The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s (NNJCF) ArtsBergen initiative announces a call for artists for Creative Hackensack’s “Demarest Place Walkway Mural” in Hackensack, New Jersey. ArtsBergen, an initiative of the Hackensack-based NNJCF, is working with the Hackensack Main Street Alliance’s Creative Arts Team (CAT) to select an artist and/or artist team to design and paint a mural at 135 Main Street on the corner of Demarest Place in the city. Applications are due Friday, July 6, 2018.
Northern NJ Community Foundation announces call for artists to create the “Demarest Place Walkway Mural” in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Demarest Place is a unique pedestrian walkway, crossing Main Street, between the Atlantic Street bus stop and the Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC). This year, the CAT’s focus is to activate the site through the arts via a large-scale mural. In addition, Alexander Anderson Real Estate Group granted permission to use the north side wall of its building at 135 Main Street located on the corner of Demarest Place.
The Hackensack CAT is a group of artists, merchants, organizational leaders and public officials. They collaborate to implement a creative placemaking plan for the City of Hackensack. Creative placemaking integrates arts and culture into a neighborhood, town, or region to build community and livability and boost the local economy. Furthermore, the “Demarest Place Walkway Mural” is among several projects the CAT has identified to implement the Creative Vision Statement. This statement developed with input from various members and sectors of the community.
Community Input
The project developed from outcomes of the Hackensack Strategy Lab. This was a joint initiative of the National Consortium for Creative Placemaking and the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s ArtsBergen initiative. This took place at Demarest Place on October 17, 2017. Also, residents of Hackensack and the surrounding communities brainstormed ideas of art, physical elements and cultural programming. This creates an enlivened, beautified public walkway to serve as an attractive gateway to Main Street from the bus terminal and the HACPAC.
The mural project’s goals are to:
- make Demarest Place more vibrant and attractive to both pedestrians walking from the bus station to Main Street and theater goers traveling from the HACPAC to Main Street;
- inform a future permanent design of the pedestrian walkway at Demarest Place;
- beautify and characterize the community of Hackensack by incorporating public art into ordinary elements of the city;
- engage and delight passersby, residents, theater-goers, transit riders, and visitors;
- endorse arts and culture, as a powerful tool to transform, connect, and serve the City of Hackensack; and
- provide art-based work opportunities for local artists that showcase their work via public outlets.
In addition to announcing the call for artists, the NNJCF’s ArtsBergen recruits the artist/artist team, manages the submission process and works with its partners to implement the project. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age to apply and either work or live in New Jersey. A committee selects the artists based on creativity of design and fresh interpretation of the theme, and experience. Furthermore, the committee reviews artistic excellence and the application’s presentation.
Call for Artists: An Opportunity
“This project is a great opportunity for the selected artist to showcase his/her creative vision on the wall of a prominent building. This can be seen from Main Street. The mural will be viewed by hundreds of passers-by from the Performing Arts Center and the bus station,” said Danielle De Laurentis, Associate Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.
Application
Complete details about the theme, scope of work, design criteria, compensation, timeline, application requirements, and an application are available online. Selected artists will be notified if their design has been accepted. For further information, contact NNJCF’s ArtsBergen at artsbergen@nnjcf.org or 201-568-5608.
Learn more about the Main Street Business Alliance on the organization’s web site. Follow Creative Hackensack and the Hackensack Creative Arts Team on Facebook for updates about events and activities.
