conceived by Rutgers University-Newark (RU-N) faculty, staff, students, and community arts leaders, is part of a bold plan to cultivate local artistic expression through community engagement and public scholarship.  Express Newark is both a partner to community arts organizations throughout the city’s socially, economically, and culturally diverse neighborhoods, and a home to RU-N video, photo, design, print making and art classes. 

PARTNERS FEATURED ON MARCH 8

: Newark Print Shop

(l-r)  Samer Fouad, Lisa Conrad and Stephen McKenzie

The Newark Print Shop’s programming includes Print Club Open Studio, printers in residence, membership, exhibitions, workshops, pop up print shop, and print parties. The Newark Print Shop was founded in August 2012 with the goal of supporting the fine art of printmaking by providing affordable and accessible workspace, educational programming through classes and workshops, and exhibition space dedicated to the fine art of prints. 

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SHINE PORTRAIT STUDIO

Daniel Johnson and Nick Kline; photo by Frank Barcelos

Shine is a group of programs and ideas activated through a working portrait photography studio that facilitates and supports the expression and self-representation of the Newark, New Jersey community. Conceptualized by Nick Kline, in collaboration with a collective of Newark photographers, Shine Portrait Studios re-imagines early 20th Century “Main Street” portrait studios for the 21st Century: rather than being a private business of one photographer, it is a space the community “co-owns” programmatically, and it is at the same time a space dedicated to education, business, community building and entrepreneurship.

  • Complimentary portraits for Newark residents;
  • Studio space, high-end equipment and technical assistance offered free of charge to Newark artists, photographers, creative entrepreneurs and others;
  • Future photographic services will include: head shots, passports, retouching and preservation of family photographs, other;
  • Future programming proposals include guest speakers, group critiques, studio portraiture workshops, genealogy workshops;
  • Internship program for people interested in photography and socially engaged art;
  • Risograph book publishing for artists’ publications, chapbooks, graphic novels, etc.;
  • Ask! We’re committed to creating a space that serves your needs.

NEWEST AMERICANS/CENTER FOR MIGRATION AND THE GLOBAL CITY

(March 8, 6-9 p.m., is also the launch party for the Ironbound Issue of Newest Americans)

Newest Americans wanted to be part of and housed in Express Newark because they both uphold the same goal of university-community collaboration.  Express Newark’s chief goal is to create spaces for all generations to tell their stories through multimedia. Like Express Newark, Newest Americans works alongside professional journalists, media-makers, artists, RU-N faculty and staff to research, produce and publicize stories that define the shifting national culture and chronicle the narratives of immigrant experience.

PAUL ROBESON GALLERIES

  • Exhibitions in three galleries:The Large Gallery, The Box Gallery, The Window Gallery
  • Education programs: Exhibition-based, hands-on education workshops scheduled as requested with schools, hospitals, senior centers, and other community groups.
  • Public programs: Concerts, artist talks, curator tours, lectures, symposia, film screenings, and other events
  • Resource Library: The Hive, located at EN 314, is a non-lending library of art-related books and other materials accessible for perusal on-site.
  • Artist in Residency program

(Hahne Building Grand Concourse feature image by Rob Thomas)

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