Gar Francis at band fest.
Photo credit: Scott Venittelli

The concert will take place at NJAI’s new location in Essex Green, 495 Prospect Avenue, West Orange, New Jersey. Just ‘follow the art’ down the walkway to the AMC Cinema entrance and turn right at the new mural into the courtyard. Doors open at 7:30pm. Suggested donation $10.

Showcasing the best of New Jersey’s up and coming musicians, the NJAI Music Series began in April with a performance by rock bands Mike Rocket & the Stars and Red Reyne and continued in May with a night of Celtic celebration featuring Blackwater and Slight Imperfection. June featured indie rockers Blair Reinhard Band and Loa Heymann Band before the series went on a brief summer hiatus. The NJAI Music Series provides a performance venue for New Jersey and area musicians that explore stylistic and culturally diverse world music performed in an effort to promote various forms of musical expression. To participate email info@njai.org

Gar Francis was born and raised in Plainfield, NJ and has been called the hardest working songwriter in America. As founding member of the 1970s group The Rockids; Gar spent most of his time at CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City in Manhattan sharing a stage with The Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads and others. Gar is currently writing and producing for such acts as, The Doughboys, Plainfield Slim & The Groundhawgs, Jeanne Lozier, The Easy Outs, Jana Peri, Jackie Kringle & The Elves, as well as his own solo projects including a newly released folk album titled “Love & Protest”. Gar is finishing his upcoming Americana album “The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same” for the newly formed Bongo Boy Records. He wrote and produced 2 new singles: “Come On, Come On” for the rock band The Easy Outs and “Ballerina Of The Bowery” for NY Rocker Jana Peri. Gar has received awards for songwriting from The John Lennon Song Contest, the Unisong Music Awards, an Honorable Mention in the Billboard Song Contest and two songs were voted by Sirius radio listeners the ‘Coolest Song In The World in 2008 & 2009.’ www.garfrancis.com. Tom Picard opens the show www.tompicard.com.

The New Jersey Arts Incubator’s mission is the economic development of artists and arts organizations through technical assistance, employment, marketing, programming, performance, and education in an effort to support, sustain, and promote viable arts agencies to act as economic drivers in communities across the State of New Jersey.

This signature NJAI project will focus on using art experience to stimulated special needs toddlers 12 months – 36 months in an effort to maximize the development of skills and abilities. This program is intended as a supplemental activity to traditional therapies, and will include tactile arts, music, storytelling, puppetry and dance.

The prototype class will be held in Winter of 2011 at the New Jersey Arts Incubator studio. For information about participating as a teaching artist, therapist, or family, call 973-669-0602 or email, info@njai.org.

Call for interested families and arts educators.

The Incubator Galley presents a year-round schedule of changing exhibitions devoted to contemporary arts. The mission of the Incubator Galley is to curate and present the work of emerging and established artists. We are committed to providing exhibition programming with depth and relevance to multiple disciplinary perspectives geared towards a diverse community. The gallery strives to provide an environment dedicated to inspirational and cultural enrichment.

For more information visit www.incubatorgallery.com

Website for Tom Picard www.tompicard.com

Gar Francis at band fest.
Photo credit: Scott Venittelli

Suggested donation $10, tickets may be purchased at the door. For band submissions for future performances please contact Red at redentor@redskyrs.com.

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

Co-sponsored by the Essex County , Oberon Major Sponsor -JP Morgan Chase Foundation, Puck Primary Sponsor – Verizon Foundation, Lysander Sponosr – PSE&G, Lysander Sponsor – Valley Neighborhood Preservation Program.

The New Jersey Arts Incubator, the Rose Parks School, the Orange Public School and the Montclair Art Museum partnered this spring on an innovative literacy project for 20 students of the Rosa Park School, which culminated in a recent performance at MAM.

Hundreds of community members participating in the Montclair Art Museum Community Day on June 13th enjoyed the 20 minute performance by Orange 13-16 year old students from the Rosa Parks School in Orange New Jersey. Based on the Force For Change exhibit at MAM which explores and celebrates the numerous recipients of the Julius Rosenwald Fund, the literacy project presentation included poetry presentation and movement chosen and performed the students.

“The Julius Rosenwald Fund Literacy Project provided our students an experience outside of their normal daily environment,” said NJAI Education Director Joseph Gardner.  “We had the opportunity to bring them to the museum and expose them to the legacy of Julius Rosenwald. Through their exploration of these funded artists the students learned about the rich cultural experience of African Americans of this period and translated that to knowledge into performance that reflected their own lives.”

NJAI is committed to creating and supporting a partnership between art, education and communication.  Professionals in the performing arts and arts development share their knowledge with students of all ages with a special emphasis on artistic programming for children of diverse cultures in low socio-economic backgrounds.

Julius Rosenwald founder and owner of Sears & Roebuck, who lived in the late 19th and early 20th century established a fund with a principal mission to improve the life of African Americans in this country.  The Fund’s greatest interest was rural education, and his partner in developing schools was Booker T Washington and the Tuskeegee Institute.  In addition, the Fund contributed support to a wide variety of artists, writers, poets, playwrights, teachers, journalists and others. The Julius Rosenwald Fund was designed to devote all its resources to philanthropy and ultimately, it gave away more than 70 million dollars, through 1948.

“This was so much fun,” said Ayomide Mustapha, one of the eighth grade participants. “I had never heard of any of these poets, but they were writing about people like me. I can’t wait to get a chance to do something like this again.”

A second Julius Rosenwald Fund Literacy Project summer program between NJAI and the Rosa Parks School has begun, engaging 60 City of Orange Township students in the exploration of culture and art. The summer program is partially funded by the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.

West Orange, NJ – 6/28/10 – The West Orange Rotary Club awarded the New Jersey Arts Incubator with a Community Service Grant. The 2010 grant award is for the NJAI Summer Literacy Project part of the NJAI Arts Outreach Program.

The summer project, The Julius Rosewald Literacy Project, is a six- week program for 60 low and moderate income students, based on the exhibit A Force For Change at the Montclair Museum. Student will explore the written works and other artistic disciplines represented by the Rosewald Funded artists, and prepare a performance piece to present to the community.

“The Julius Rosenwald Fund Literacy Project was incredibly successful this spring so we are reprising it for the summer project. We will provide our students an experience outside of their normal daily environment,” said NJAI Education Director Joseph Gardner. “Through their exploration of these funded artists the students will learn about the rich cultural experience of African Americans of this period and translated that to knowledge into performance that reflects their own lives.”

NJAI is committed to creating and supporting a partnership between art, education and communication. Professionals in the performing arts and arts development share their knowledge with students of all ages with a special emphasis on artistic programming for children of diverse cultures in low socio-economic backgrounds.

The New Jersey Arts Incubator’s mission is the economic development of artists and arts organizations through technical assistance, employment, marketing, programming, performance, and education in an effort to support, sustain, and promote viable arts agencies to act as economic drivers in communities across the State of New Jersey.

Mike Karu of the Rotary Club presents a check to Amy Simon, Executive Director of the New Jersey Arts Incubator.