ARTSXCHANGE Celebrates First Anniversary At NJPAC

ArtsXChange, an innovative collaboration between New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA), celebrated its first anniversary on April 30, 2024, with a “birthday party” attended by more than 200 guests.

This ArtsXChange pilot engages local residents in the production of arts and cultural programming in the South Ward. Over the course of the year, 128 local artists have been featured in the free, bimonthly programs and several of them appeared in the birthday celebration.

The evening included musical performances by vocalist Gail Campbell and hip-hop artists Haze Heffner and Ghost as well as a poetry sharing and a fashion show. This was the first community program held at the new, state-of-the-art William Mobile Ashby Community Care and Training Center in Newark's South Ward, a training facility for first responders and gathering place for the community. 

PATRICK, JOHN, KHAATIM AND HASANI

South Ward Councilman Patrick O. Council, fourth from left, with NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber, CHCA Executive Director Khaatim Sherrer El, Newark Board of Education President Hasani K. Council, far right, and Newark police community service officers and others at the one-year anniversary celebration of ArtsXChange.

FASHION SHOW

Karina Briggs, fourth from left, an eighth grade student at Belmont Runyon School, designed three outfits that were modeled in a fashion show. Karina utilized upcycling techniques she learned at an ArtsXChange sewing workshop led by local designer Aziz “Bump Pro” Little.

AUDITORIUM

More than 200 guests attended the ArtsXChange celebration in the 470-seat auditorium of the new William Mobile Ashby Community Care and Training Center.

YOUNG POET

Young artist Malachi Richardson recited an original poem, taking after his father, Michael Richardson Jr., who was a featured poet in April's poetry-infused neighborhood cleanup event “More Words, Less Waste.”

COLORING

Attendees practiced relaxation with a guided breathing exercise followed by mindfulness coloring in coloring books provided by NJPAC. This exercise was reminiscent of the first ArtsXChange program in 2023: “Art Heals in the Street” which focused on using art as a tool for healing.

About NJPAC

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., is America's most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, which have reached almost 2 million children, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 10 million visitors since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.

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