History
For me, the origins of Express Newark is precisely the notion that we are in and of Newark, that we are not just haphazardly here… I always look back to our dear, dear Clem Price, and his notion that all roads lead to Newark. I want all roads to lead to Express Newark, and I want the highway from Express Newark to lead out, and outward, and to resonate all across the amazing global City.
Nancy Cantor, Chancellor Rutgers University-Newark, 2014-2024
Opening its doors in January 2017, Express Newark was conceptualized through the efforts of Rutgers University–Newark senior leadership, faculty, staff, and students, in conjunction with leaders in the community arts movement in the city.
Under Chancellor Cantor’s new leadership in 2014 at Rutgers University–Newark, a commitment to the arts in Newark was established, resulting in Express Newark being created as a space with a solid foundation. By choosing to integrate it into the development of the historic Hahne & Company building—once a dynamic department store that closed and sat empty for twenty-eight years—Express Newark has established an enduring presence, “a statement of being anchored in and of the city.”
To further strengthen ties within the community, Express Newark was designed to function as a “third space”—a place where the university and community can work in tandem to create an inclusive entity that serves as an arts incubator for emerging talent. The concept of the “third space” was discussed by Nancy Cantor, Peter Englot, and Marilyn Higgins in their 2013 essay, Making the Work of Anchor Institutions Stick: Building Coalitions and Collective Expertise. They state, “A pivotal goal has been to create ‘third spaces’ of interaction, where established and often unequal relationships of power and expertise can be shifted to acknowledge what each member of the partnership brings to the table.”
From 2017 to 2020, Express Newark was activated by a curated list of university and community partners selected to build awareness, encourage self-expression, and advance the dialogue for the arts and culture through various workshops, public programming, and educational efforts. The space housed a multitude of interdisciplinary offerings, allowing both collegiate and Newark community residents free access to a state-of-the-art facility equipped with the latest in photography, printmaking, 3D printing, media equipment, and more.
From 2020 to 2021, Express Newark underwent a new strategic plan centered on Newark’s legacy of art and activism. Through this process, Express Newark focused on developing core initiatives to foster collaboration between individual studios and their respective missions. The new core brought in annual themes; expanded the art gallery and featured exhibitions throughout the 50,000 sq. ft. facility; a “free school”; youth programming; and an artist and curatorial residency program. The new plan also ramped up support for the Community Media Center and introduced a new jazz studio and theater productions.
Previous Express Newark Leadership:
Anne Schaper Englot and Victor Davson, Co-Directors, 2017-2020.
The Genesis of Express Newark: A Third Space, Anne Schaper Englot, Peter Englot.
Fran Bartkowski, Director, 2020-2021.
Express Newark Rock Steady podcast.