Newark First Fridays announced today that it is has launched a campaign to produce a monthly curated artwalk downtown Newark and platform to promote fine art exhibits, live entertainment experiences, and showcase local businesses on the first Fridays of each month. Newark First Fridays set out to raise $20,000 to curate its inaugural season and will run from May – September 2017.
Each month attendees of Newark First Fridays will enjoy artisan food, arts & crafts vendors, street performers, live music, as well as the latest art exhibits at the numerous art galleries in the downtown neighborhood, and other curated experiences at local businesses.
The city’s resurgence has been solidified by real estate and corporate development and the influx of thousands of new residents moving to Newark from all over the country and abroad. Add to that, the support and strategic collaboration and partnerships between local government, non-profit organizations, arts and cultural institutions and small businesses. In the past few years Newarkers have seen multimillion dollar redevelopment of city parks, job creation by small business growth and large corporations, and consistent decrease in crime rates. Annual events such as the Lincoln Park Music Festival, Sounds of the City, Newark International Film Festival, 24 Hours of Peace, as well as live entertainment, art and culture, and sporting events at the Prudential Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark Museum and elsewhere throughout the city give evidence of Newark’s capacity to consistently host thousands of residents, visitors, and tourists.
Newark First Fridays is powered by GalleryRetail, a prosocial creative service agency and lead sponsor Newark Arts, hosts Newark’s longest running arts festival, Open Doors. The goal is to collectively bring to fruition a consistent, renowned art, music, food and cultural community experience in the Newark area.
