The Newark Arts Council will celebrate the life and times of Clement Alexander Price, a beloved Rutgers University professor and iconic historian of New Jersey’s largest city on March 31, 2016, 6pm-10pm at Rutgers University-Newark, 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ. “It’s a great honor for the Newark Arts Council to present its 2016 Medal of the Arts posthumously to Clem Price,” said Sheila McKoy, President of the Council. “He was a stalwart champion of the arts and will always be in our hearts,” she added.
Mary Sue Sweeney Price, Director Emerita of The Newark Museum and honorary chair of the benefit, will accept the award on behalf of Dr. Price, her husband who passed in 2014. “It’s fitting that this commemoration occurs during the year-long celebration of Newark’s 350th Anniversary, which Clement excitingly anticipated,” noted Mrs. Price. The gala, entitled “If Not For Clem,” joins more than 150 events that are part of Newark Celebration 350. Rutgers University-Newark will host the affair at the university’s recently opened, historic neoclassical skyscraper at 15 Washington Street.
“We’re thrilled to join the Newark Arts Council in celebrating Newark, the arts and culture, and Clem Price,” said Nancy Cantor, co-chair of the gala and Chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark. “I can think of no better way to do that than bringing people from many walks of life and many backgrounds together in this iconic building, the renovation of which Clem championed as a symbol of leveraging the past of our great city to build a brighter future.”
The meticulously restored Great Hall will feature sights and sounds appreciated by Price. The North Jersey Philharmonic Glee Club, of which Price was a member for decades, will sing. Acknowledging 2 Price’s love of music, Jazz House Kids will perform jazz standards. Visual artists beloved by Price will display their artwork, including artists Gladys Barker Grauer, Adrienne Wheeler, Nell Painter and others. David Grant, a longtime friend of Price and former president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, will serve as Master of Ceremonies.
“The arts community helps make Newark extremely attractive for those who want to be a part of the resurgence of the city,” said Anthony Gibbons, co-founder of Crawford Street Partners, a real estate development and management company. “Supporting the Newark Arts Council and the legacy of Clem Price was something we enthusiastically embraced. We invite others to join us,” said Gibbons, co-chair of the gala, the proceeds of which will benefit the Newark Arts Council.
