Art Galleries to Expand
Looks like we'll be getting a bigger dose of art in the future with current galleries expanding their blueprint and a new space to emerge by Rutgers-Newark. Consider these new spaces to be part gallery, part incubator, art studios, and much more!
Gallery Aferro
Gallery Aferro was founded in 2003 by Evonne Davis and Emma Wilcox. They are looking to expand to 90,000 square foot space by 2015. It is to include "60 artist studios, workshop/lab spaces for specific media like printmaking and commercial photo studio with a co-op, membership model, presenting spaces for visual arts and film, purpose-built educational space, fun retail like a cafe and an enlarged gift shop, and "flux spaces," designated in response to strong community demand for flexible spaces that can be used for conferencing, hackathons, skillshare sessions, yoga and dance classes, staged readings and poetry slams, etc."
You can contribute to their Indigogo campaign that is more than 20% funded with some great perks that include commissioned artwork by their affiliated artists. You can also visit the gallery and take a Rosie the Riveter selfie (see photo above) and help spread the word through social media using #aferroexpansion. They are open Thur-Sat 12-6pm, they'll even supply the red bandanas.
The Gateway Project
The Gateway Project is run by Jasmine Wahi & Rebecca Jampol. In 2013, C&K Properties donated 13,000 square feet of retail space, which will triple in size in 2015. The Gateway Project space rotates exhibitions every three months, providing participation opportunities to national and international curators and artists. The new space is looking to include multiple exhibition spaces, curated studio facilities and artist workspace.
You can contribute to their Indigogo campaign here with perks for VIP events and more!
Express Newark
Brand new to the scene will be Express Newark - which will occupy three floors of the iconic Hahne's building on Halsey Street led by Rutgers-Newark. The space will include an arts incubator, communication media center design consortium, print shop, portrait studio, and lecture hall/maker space, as well as new exhibition and performance spaces for programming by the RU-N Institute of Jazz Studies and the Newark Museum. The new RU-N Chancellor Nancy Cantor hopes, "We aspire for Express Newark to play a pivotal role as a "˜third space,' where the university and community come together to advance scholarship, strengthen our community, and build the momentum behind Newark's renaissance."
