Public Art In Newark Tells Powerful Stories About Social Justice

NEWARK, NJ — It was a spring evening in June, and Faa'Tina, an 8-year-old girl in Newark, was celebrating her birthday in Washington Park. Wearing a face mask, she posed for a photo in front of a large, grey, concrete slab at the base of a Christopher Columbus statue.

And in that moment, she became art.

Faa'Tina's story is just one of many being told via a wave of inspiring, new public murals in the Brick City. They include nods to luminaries and legends like Sojourner Truth, Whitney Houston and Ntozake Shange, and tackle issues such as racism, xenophobia, representation and the “invisibility of Black girls” in the United States.

“We’re living in time that demands that public art represents the diversity and dynamism of the communities in which it is made,” said Salamishah Tillet, the director of New Arts Justice.

“To meet this moment, Newark artists are collaborating on murals and monuments that reflect who we are, and by doing so, are reimagining the vibrant possibilities of who we, as a city and nation, can be,” Tillet added,

The new wave of murals has picked up a big boost from Mayor Ras Baraka and his administration, who recently kicked off a social justice public art initiative that helps to give local creators some well-deserved exposure.

“Our groundbreaking mural campaign does more than decorate our streets,” Baraka said last week. “The murals help expand the creativity of the artists who produce them, they are meant to inspire our community, and they add to Newark’s luster as a home for the arts.”

“These projects bring hope, joy, and help to revitalize our city,” Baraka said.

Property owners, developers and artists interested in sponsoring or collaborating on future murals throughout various wards in Spring 2021 can direct all inquiries and proposals to Fayemi Shakur, Arts & Cultural Affairs director, at shakurf@ci.newark.nj.us.

A BIRTHDAY IN WASHINGTON PARK

Earlier this week, a massive public mural was completed on Treat Place in the city’s Central Ward.

Dubbed “Will You Be My Monument,” the artwork was inspired by the City of Newark’s removal of a controversial Columbus statue in Washington Park in June.

• See related article: Newark Removes Christopher Columbus Monument From Park

The organization behind the mural, the Four Corners Public Arts (FCPA), is one of 40 local art groups who received a grant from the city’s Creative Catalyst Fund.

“Will You Be My Monument” is a collaboration between writer, Salamishah Tillet, designer Chantal Fischzang and photographer, Scheherazade Tillet, who captured the now-iconic image of the 8-year-old girl who inspired the mural.

“Black girls are our most significant cultural producers, community connectors, and powerful organizers, but their contributions are rarely recognized or appreciated,” Tillet said. “At best, they remain invisible in our public discourse and monumental landscape.”

“My large-scale photograph of 8-year-old Faa'Tina next to the reflective typography and acrylic mirrors is a powerful intervention that asks us all to see ourselves through the gaze of Black girlhood,” Tillet said.

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THIS GUIDING LIGHT

Last week, Newark city officials announced the completion of two new public murals in partnership with the Social Justice Public Art initiative, #MuralsforJustice.

The murals are an initiative led by Newark Arts and Cultural Affairs Director Fayemi Shakur which aims to create art that “speaks to the call for racial justice, equity and representation.”

One of the murals, dubbed “This Guiding Light,” is located on McCarter Highway between Edison Place and Lafayette Street. It’s a collaboration between an artist, Layqa Nuna Yawar, a photographer, Chrystofer Davis, and a poet, Jasmine Mans.

According to a statement from the City of Newark:

“The mural documents both the collaborative creative power present in Newark today, and the collective power seen manifested in protests across the U.S. this year. Movements for Black lives against voter suppression, racism, xenophobia and for social and climate justice overlapped during the COVID-19 pandemic. The same overlap is present in the work of artists and culture workers as they reflect and witness these moments: a guiding light toward a better tomorrow. The content of the mural is represented in the images captured by Mr. Davis across New Jersey, a poem created by Jasmine Mans and the interpreted mural composition by Layqa Nuna Yawar.”

RISE UP FALLEN FIGHTERS

The second piece in the #MuralsforJustice initiative, “Rise Up Fallen Fighters,” is created by artist and president of Yendor Productions, Malcolm Rolling, in collaboration with artists Andrece Brady and Hans Lundy.

According to city officials:

“Celebrated poet Ntozake Shange is centered as a focal point to represent Black resilience, liberty and justice. Ms. Shange’s smiling image is surrounded by figurative symbols that were unused models of the Statue of Liberty gifted from France to the United States. A life-affirming quote from Ms. Shange’s iconic work, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf,” is also featured. The mural was created in partnership with Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, the home of Yendor’s beloved late founder Rodney Gilbert.”

The mural is located on Crawford Street in Newark’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

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

BLACK LIVES MATTER

In June, hundreds of people came together to paint a massive tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement on two of Newark's busiest streets.

Acting in partnership with the city, a coalition of community groups and local artists rolled up their sleeves and wrote a pair of slogans with 25-foot-long letters in yellow traffic paint.

The first message, "All Black Lives Matter," took up an entire city block on Halsey Street, east of the Rutgers University campus. The second message, "Abolish White Supremacy," found a home on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between the Essex County Historic Courthouse and Veterans' Courthouse.

Read the full article here.

THE TRUTH OF TRUTH

It's been more than 150 years since Sojourner Truth earned a place in history fighting for women's rights and abolition. But her messages of hope and justice are still as relevant today as they were in the 18th and 19th century.

Now, the many truths of Truth will live on in a huge, 30-foot piece of art on Edison Place, courtesy of local artist Grace Lynne Hayne.

“I learned about Sojourner Truth as a child, in grade school, and was always inspired by her tenacity, will and futuristic vision,” Haynes said. “I wanted to shed light on her legacy, which reminds women that no matter what has happened in their lives, they can still have a powerful impact on society.”

Read the full article here.

A TRIBUTE TO WHITNEY HOUSTON

Meanwhile, an unveiling event is being planned for a unique mural of musical icon Whitney Houston, who was born in Newark, attended Mount Saint Dominic Academy in Caldwell and was also a resident of East Orange and Mendham Township.

In October, sponsors announced plans to create a 19-by-28 foot mural of Houston that features more than 1,000 pounds of hand-cut glass. The homage will be located at 45 Williams Street and placed on the façade of William House, a new mixed-use project.

The artist, Maude Lemaire, may be a familiar name to some art lovers in North Jersey. She's previously been commissioned by Newark and Jersey City to create and install mosaic works in several locations in both cities.

"Having a presence in Newark is certainly an honor for Whitney's Legacy," said Pat Houston, executor of the estate of Whitney E. Houston.

"This mural represents a continuation of an iconic legend who undoubtedly will be remembered as the greatest voice for centuries to come," Houston said.

Read the full article here.

FUTURE PROJECTS IN NEWARK

The Four Corners Public Arts partnership recently offered some details about other projects that are taking place in Newark.

Projects and accompanying programs will take place in Newark’s Four Corners Historic District and surrounding areas. READ MORE: Murals Infuse Newark Historic District With Hope, Positivity

They include:

• The Newark Artists Photo Documentary Project, led by artist Colleen Gutwein O'Neal, is an initiative that centers Newark-based, multidisciplinary visual artists, creating an archive of artistic legacy and contributions that have defined our local creative community for the past century. To date, approximately 100 artists have participated in the project. O’Neal will create a permanent mural, as well as temporary murals located throughout the city. The temporary artworks will be a nod to vanishing architecture, forgotten places and artists’ workspaces threatened with demolition or redevelopment, and will include portraits of artists that have had a profound impact on these spaces.
• "We Are Home," led by Yeimy Gamez Castillo, is a collaboration with the ImVisible project and artist Layqa Nuna Yawar. ImVisible is a collective developed to empower the undocumented and immigrant community in Newark through multimedia storytelling, founded in 2018 as a peer-lead initiative between Rutgers University Scholars, faculty and community based artists. Over the next six months, the collective will host a series of programs to conceptualize a permanent mural that will amplify undocumented voices. During the Fall/Winter of 2020-2021, community art-builds will take place in partnership with local organizations. These engagements will result in a collective mural design and an ongoing series of posters made accessible to the public for free. The mural will be implemented in the Spring of 2021.

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know about a local organization that should be profiled, contact eric.kiefer@patch.com.

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