(NEWARK, NJ) -- Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA) proudly hosted the first-anniversary celebration of the ArtsXchange on April 30, 2024. This night of culture recognized one year of a spectacular partnership with NJPAC celebrating arts programming in Clinton Hill. This collaboration spawned the arts and creative placemaking department at CHCA, and ArtsXChange was the first joint effort with Clinton Hill Community Action & the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Clinton Hill Community Action is the first partner to fully collaborate with NJPAC to create arts programming in the wards, not just downtown. This collaborative effort platforms residents as performers with high-quality programming produced with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. So far, 128 local artists have been featured in this program. Tuesday’s event was held in the 470-seat auditorium at 695 Bergen Street (William Mobile Ashby Community Care and Training Center ), Newark’s shared space for the community and first responders. It will be the new location for ArtsXchange events. Clinton Hill Community Action hosted the event and treated guests to dinner and dessert catered by South Ward resident, Latina Byrd.

A wide range of ages were represented in the performances beginning with 9-year-old poet Malachi Richardson who opened the show and brought the audience to its feet. 13-year-old Karina Briggs wowed the audience with her fashion ensembles that she created after attending an ArtsXchange sewing workshop from Aziz “Bump Pro” Little. The evening showcased a diverse spectrum of art from visual, rap, and vocal genres. It also featured a live band comprised mostly of musicians from Browns Chapel, a South Ward church.

Over 200 hundred community members came out to celebrate the birthday of ArtsXchange. The Leo Place, Girard Place, and Osborne Terrace block associations, CHCA’s senior group - Seniors in Action, and the Concerned Citizens of Clinton Hill were present. John Shreiber, President and CEO of NJPAC, and Khaatim Sherrer El, the Executive Director of Clinton Hill Community Action greeted the crowd. Mr. Sherrer El stated, “You all know the New Jersey Performing Arts Center as the premiere stage in the state of New Jersey but if you didn't know, NJPAC does community programming all over the city. When they came to us they said they wanted to do something a little different. They wanted to showcase local talent. They wanted to put you on the stage. Art heals, art brings joy, and for all the South Ward artists that have joined us throughout this first year, they know that art pays!”

One of the many highlights of the celebration was the coloring mindfulness moment when the entire audience colored and listened to calming music from the band. Audience members received a pair of yellow sunglasses because the future of ArtsXChange is “so bright that we need shades” and “outside” season is about to begin. Clinton Hill Community Action coined the phrase #OutsideSeason because the programming from May - September is rich, vibrant, exciting, and filled with multiple offerings.

The ArtsXchange is an ongoing collaboration. The next ArtsXchange event, “If It Had Not Been For Mother'' featuring Gwen Moten, will be Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 30 Demarest Street, Newark, NJ from 6:00pm-8:00pm. You can register for the event here.

Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA) is a nonprofit, community development organization that engages residents and partners to revitalize the Clinton Hill neighborhood in Newark’s South Ward. They believe this work must be led by residents, alongside partners who understand the centrality of the role of residents in naming challenges, identifying solutions that are most responsive to their hopes and aspirations, and collaboratively acting for sustained progress. CHCA facilitates this collaborative action and advocacy with a focus on quality, affordable housing, food security, economic empowerment, and environmental justice. Since their founding in 2019, they have worked to build trust in the community and engage residents to address long standing issues.