East Orange, NJ, April 20, 2024: The City of East Orange held an opening reception for the first-ever Garden State Art Weekend (GSAW) on Friday, April 19, 2024, bringing together a diverse crowd of art lovers to celebrate East Orange arts and culture.
Held at historic Manufacturers Village (MVA) at 356 Glenwood Avenue in East Orange, the event kicked off the art weekend that was created to spotlight New Jersey’s vibrant visual arts scene. More than 60 studios will be open free to the public throughout the weekend between 12pm-6pm. MVA joins over 115 participating renowned institutions, museums, galleries, artist studios, alternative spaces and undiscovered gems from across the Garden State.
Last night’s event was sponsored by Mayor Ted R. Green and East Orange City Council, under the leadership of the Departments of Policy, Planning and Development and Health and Human Services, with funding support from HERO Construction. Entertainment was provided by YaniKeKe Band led by Juan Leonardo, Supervisor of Music and Arts for the East Orange School District, and DJ Fauzi with food and beverages by Butler Catering and Montclair Brewery.
In addition to the night’s lively festivities of art, food, music and dancing, the city’s health outreach team launched its public health campaign: “Art Builds Community. Opioids Destroy It. Staff members were on hand to distribute T-shirts, marketing materials, Narcan kits, and other critical information related to opioid awareness and resources.
“East Orange is a community where art and cultural expression is integrated into the fabric of our everyday lives. We could not miss this opportunity to showcase our local artists and bring the flavor of East Orange to life,” said Mayor Ted R. Green. “I want to personally thank Christine Romanell for her vision and all of the artists at Manufacturers Village for their partnership in making East Orange a destination for the arts this weekend, and I hope for many more.”
The brainchild of Romanell, a New Jersey-based artist whose studio is located in the sprawling East Orange complex, said she modeled this weekend after New York’s Upstate Art Weekend, an annual Hudson Valley celebration that brings thousands of visitors to art spaces in the New York counties north of The Bronx. As the festival’s hub, Manufacturers Village will have more studios open to visitors than ever before, making it an art lover’s dream.
“We wanted to challenge the existing perceptions and biases around the New Jersey art scene,” said Romanell. “Garden State Art Weekend is one way of increasing awareness of the artists and institutions that are here and deserving of wider recognition.”
The East Orange gallery space was dedicated to East Orange artists built by East Orange artists. Malcolm Rolling and Hans Lundy transformed approximately 1,927 square-feet of raw industrial space featuring their own thought-provoking and socially impactful art.
The space also included a gallery co-curated by longtime East Orange residents Gwendolyn Jackson, a.k.a. Arri and Pink Dragon Artist Syndicate, LLC. with work from more than a dozen artists who have achieved recognition on a national and global scale, including Kojo Aidoo, Terrell Davis, Jerry Gant, Scott Patterson, aka TMNK, Gregg Banks, Cathy Bristol McCoy, Allison Capel, Beatrice “Ifé” East, Gwendolyn Jackson, Carol Jenkins, Cassandra Martin, Briana McNeil, Yvonne Onque, Linda Street, Onnie Strother, Nettie Thomas, Dawn Tighe, Gwen Verner, and Bisa Washington.
For more detailed information on the weekend or to reserve free tickets, please visit www.gardenstateartweekend.org. The website also includes an interactive map so those interested can plan an itinerary to travel to various locations.
Who: Manufacturers Village and the City of East Orange
What: Garden State Art Weekend
When: April 20-21, 2024 | 12pm-6pm
Where: 356 Glenwood Avenue, East Orange, NJ
