Four Corners Public Arts concluded its first phase in November, 2019. The areas of focus, Treat Pl. and Beaver St., have been transformed from stark alleyways to vibrant, welcoming portals featuring local and international works of art painted on building facades and sidewalks. This project is an ongoing collaboration between the City via Invest Newark, the Newark Downtown District (NDD), Newark Arts and local property owners RBH Groupand Paramount Assets, advocating for impact-driven, public art initiatives in and surrounding Broad St. and Market St. in downtown Newark.
The Fall 2019 scope of work included 14 murals inspired by the history of Newark and the surrounding region, elevating, educating and engaging a collective conversation around agency and social responsibility through the arts. Messages of equity and impact are embedded throughout:
- Daniela Pulliti’s Welcome Quilt sidewalk mural greets visitors with the words “All Are Welcome,” beckoning pedestrians to follow a patchwork path intertwining the LGBTQ flag with a spectrum of skin tones and quilt squares inspired by the Newark Museum’s quilting archive.
- Gabe Riberio’s Newark is for Artists thoughtfully demarks space for artists’ pride and representation.
- The Barat Foundation’s Sewing a Path to Freedom is a nod to the legendary abolitionist Harriet Tubman, the First Presbyterian Church of Newark’s contributions as a safe haven, and a survey of Underground Railroad quilts and corresponding codes.
- Magnitude and Bond, the tallest mural in Newark to date, is collaborative mural by A Womb of Violet Collective led by fayemi shakur, Layqa Nuna Yawar and Kelley Prevard. It is a striking tribute to Newark’s “Mother of the Arts,” the late Gladys Barker Grauer, and to the beloved poet Breya ‘Blkbrry Molassez’ Knight that can be seen throughout downtown Newark.
Supporters and enthusiasts can learn more about each mural and the first phase artists on the program website: fourcornerspublicarts.org.
The Four Corners partnership, artists, residents and supporters came together November 19th on Treat Place to celebrate the works’ near completion . The evening commenced with words from Monique Perry on behalf of the Ramapough Lenape tribe, thanking the program for its ethics and considerations in developing a program that paid homage to the under- acknowledged heroes of our area. The evening’s speakers also included Jeremy Johnson, Executive Director of Newark Arts, Ron Beit, CEO of RBH Group, and curator and project manager, Rebecca Pauline Jampol. Special guest speakers included Breya Knight’s mother, Minister Dyanna Aldridge, and Gladys Barker Grauer’s daughter Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson, who shared thoughts and appreciation about their loved ones’ inclusion in the project.
The partnership is excited to plan for additional phases and will conclude this inaugural initiative with a call for 2020 proposals. “The transformation of the Treat Place corridor has been an extraordinary accomplishment through the Four Corners Public Arts project,” said Richard Dunn, Paramount Assets’ senior vice-president. “Our firm is proud to be a partner in this initiative and are looking forward to launching project’s next phase this Spring.”
“When private and public partners invest in artists, we spur the economy, beautify our streets and inspire our children. Newark Arts was proud to champion phase one of the Four Corners Public Arts project as it transformed unsightly walls into powerful, uplifting images. We look forward to future phases that will engage more artists and partners to keep Newark rising,” said Jeremy Johnson of Newark Arts.
2019 artists include: A Womb of Violet (fayemi shakur, Dr. Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Bimpé Fageyinbo, Margie Johnson, Jennifer Mack-Watkins, Jasmine Mans, K Desireé Milwood, Kween Moore, Sheikia Norris, and Jillian Rock) in collaboration with Layqa Nuna Yawar (Newark, NJ) and Kelley Prevard (Atlantic City, NJ), Armisey Smith (Newark, NJ), Barat Foundation (Newark, NJ) with featured artist Sue Daly (Atlantic City, NJ), Daniela Puliti (Newark, NJ), Eirini Linardaki (Crete, Paris, and Newark, NJ) in collaboration with Discovery Charter School (Newark, NJ), Gabe Riberio/The Nork Project (Newark, NJ), GERALUZ (Newark, NJ/ New York, NY), HIMED (Mexico), Jo-El Lopez (Newark, NJ), Manuel Acevedo (Newark, NJ/Bronx, NY) in collaboration with the Jerry J. Gant Estate/Pink Dragon Artist Syndicate (East Orange, NJ), Nancy Saleme and Patricia Cazorla (Newark, NJ/New York, NY), Noelle Lorraine Williams (Newark, NJ), and the Rorshach Art Collective (Newark, NJ). The first phase was curated by Rebecca Pauline Jampol, co-director of Project for Empty Space and visiting professor at Rutgers University-Newark.
