Cultural Arts Treasures
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
Located in the heart of downtown Newark, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center presents African-American artists and artists from the African Diaspora throughout its entire season. More than half a million patrons experience the arts at NJPAC each year. NJPAC's wide array of program offerings include:
Annual Kwanzaa Festival
NJPAC's annual Kwanzaa Festival and Marketplace is perhaps the only endowed Kwanzaa celebration in the country. Each year, the four-day festival attracts hundreds of families and children. Activities include The Spirit of Kwanzaa, A Tribute to the Elders, honoring outstanding community leaders; and a Children's Festival, featuring hands-on workshops in African-American, Afro-Haitian and Afro-Brazilian music and dance.
Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Each year, NJPAC celebrates the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with inspiration and music. Sounds of Blackness, Mighty Clouds of Joy and Jubilation have all performed as part of this celebration. The roster of guest speakers who have illuminated the history of King's life include such prestigious names as Kweisi Mfume, former President and Chief Executive Officer of the NAACP, and Cory A. Booker, Mayor of Newark.
Dance
NJPAC's dance offerings represent a variety of styles, including classical, modern and cultural traditions from around the world. Complexions Contemporary Ballet, the Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater, Philadanco, Ronald K. Brown\EVIDENCE, Savion Glover, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and the Kankouran West African Dance Company are just a few of the spectacular artists who have appeared at NJPAC in past seasons.
Music
Jazz, hip hop, pop, gospel and classical--all of these and more can be found at NJPAC. Representative performances include Ahmad Jamal & Ramsey Lewis, Nnenna Freelon & Geri Allen, Audra McDonald, Daniel Bernard Roumain & DJ Scientific, CeCe Wynans, and Hannibal Lokumbe, as well as NJPAC's biennial international hip hop festival and the annual Sounds of the City summer concert series.
Theater
NJPAC's Theater Series serves as a showcase for powerful, humorous, and eclectic plays. Featuring predominantly African-American writers and stories, past seasons have included Cookin at the Cookery: The Music and Times of Alberta Hunter, The Other Side of Newark, Emergence-See, Louie & Ophelia, and The Trial of One Short-Sighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae.
Spoken Word
NJPAC presents the very best spoken word artists from the cutting edge of the genre as part of its Alternate Routes Sacred Circle Café Series. Sarah Jones, Will Power, Universes, Jessica Care Moore, Asha Bandele, Ras Baraka, Progress Theatre, and Imani Uzuri have all performed their works at NJPAC. Other events include Hip Hop: Out, Loud and Proud, featuring artists who collectively represent all sexual orientations and persuasions; and World Theater Lab, curated and produced by New Brunswick's Crossroads Theatre founder and artistic director, Rick Khan, which brought together young playwrights from New Jersey, London, and Johannesburg for a newly-created playwright's lab and performance at NJPAC.
Visual Arts
In addition to the world-class artists that appear on its stages, NJPAC also houses a permanent collection of pan-African art and artifacts displayed throughout the facility. The collection includes nomadic artifacts from the Tuareg people Niger); domestic items from the Senufo (Ivory Coast), Bamun (Cameroun), and Kuba (Congo) peoples; ceremonial masks from the Dogon (Mali) and the Bidjogo (Guinea-Bissau) people; and many other original artifacts from throughout the African continent.
NJPAC event listings can be viewed in the Calendar of Events of this website; full season listings may be viewed at www.njpac.org. Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC, or in person at our box office at One Center Street, Newark NJ, 07102.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
One Center Street
Newark, NJ 07102
1-888-GO-NJPAC
www.njpac.org
_____________________________________________________________________________
Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has one of the world's most impressive collections of jazz archives and research. Founded in 1952 by Marshall Stearns, Stearn's collection moved to its permanent home in 1966. The astounding collection consists of 100,000+ sound recordings, 5,000 books, 30,000 photos, 7,000 pieces of sheet music and research files on oral histories related to Jazz. For additional information about the center please call (973) 353-5595.
Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies
John C. Dana Library, 4th floor
Rutgers University
185 University Avenue
Newark, NJ 07102
(973) 353-5595
FAX: (973) 353-5944
eberger@andromeda.rutgers.edu
_____________________________________________________________________________
GlassRoots, Inc.
GlassRoots, Inc. is an organization that provides artistic and life skills training to Newark area youth through workshops in glassmaking, graphic design, and basic business and entrepreneurial concepts. Based on the idea that through the arts a young person can gain an invaluable sense of personal well-being that will have a life - long impact, GlassRoots is unique in its focus - both on building the skills necessary to create beautiful objects, and reinforcing that foundation with solid business training that allows youngsters to bring these objects into the marketplace.
GlassRoots, Inc.
111 Washington Street
Newark, N.J. 07102-3027
(973) 353-5961
Studio: (973) 353-9555
Fax: (973) 353-1011
hotglass@andromeda.rutgers.edu
http://glassroots.mjmi.com
____________________________________________________________________________
Newark Museum
The Newark Museum, New Jersey's largest museum, invites you to enjoy unforgettable experiences in the arts and natural sciences. Take an inspirational journey through 80 galleries of world-class collections including American, Asian, African and Classical. Experience another era in the Victorian Ballantine House - a National Historic Landmark. Come face-to-face with live animals from around the world in the Mini Zoo or travel to the stars in the museum's popular planetarium. The Newark Museum operates, as it has since its founding, in the public trust as a museum of service, and a leader in connecting objects and ideas to the needs and wishes of its constituencies. The Museum is open all year round: Wednesdays through Fridays, from Noon - 5:00 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., October 1 - June 30; and Saturdays and Sundays, from Noon - 5:00 p.m., July 1 - September 30. Suggested Museum admission: Adults, $7.00; Children, Seniors and Students with valid I.D., $3.00. Members are admitted free. The Museum Café is open for lunches Wednesday through Sunday. Convenient parking is available for a fee. For additional information, call (973) 596-6550 or visit the museum's web site, http://www.NewarkMuseum.org .
The Newark Museum is just a few steps from the NJTransit Light Rail Washington Park Station. Direct connection with the Light Rail at the Broad Street Station and through Penn Station makes the Museum a convenient ride from all points in the region.
The Newark Museum
49 Washington Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
_____________________________________________________________________________
NEWARK BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
The Newark Black Film Festival is the longest running black film festival in the United States, providing a progressive public forum for hundreds of emerging writers, directors, producers, performers, and film patrons who enjoy black cinema. This Festival has presented programs that reflect the full diversity of the black experience both past and present, encompassing a wide range of forms and formulas, from documentary to the avant-garde. In the past 31 years, the Newark Black Film Festival has screened 614 films to an audience of nearly 134,000 adults and children.
Organized by The Newark Museum, the Newark Black Film Festival, by all measurements, has proven to be a successful event each year, in part because of the long-standing dedication of its funders and selection committee, who collectively share an extensive association in the field of film and arts. Festival cinema screenings are presented during the summer months between Late June and early August. Please contact Pat Faison at (973) 596-6635 or pfaison@newarkmuseum.org for additional information.
The Newark Museum
49 Washington Street
Newark NJ 07102-3176
_____________________________________________________________________________
Aljira - A Center for Contemporary Art
Aljira, a multi-cultural contemporary art center, fosters excellence in the visual arts through exhibitions and educational programs that serve as catalysts for inclusiveness and diversity, as well as promoting cross-cultural dialog, that enables it to better understand the time in which we live. Public understanding and support of the visual arts are strengthened through collaboration and community-based educational programming. Aljira seeks out the work of emerging and under-represented artists and brings the work of more established artists to the community. Through the visual arts Aljira bridges racial, cultural and ethnic divides and enriches the lives of individuals.
Call Aljira at 973-622-1600 or access their website for upcoming events:
Aljira
591 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102-4403
Tel: 973-622-1600
Fax: 973-622-6526
TTY 1-800-852-7699
www.aljira.org
______________________________________________________________________________
Gallman's Newark Dance Theatre
Gallman's Newark Dance Theatre is comprised of a dance school as well as a professional dance company. Under the direction of Alfred Gallman, an alumni of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, the Gallman Center provides a wide range of dance styles designed for beginners, intermediate and advanced participants. The Gallman Theatre professional dance company has received numerous acclaim for its passionate and creative performances. For additional information please contact the following:
Gallman's Newark Dance Theatre
571 Central Avenue, 2nd Fl.
Newark, New Jersey 07107
(973) 497-1200
email: gndtschool@aol.com
http://gallmansnewarkdancetheatre.org
______________________________________________________________________________
The Paul Robeson Galleries
The Gallery's mission and programming embody Paul Robeson's life-long commitment to unfettered artistic freedom, cultural democracy, and transnationalism. This mission is carried out in the presentation of visual arts exhibitions, gallery education and other public programs, and in partnerships with community organizations. The Paul Robeson Gallery is an artistic and cultural center dedicated to presenting art and cultural artifacts as well as educational and public programming in the spirit of the diverse metropolitan context of Rutgers University at Newark, the Greater Newark communities, and the northeast region of New Jersey.
The Paul Robeson Galleries
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
350 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, 1st Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
(973) 353-1610
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/artgallery/
____________________________________________________________ __________________
The Umoja Dance Company, Inc.
UMOJA has been recognized as one of New Jersey's premier dance companies. Within the past nine years UMOJA has achieved many important milestones. UMOJA was selected to perform at Aaron Davis Hall as a part of the New Vision/New Voices Choreography Showcase for People of Color, curated by Gus Solomons, Jr. The company was presented for two consecutive years by The New Jersey Performing Arts Center for its Kwanzaa Celebration and has also appeared on NBC TodayNews program in celebration of Black History month. The members of UMOJA have diverse dance, theatre and musical backgrounds. For additional information about program events and booking, please contact:
Umoja Dance Company
P.O. Box 1257
Montclair, New Jersey 07042
c/oManager Christine Smith
(973) 783.5337
E-Mail: csmithdance@aol.com
http://www.umojadance.com
_____________________________________________________________________________
Teen Arts
Youth of Essex County are eligible to participate in a a statewide multidisciplinary Teen Arts program. Serving students and teachers in both public and private schools since 1969, the program encompasses activities in dance, theater, vocal music, instrumental music, film and video, photography, creative writing and the visual arts. For additional information regarding program events and participant applications please call the State Program through Friends of Teen Arts (FOTA) at (609) 397-0505. http://teenarts.org
____________________________________________________________________________
Newark Boys Chorus School (NBCS)
Newark Boys Chorus School is a private school, founded in 1969, for youngsters between the ages of 9 and 14 (grades 4 through 8), and is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools. It is also home to New Jersey's finest musical ambassadors, The Newark Boys Chorus. As one of the most celebrated boys chorus in the nation, the NBCS has travelled extensively both nationally and internationally, engaging and enthralling audiences with their choral literature that covers the best of classical, pop, folk, gospel and jazz.
For program events or booking information, please contact:
Newark Boys Chorus School
1016 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102
973-621-8900, ext. 13
973-621-1343 fax
dcmorr@aol.com or nbcsinfo@nbcs.us
http://www.newark-boys-chorus-school.net
_____________________________________________________________________________
The Afro Brazilian Cultural Center of New Jersey
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art form and ritual that encompasses (among many other things) elements of dance, ritual, self-defense, acrobatics and self-expression. Developed over 400 years ago by African slaves who were brought to Brazil, it is quickly becoming one of the most fastest growing art forms around the world. The Afro Brazilian Cultural Center of New Jersey is home to all things Brazilian. Located in the heart of Montclair, New Jersey, the center hosts many Brazilian Arts including Capoeira, Maculêlê (the dance of the sugar cane) and Samba (a traditional Afro-Brazilian dance that is associated with Capoeira).
For additional information contact:
The Afro Brazilian Cultural Center of New Jersey
356 Bloomfield Ave
Montclair, NJ 07042
(973) 744-4934
gaivota@abccnj.com
http://www.abccnj.com
Capoeira Video techniques
http://www.ninjutsu.co.il/wiki/index.php/Category:Capoeira_techniques
Other Capoeira centers/academies within New Jersey include:
New Jersey Capoeira Arts Center
51 Bruen Street
Newark, NJ
(Ironbound District, 2 blocks from Newark Penn Station near Lafayette Street)
(973) 589-5726
http://www.capoeiranj.com, admin@capoeiranj.com
Rutgers Capoeira
411 Joyce Kilmer Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
capoeira@eden.rutgers.edu
http://capoeira.rutgers.edu
Princeton Capoeira
Princeton University - Dillon Gym
3 Dillon Gym
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
capoeira@princeton.edu, zumbi@zumbisenzala.org
http://www.princeton.edu/~capoeira/
Oficina da Capoeira
814 Kossuth Street
Riverside, NJ 08075
(609) 577-9351
(856) 297-5051
claudionewjersey@hotmail.com
www.ofdacapoeira.com
_____________________________________________________________________________
New Jersey Tap Ensemble
The New Jersey Tap Ensemble is New Jersey's first statewide non-profit tap dance company. Founded by professional tap dancer Deborah Mitchell in 1994, the organization is not just a school for tap dance, but a company with a mission to preserve and perpetuate the art form of rhythm tap dancing. This ethnically diverse company is made up primarily of New Jersey artists that represent more than half of New Jersey's 21 counties. New Jersey Tap Ensemble is a company that serves as a training ground for those tap artists who desire to reach a level of proficiency beyond the dance school experience as well as a performance venue for the accomplished dancer to continue their creative development.
For additional information please contact:
New Jersey Tap Ensemble
340 Franklin Street, 1st Floor
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
973.743.0600
e-mail: info@njtap.org
www.njtap.org
_____________________________________________________________________________
The Lincoln Park/Coast Cultural District (LPCCD)
The Lincoln Park/Coast Cultural District (LPCCD) is a New Jersey non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing the Lincoln Park/Symphony Hall community of Newark, NJ. LPCCD is working to create a community that includes art, culture, environmental sustainability, historic preservation, commercial retail, performance spaces as well as the development of the Museum of African American Music that will once again bring vitality and stability to the area. For additional information regarding the efforts of the LPCCD, please access their website at:
http://www.lpccd.org/lpccd/index.htm .
Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District
9-11 Crawford Street #3
Newark, NJ 07102
(973) 242-4144
Fax: (973) 230-0006
Email: info@lpccd.org
____________________________________________________________________________
Newark School of the Arts (NSA)
NSA provides instruction in the performing (music, dance, drama) and visual arts for people of all ages, regardless of their financial need or artistic ability. The School has been an incubator for artists and for professional people in many fields. A significant number of NSA alumni have made arts their careers, including dancer Savion Glover. The School has been recognized by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, which designated NSA a "Major Presenting Organization" for 2007-2009; and awarded the School a "Citation of Excellence" and designated the School a "Major Service Organization" during 2003 to 2006. For additional information about the School call (973) 642-0133 or visit
www: newarkschoolofthearts.org.
Newark School of the Arts
89 Lincoln Park
Newark, NJ 07102
(973) 642-0133
Fax: (973) 622-2664
Email: info@newarkschoolofthearts.org
____________________________________________________________________________
Celeste Bateman & Associates (CB&A)
Celeste Bateman & Associates provides public relations and special events services for the business and non-profit communities; arts management consulting for small and emerging arts organizations, and the Nia Network (www.NiaNetwork.com), a program bureau featuring artists and speakers covering topics and art forms relative to the African Diaspora. CB&A has compiled a roster of extraordinarily talented individuals. The artists and speakers are available to perform and present at colleges and universities, performing arts centers, corporations, festivals, trade shows, etc. "Nia" is the Swahili word for 'purpose' and the purpose of this division of CB&A is to promote what is good and positive about the African, Caribbean, and African-American cultural experience. For additional information, please visit our website at www.NiaNetwork.com or www.CelesteBateman.com or call (973) 705-8253.
Celeste Bateman, CEO
Celeste Bateman & Associates
P.O. Box 4071
Newark, New Jersey 07114-4071
_____________________________________________________________________________
Zawadi School of African Dance
The mission of the Zawadi School of African Dance is to enhance the souls and minds of young men, women, boys and girls of its greater community through traditional African dance, music, song and history. It is the desire of the company to encourage self-confidence and discipline so that the members can apply these skills to their own lives in order to become responsible, productive citizens. Programs include African dance & drum classes as well as performances by the school's resident dance company. For additional information please contact:
WISOMMM Cultural Center
15 James Street, 5th Floor
Newark, New Jersey
Saturday's from 10:30am-4:00pm
(908) 380-8557
KMiles@zawadidance.com
www.zawadidance.com
______________________________________________________________________________
Montclair Art Museum
The Montclair Art Museum is committed to being an inclusive and diverse organization that respects and welcomes individual differences in order to offer the most meaningful art experience to the widest possible audience. The museum's exhibitions offer groundbreaking scholarship, fresh thematic approaches, first-time presentations of under-recognized artists, examinations of little-known aspects of major artists' careers, and an ongoing commitment to the artists and culture of New Jersey. Sharing its distinguished collections, specialized expertise, and unique resources such as its Le Brun Library and Yard School of Art, the Museum collaborates with numerous cultural and community partners to inspire creativity and a deeper understanding of America's unique diversity.
Montclair Art Museum
3 South Mountain Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042
(973) 746-5555
http://www.montclair-art.com/
_____________________________________________________________________________
County Arts Resource and Support Organization(s)
Essex County Department of Cultural & Historic Affairs
115 Clifton Avenue
Newark, NJ 07103
(973) 268-3500; (973) 481-5302 FAX
joedi@admin.essexcountynj.org
Newark Arts Council
17 Academy Street, Suite 1104
Newark, NJ 07102
http://newarkarts.org
_____________________________________________________________________________
got Info?
Send us your questions, comments and listings
