Late Newark Arts Icon Honored With Street Renaming (PHOTOS)

NEWARK, NJ — A beloved, late member of the Newark arts community now officially has a street named in his honor: Rodney Gilbert Way.

Befitting the contributions that Gilbert made to his home city, the street was renamed during a ceremony on July 27 that kicked off the 2018 Lincoln Park Music Festival.

Gilbert, the founder and CEO of Yendor Productions, will be further recognized with a crosswalk mural to be completed in late summer and dedicated during the October 4-7 Newark Arts Festival in 2018, according to a statement from the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District.

The late arts champion passed away in November 2017.

• See related article: Newark Mourns Rodney Gilbert, Arts Community Giant

According to the Yendor Productions website, some of Gilbert's diverse accomplishments include:

• Worked in professional theatre for over 30 years
• Graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia
• Oversaw the theatre program for Newark Public Schools, Extended Day and served as the lead teacher and liaison to its Drew University Theatre partnership
• Was an adjunct professor for the Theatre Department at Drew University
• Served as an Arts Educator for the Kennedy Centers' Wolftrap program
• Served as the Director of the Writers program for Playwrights Theater
• Was a Senior Program Manager for the Newark Murals Program
• Member of the Actors Equity Association, a Leadership Newark Fellow, and an Audelco Award Nominee

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Photos: City of Newark Press Office