The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s ArtsBergen announces painting began of “The Black Women’s Mural: Celebrating Black Suffragists and Black Women in Englewood”. The painting launched on the Women’s Rights Information Center’s building, located at 108 W. Palisade Avenue, in downtown Englewood, New Jersey. The mural uses the design input from Black women in the city and the larger community.
A partial reveal appears of “The Black Women’s Mural: Celebrating Black Suffragists and Black Women in Englewood”.
From October 28 through November 11, the public may watch artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh paint the mural. The painting occurs Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m. Furthermore, filming of a video, sponsored by the Woman’s Club of Englewood and the Teaneck Englewood And Vicinity Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc., documents the project and mural process, as a memorable event in women’s history in Englewood. In addition, the design will be painted and revealed on the east-facing wall of The Women’s Rights Information Center’s building.
Fazlalizadeh, a Black-Iranian visual artist and Oklahoma City native, is a painter, whose work ranges from the gallery to the streets, using visual art to address the daily oppressive experiences of marginalized people through beautifully drawn and painted portraits. Additionally, her street art series, “Stop Telling Women to Smile”, addressing sexual harassment in public spaces, appears on walls across the globe. In 2019, she was the inaugural Public Artist in Residence for the New York City Commission on Human Rights. The New York Times, NPR, MSNBC, the New Yorker, and Time Magazine profiled her work.
Black Women’s Mural Reveal
The mural will celebrate Black women’s voices, raise awareness about Black suffragists, and encourage civil discourse within the community. The official reveal of the Black Women’s Mural takes place on November 14, 2022 at 3 p.m. in an outdoor ceremony. In addition, the Foundation and its partners invite the public to celebrate the completion of this special project driven by Englewood Black women and the Black suffragists, who inspired them.
The NNJCF’s ArtsBergen initiative implements the project in collaboration with key community partners. These partners include the Women’s Rights Information Center, Metro Community Center, and the Woman’s Club of Englewood. Also, major supporters for the project are the NNJCF, AARP New Jersey, Valley Bank, and Sozosei Foundation. Other supporters include Visions Federal Credit Union, Age-Friendly Englewood, and PNC Bank. Learn more about the project and its selection as an AARP Community Challenge grant recipient.
Black Girls Empowerment Workshop
In celebration of the Black Women’s Mural Project, Arts Horizons (AH) presents the Black Girls Empowerment workshop. The workshop occurs on Thursday, November 10, 2022. Ebenezer Baptist Church, located at 216 4th Street in Englewood, hosts the workshop from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. AH, a non-profit arts in education organization, enhances the lives of people of all ages and abilities by creating equitable opportunities to engage in the arts.
Students in the sixth to ninth grade may attend the visual arts workshop. AH Teaching Artist Michele Baldwin, a multi-talented creative artist and storyteller, facilitates the workshop. She explores empowerment through the lens of Black suffragists and raises awareness of their importance.
The workshop’s participants receive a mini mural keepsake they create. Furthermore, parents may also attend with their children the workshop. Arts Horizons hosts this workshop in partnership with the NNJCF and In the Meantime. AH received a Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County grant to present the workshop.
Registration is limited. To participate, complete the online Google form no later than Monday, November 7, 2022 at 11:00 p.m. For more information, contact Arts Horizons.
Voter Education
The League of Women Voters will also be available at the site on Monday, October 31 and Tuesday, November 1 each day from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00. They plan to provide passersby with voter service information and Get Out the Vote. The information to be provided includes the three ways registered voters in the General Election may vote. In this election, voting takes place by mail, in-person early voting, or at an assigned polling place on Election Day on November 8, 2022.
For further information about the project, contact the Foundation’s Associate Director, Danielle De Laurentis, at (201) 568-5608 or send an e-mail.
