EAST ORANGE, NJ – The City of East Orange received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support city art project planning and its local agencies.

These funds were awarded to The East Orange Department of Policy, Planning, and Development (DPPD) to aid in its mission to enhance the quality of life for residents by promoting housing, economic development, and community revitalization.

This project was designed by DPPD Director Dan Jennings and Grants Analyst Naiima Fauntleroy to expand public art in East Orange and further reflect the beauty and resilience of its residents.

Project plans include art installations known as “RainWorks” to be placed at Central Avenue, Main Street, Evergreen Place Park, and Fourth Avenue. RainWorks are created through the use of superhydrophobic spray and stencils. When these displays interact with rain, water is repelled from the concrete to reveal messages and artwork that will illuminate East Orange business corridors.

The City also plans to continue its’ expansion of community murals following the success of the Black Lives Matter installation last month and the East Orange Boogie Woogie display installed in 2019.

These NEA-supported large-scale murals are to be positioned along the City’s viaduct walls as well as on the ramps of the East Orange Memorial Skatepark. This project intends to highlight the City’s collective history alongside individual stories in a process that is collaborative and community-oriented.

In 2019, East Orange Mayor Ted R. Green cemented the City’s commitment to the Arts after the opening of the East Orange Boogie Woogie display. He said that “this project represents one of many more to come. Our city is essentially a blank canvas for the incredible talent that lives here.”

These funds will enable the DPPD to continue investments in East Orange that will engage its residents, spark conversations, and highlight the public spaces and culture the City is known for.

As a company, we are recognizing Friday, June 18 as an official holiday in observance of Juneteenth.

On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and informed the enslaved Black people there that they were now free. While the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect and legal slavery had all but ended* in the US in January of 1863, it took over two years for the news to arrive in the far reaches of the South, and on that day an estimated 250,000 people discovered they were free. When they did, the day became known by many names, including Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, and Juneteenth, a portmanteau of June and nineteenth.

Juneteenth has long been celebrated in Galveston and elsewhere, especially in the South. The uprising of Summer 2020 brought new attention to the day, and with that attention, many states and hundreds of corporations began recognizing Juneteenth's importance. As of June 2021, Juneteenth has finally been recognized as a federal holiday. We believe not only that this is an important victory, but also that it is not enough. 

Many industries will not close in recognition of the holiday, including food service, retail, and care. These oft underpaid jobs are disproportionately staffed by Black workers. As a company 100% owned and predominantly staffed by white people, we are aware of the privilege inherent in closing shop. We encourage you to use your day off to rest and reflect, and recognize there is still a long way to go to achieve social equity. Celebrating the importance of freedom is a small step along that path.

*The 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. The US prison system remains a site of pain and exploitation, with the influence of chattel slavery running through its veins.