East Orange, NJ, April 17, 2024: The City of East Orange is the hub for the first-ever Garden State Arts Weekend (GSAW), which will be held April 19-21, 2-2024 at historic Manufacturers Village at 356 Glenwood Avenue in East Orange.
This event spotlights New Jersey’s diverse visual arts and vibrant cultural tapestry in a celebration of art in New Jersey that brings together more than 115 renowned institutions, museums, galleries, artist studios, alternative spaces and undiscovered gems to showcase the incredible creativity, talent and innovation of thousands of talented artists from across the Garden State.
The brainchild of New Jersey artist Christine Romanell, 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 that brings thousands of visitors to art spaces in the New York counties north of The Bronx.
“We want 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.”
Participants in the art weekend hail from many of the state’s most prominent exhibition spaces, from the North to the South, including the Newark Museum of Art, the Montclair Art Museum, Akwaaba Gallery, GlassRoots, Grounds for Sculpture, Kean University, the Morris Museum, Red Bank Artisan Collective, the Noyes Art Garage of Stockton University, and so many more.
To kick off the weekend, the City of East Orange is hosting a Launch Party on Friday, April 19 from 6pm-10pm featuring an exhibition gallery dedicated to East Orange artists built by East Orange artists. Malcolm Rolling and Hans Lundy have transformed approximately 1,927 square-feet of raw industrial space into an art gallery curated by longtime East Orange residents Gwendolyn Jackson, a.k.a. Arri and Pink Dragon Artist Syndicate, LLC.
The curated exhibition will feature work from more than a dozen artists who have achieved recognition on a national and global scale. Among them include Terrell Davis, Jerry Gant, Scott Patterson, Gregg Banks, Cathy Bristol McCoy, Allison Capel, Gwendolyn Jackson, Carol Jenkins, Cassandra Martin, Briana McNeil, Yvonne Onque, Linda Street, Onnie Strother, Nettie Thomas, Dawn Tighe, Gwen Verner, and Bisa Washington.
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 are so excited to be a part of this inaugural event. East Orange is a community where art and cultural expression is integrated into the fabric of our everyday lives. Through art, we are able to inspire creativity, provoke thought, challenge norms and spark meaningful conversation,” said Mayor Ted R. Green. “I want to 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 special event, which will also include ESIVA Latin Jazz Band and DJ Fauzi, is sponsored by Mayor Green, the East Orange City Council, the Department of Policy, Planning and Development, and the Department of Health and Human Services. The public is welcome to attend.
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.