STUDIO
New Arts Justice

What We Do
Guided by the question, “What is the relationship between art, activism, and social change?,” New Arts Justice is a public art studio supports emerging to mid-career fine artists who actively practice socially-engaged art.
Conceptually, our art projects seek to:
- Bridge the divide between “inside” and “outside” art-making and audiences
- Activate robust conversations about race, gender, class, sexuality, and national belonging
- Advocate for sustainable social change
- Cultivate relationships of reciprocity among our artists, RU-N, and the constituents and citizens of the city of Newark.
Programmatically, New Arts Justice:
- Curates installations and exhibitions at RU-N, Express Newark, and the City of Newark
- Sponsors an artist-activist public lecture series
- Hosts “master classes” with visiting artists for the public and RU-N students
- Promotes innovative scholarly research and data collection on art and civic engagement
- Supports artists in residence and curators in residence fellowships upon invitation
Who We Are
New Arts Justice is an public art studio for intersectional approaches to art and activism. New Arts convenes thinkers and doers; collaborates with community, university, and municipal partners; and creates public projects powered by art’s relationship to place, social justice, and civic engagement in Newark and beyond. Our particular areas of thematic focus are advocating for racial, gender, sexual, and income equality; dissolving the boundaries between high art, public art, and popular culture; and supporting the vision of historically underrepresented and under-resourced artists and their communities.
Housed in Express Newark, under the directorship of Professor Salamishah Tillet, New Arts Justice is a joint partnership between the Clement A. Price Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and Modern Experience and Express Newark. The name “New Arts” was inspired by Amiri Baraka’s 1968 film, “The NEW-ARK,” a creative documentary about racial justice education, urban public theater, and political consciousness-raising in Newark, set inside and outside of Spirit House. Under the leadership of poet, playwright, and activist Amiri Baraka (known at the time as LeRoi Jones), Spirit House also known as Heckalu Community Center, was a community center in Newark that hosted street theater performances, political rallies, rehearsals, martial arts practice, discussions, dance and musical performances.
Team

Salamishah Tillet
Executive Director, Express Newark & New Arts Justice

Brooke Finister
Program Coordinator, New Arts Justice