(NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark Arts and Russo Development will celebrate the official grand opening of "Newark ArtSpace" at Vermella Broad Street on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Coinciding with the Newark Arts Festival, the gallery is the first-ever space that Newark Arts operates on a year-round basis and provides a dedicated home to the city’s vibrant culture of local and regional artists. The event will feature new art from Newark Arts' "Radical Reimagining" exhibition and feature works of over twenty artists, curated by Armisey Smith. Their art will remain on display until December 1st.

“Advocating for Newark artists, stimulating the local artistic movement, and promoting Newark as global city of the arts has been at the core of our mission for over 40 years. Newark Arts’ path has been filled with festivals, curations, campaigns, and strategic partnerships” said Newark Art’s Executive Director, Lauren LeBeaux Craig. “Having Russo Development as a partner and collaborator at Vermella Broad Street aligns perfectly with our efforts and reminds us that remarkable things can happen when we work together. It is particularly encouraging to see Newark Arts and the Arts and Education District expand to the northern end of our city.”

With the opening of the year-round gallery at Vermella Broad Street, Newark’s Arts and Education District now extends to the North Ward connecting it with the already established arts communities throughout the city. The gallery will not only offer artists a place to showcase their art but will also serve as an opportunity for those artists to sell their work.

“When we decided to come to Newark with Vermella Broad Street, we knew that we wanted to be involved in the community and its undeniable creative culture,” said Courtney Mulligan, Vice President of Marketing at Russo Development. “Upon coming to a new community, we are continuously looking to plant our roots as a developer and create meaningful contributions to the neighborhood and its residents. We are very excited to support and provide this space to Newark Arts so they have a space to support and share local artists and education.”

Newark ArtSpace is the first gallery in a Vermella Property and will also function as conduit to activate the connection between the community and artists so their creativity can evolve throughout the year. Newark Arts also has strategic partnerships with The City of Newark, Newark Arts and Education District, Newark City Parks Foundation, The Newark Museum of Art, Express Newark, Newark Symphony Hall and more.

“One of the main things that our local artists need is spaces to display their art – not only for people to appreciate it but also for them to be able to sell their work and make a living,” said Lauren Craig. “The boutique-style gallery at Vermella Broad Street, generously donated by Russo Development, will allow for artists to grow and reach new audiences while also educating the public about our city’s rich cultural history.”

The event takes place Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 355 Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey.  It runs from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

Newark Arts Council (NAC, aka Newark Arts) is a key anchor institution that drives Newark as a global City of the Arts.  Founded in 1981, for the past 43 years, Newark Arts has elevated Newark’s arts and culture ecosystem for the benefit of all Newarkers. Newark Arts’ overarching strengths are that it is a trusted intermediary, key collaborator, cultural vanguard/catalyst, and marketing machine for the city. By demonstrating Newark as a model of creative placemaking, we fuel Newark’s vibrancy and drive the arts as an economic lever for urban America.

Russo Development is one of the most active, privately held developers of industrial, data center, residential, and mixed-use projects in northern New Jersey. Russo has earned a reputation for well-planned developments that are distinguished by their emphasis on detail and quality.  Over their 50-year plus history, Russo has completed more than sixty (60) industrial projects and has become one of the largest owners of data center space and delivered over 5,400 luxury apartments in the New York metropolitan area. The firm’s short-term development pipeline includes over 3,500 residential units and 5 million square feet of industrial space, two of the hottest sectors in the New Jersey market.