Newark USA: Open Doors '11, Part Last; Attendance; and NJIT Closing Reception on Monday

As I said last Friday, the last event I saw any part of in this year's Open Doors art weekend was the end of the Washington Park Arts Festival. I took only a few pictures of people packing up to leave.

But Newark artist Ing-On Vilbulbhan-Watts offered me some of her pix, many of which I show below. In this next foto, mine, you can see her, holding two padded containers in which, I think, were rolled-up copies of her peace poster as signed by lots of people at her table in the festival. I discussed that project here on July 28th.

Kareisha Avestel, a Barat Youth Initiative volunteer, took care of Ing's Peace Project during the Festival. (Remaining fotos today, including a number that show diverse people offering their thoughts on her topic, "What does 'Peace' mean to you?", are courtesy of Ing-On Vilbulbhan-Watts, who retains all rights. Thank you, Ing.) All fotos today relate to the parkfest, tho the text speaks to three distinct but interrelated topics.
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These first fotos show members of the Organización Carnavalesca de Santiago en New Jersey, a Dominican group that snapped enormously loud whips in the Arts Parade.

During the parade, the group wore intricate masks, but they started to come off once the group reached the park.

I don't know what the ebulliently colorful costumes were supposed to represent, but they certainly britened the day.

In the park, the Aztec Dance troupe, Kalpulli Huehuetlahtolli Danzantes, which merely marched in the portion of the parade I saw, actually danced. Ing-On saw the dancing in person. I saw it only thru her pictures.

Piece of the Puzzle. I wondered aloud here on November 14th why there aren't tens of thousands of suburbanites attending Open Doors in Downtown Newark each year. Gaetano thinks he may have a partial explanation, and offers some thoughts on a solution.

I have heard people over the years say that they are not afraid of coming to Downtown Newark but, if they are driving, they may be afraid that if they go off-route, there are "sections" if they get lost in that are NOT good.

I tend to agree there are "sections" of Newark that 'are' actually not that good due to gang activity! I would even be a bit hesitant to pass thru them.

I tell family and friends who drive to my place to make sure they don't turn off in wrong direction because I don't want them in areas where there is gang activity.

I think if we offered some transportation services (bus, etc.) from train stations at wealthy areas (Montclair, Livingston — wherever — and back again, more people might come to events in Newark.

Organizers of Downtown Newark events should offer such things as group discounts if 20 or 30 people from Montclair want to come to a Newark event, and bus them to and from.

We need to think of more ways that would encourage people to come to Newark, and once they are comfortable they just might continue coming on their own.

I replied:

I hadn't thought of that. But in regard to public transportation, that is NOT an issue, because Newark Penn and Broad Street Stations are both in safe areas, and the lite rail system from Broad Street Station goes to Newark Penn, which is a short walk to PruCenter. And the lite rail system also goes to NJPAC. Perhaps we need to publicize the way to get to NJPAC, NuMu, PruCenter, and the various galleries by safe public transportation. AND consider what mistakes people driving in might make that could get them in trouble — not that carjacking is a big problem here, so that if people merely pass thru questionable neighborhoods and their car doesn't break down, they don't risk much of anything. We've got to get people thinking about this.

There used to be a Loop bus that connected cultural venues Downtown, but it seems to have vanished some time ago. Maybe we need to reestablish that shuttle if it was indeed abolished — and why would it have been? How much did it cost? How much should we charge on a new Loop, for a whole day's off-and-back-on passage? This is the kind of thing we should all be discussing.

A couple of months ago, I spoke with someone who was active in organizing the Halsey Street Block Parties, which have also been seriously under-attended, about busing in people from senior residences, public schools, and our various colleges, who said that there had been discussions of such a thing, but inadequate financing sank that idea. There are shuttles that connect the various campuses and other locations. The College Town free shuttle organized by CHEN (the Council of Higher Education in Newark), even as far as Harrison and Kearny. Perhaps we need only make students of all these institutions aware of the stops close to the various venues, in publicity just before events, to get more college kids after classes or out of dorms and into the many free events open to them.

I don't know what kind of free or low-cost shuttles are available to senior residences or senior daytime activity centers. Again, it might just be a question of reaching people to alert them to events and how they can get to and from by public transportation right to the front door of their local community center.

Similarly, the Newark Public Schools might make buses available for students of appropriate age from various schools to appropriate art events. I don't know how much is already available, as against what we would have to create. Do Newark schoolchildren get an NJTransit bus pass for free rides? Only to and from school? Only during certain hours, to any destination? I don't know, but someone must. Plainly the Halsey Street Block Parties could easily accommodate busloads of kids and senior citizens. As to whether the various galleries are prepared to receive one or more busloads to their opening receptions, or at other times, I cannot say. But even if not every gallery would welcome hordes of kids arriving all at the same time, some might, and could work with the schools to stagger arrivals and departures to avoid overcrowding, and to permit a guided tour by gallery staff or school staff given an orientation prior to a bus trip. Wouldn't it be great if art educators in the Newark Public Schools, and in those of other municipalities outside City Limits, understood what a treasure Newark arts offer to impressionable kids. A field trip to an art gallery or tour of cWOW's murals or leisurely stroll thru an outdoor arts festival in Washington Park, or concert in Lincoln Park or PSE&G Plaza could make quite an impression on kids, and create affection for this city that could last the rest of their lives.

Closing Reception Monday. One show I was not able to get to during Open Doors is still open, but not for long. Here is the email invite:

Hello!

Please join us for the closing reception for our current exhibition: 2+2. It will be on Monday, November 28 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm and light refreshments will be served. below is a little information about the exhibit and the participating artists. The College of Architecture and Design Gallery is on NJIT campus in Newark, NJ. The address is 367 Martin Luther King Blvd. on the corner of MLK and Warren Street.

The premise of the exhibit was for each curator (David Smith and Matthew Gosser) to select artists who work closely with another artist. These artists could be siblings, lovers or studio-mates who influence each other's individual artwork in subtle or not-so-subtle ways. Two works of art from each artist were selected to be in the exhibit. The artists included in the exhibit are: Andrew Baron + Suzanne Kammin, Evonne M. Davis + Emma Wilcox, Peter Owen + Alison Owen and Andrew Demirjian + Dahlia Elsayed.