(NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark is a city of vibrant public art, so to celebrate the numerous citywide mural offerings, Newark Arts has announced the launch of an interactive Newark Public Art Map in celebration of Newark Arts’ 40th anniversary. 

Sponsored by the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau and in collaboration with the City of Newark, Four Corners Public Arts, and multiple artists and collaborators across the city, the mobile-friendly website maps out the city’s murals and public art projects created by local and international artists.

“Newark Arts is proud to be gifting the city with this new website to celebrate our organization’s 40th year. Not only will the digital map enable people from all over the world to experience Newark’s richly colorful and diverse public art, but visitors and residents alike will be able to explore individual murals and free public art in every corner of our great city,” said Regina Barboza, Interim Executive Director of Newark Arts.  “This is possible, in large part, due to the generosity of Newark Arts’ major funders.”

On Saturday, July 31st, the city’s newest mural, “uncanny” by Boris Bernard, which is the icon image of the 2021 Newark Arts Festival, will be unveiled at the official launch event for the Newark Public Art Map.  The free event, in collaboration with Fine As Art Entertainment, will be a Brick City Jam featuring live art, music and food from 3:00pm to 7:00pm at Newark Riverfront Park, Raymond Boulevard at Madison Street. This event is part of the City of Newark and Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s  Back Together Again - Summer Fun in the Park initiatives celebrating the city’s green spaces which are home to many public art features including monuments, sculptures, and murals.

“Public art continues to be an important way to celebrate the vibrancy and creative expression that fuels our city and shares stories of our resiliency, history and culture,” said City of Newark Arts and Cultural Affairs Director fayemi shakur. “It also gives the public greater access to enjoy and appreciate artistic expression of all kinds.” 

“This interactive Newark Public Art Map is proof that creativity exists throughout the city,” said Ricardo Salazar, Acting President/CE0, Greater Newark Convention & Visitors Bureau. “These public displays of artistic expression add to the cultural, social, and economic value of a city by bringing residents and visitors together, encouraging dialogue, and strengthening a sense of community and place. The arts boost tourism in cities such as Newark, and we are proud to play our part by putting Newark art on the map, literally and figuratively.”

The map will be available beginning on Saturday, July 31st at www.newarkarts.org/publicartmap.  It is powered by CANVS, an interactive platform that collects street art data worldwide including mural photos, artist profiles, mural descriptions, timelines, tags, etc. and drives arts programs and festivals in cities across the U.S.

The mission of Newark Arts is to power the arts to transform lives. Established in 1981 as the Newark Arts Council, the organization’s vision is to become a nationally recognized catalyst for the collaborative power of the arts in the City of Newark and urban America. Newark Arts is the producer of the Newark Arts Festival and Newark Creates, a community-led citywide cultural plan, created in partnership with the City of Newark.  Key initiatives include Arts Education Newark (AEN) and the ArtStart community grantmaking program. Newark Arts is generously supported by Prudential Financial, the City of Newark, M&T Bank, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Victoria Foundation, Turrell Fund, Bank of America, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Verizon, United Airlines, Hanini Group, PSEG and individuals, businesses and institutions.