“Sometimes we need to turn the symbols of oppression into symbols of learning and hope.”
City of Newark Historian, Junius Williams
On the weekend of April 24th and 25th (and in the support of International Earth Day), artists, students, organizers, and residents joined together to caring for our communities and creating public art here in Newark.
On Saturday, April 24th the City of Newark, the ACM Graphic Design Program and New Arts Justice at Rutgers University-Newark, and various partners joined together in an action to repaint and preserve our social justice community ground murals #MuralsforJustice. These were first painted in July of 2020 on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard proclaiming “ABOLISH WHITE SUPREMACY” and “ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER” on Halsey St. This call to repaint is a way to come together and reinforce that this City is dedicated to racial justice and the protection of our communities. Through this action, we celebrate the activism of our local arts community and seek to use public art to create new stories of a vibrant and liberated city.
On Sunday, April 25th Four Corners Public Arts spent the day creating and caring for their sites of focus (Treat Place, Beaver St, and surrounding areas). Artists Daniela Puliti, Patricia Carzola, and Nancy Saleme welcomed volunteers to help repair their sidewalk murals. Femme Curator Arts led volunteers in the development of several collaborative artworks, as part of the RESIST COVID/TAKE 6 campaign.
