Newark Grounds

Public art season is my second favorite season in Newark. (Cherry blossom season is still #1 🌸) Spent this morning photographing @linardakiandco ‘s wonderful new “Constellation Bench,” currently on view in Mulberry Commons. Eirini’s star-shaped installation ⭐️ functions as seating and a gathering space. More info on @newarkgrounds @projectforemptyspace @cityofnewarknj @newarkcityparks Looking forward to sharing more Newark public art in the coming months! #newarknj #newarkpublicart #newarkisforartists

“Welcome, reader. This is the day your world and my world meet under one sky…or wait—many skies? Is that a thing? How many skies can we see? I think it depends on how we look.” ☁️ Scroll ➡️ for a peek at “Dream Up: Constellation Bench”, a new publication celebrating “Constellation Bench” by Eirini Linardaki (@linardakiandco )! ✨ Inside, you’ll find behind-the-scenes images, insights from the artist, details on how the sculpture came to life, and even an interactive collage sticker activity. 🎉 First editions of the book were given out at the sculpture’s unveiling, and more copies will be available during the bench’s upcoming programming. Stay tuned! 🌃 “Constellation Bench” is the inaugural sculpture of Newark Grounds, an initiative to create a more continuous, walkable cultural corridor in downtown Newark. The route links nearly 100 public artworks and spaces along a pedestrian-friendly path connecting Newark Penn Station to Teachers Village and beyond. ⭐️ The star-shaped installation serves as seating and gathering space. Inspired by a search for a place to picnic, it responds to the need for welcoming, inclusive public spaces. Drawing on constellations—ancient systems of navigation and connection—the sculpture’s radiating arms symbolize the many cultures and stories that converge in the city. “Constellation Bench” is currently on view in📍Mulberry Commons in Newark, New Jersey, and will remain on view through August 2026.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the unveiling and celebration of “Constellation Bench,” a new public sculpture by artist Eirini Linardaki (@linardakiandco )! Congratulations, Eirini! Scroll ➡️ for highlights 🎉 The event started with an introduction from PES Co-Directors Jasmine Wahi (@browngirlcurator ) and Rebecca Pauline Jampol (@rjampol ) a stunning performance by Brandon Mejia (@brandonw.mejia ), Devonne (@sophiasdaughter_ ), Janétza Miranda (@jane.tza ), and Yeimi Gamez Castillo (@yeiei.y ), and followed by remarks from the artist, Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Tai Cooper (Chief Community Development Officer, New Jersey Economic Development Authority), and Marcy DePina (Executive Director, Newark City Parks Foundation) (@marcydepina ). ✨ This work wouldn’t be possible without our collaborators and partners: the NJEDA (@newjerseyeda ), the Newark City Parks Foundation (@newarkcityparks ), the City of Newark Division of Art and Cultural Affairs (@cityofnewarknj ), Newark Arts and Education District (@newarkartsed ), Newark Alliance (@newarkalliance60 ), Newark Happening (@newarkhappening ), Newark Downtown District (@newarkdowntowndistrict ), Newark Arts Council (@newarkarts ), Four Corners Public Arts Partnership (@fourcornerspublicarts ), and the Rutgers University–Newark Design Consortium (@acm_gd ). 👏 Thank you to SRI Fine Art Services (@srifineartservices ) for installation support! 🌃 “Constellation Bench” is the inaugural sculpture of Newark Grounds, an initiative to create a more continuous, walkable cultural corridor in downtown Newark. The route links nearly 100 public artworks and spaces along a pedestrian-friendly path connecting Newark Penn Station to Teachers Village and beyond. ⭐️ The star-shaped installation serves as seating and gathering space. Inspired by a search for a place to picnic, it responds to the need for welcoming, inclusive public spaces. Drawing on constellations—ancient systems of navigation and connection—the sculpture’s radiating arms symbolize the many cultures and stories that converge in the city. “Constellation Bench” is currently on view in📍Mulberry Commons in Newark, New Jersey, and will remain on view through August 2026.

Constellation Bench unveiling by artist @linardakiandco at Mulberry Commons📍🎨🌳

Today at 2pm! Newark Grounds, led by Project for Empty Space in collaboration with civic and cultural partners, announces the unveiling of “Constellation Bench,” a new public sculpture by artist Eirini Linardaki (@linardakiandco ). 👏 🎉 The work will be revealed at📍Mulberry Commons in Newark, New Jersey, and will remain on view through August 2026. RSVP at constellationbench.eventbrite.com or via 🔗 link in bio! 🗣️ “I wanted to create an artwork where people in Newark can feel welcomed—to rest, be in peace, gather with friends, eat, listen to music, and reflect on the multiculturalism of our community. By coming together and sharing the beauty of our different cultures, we can find solace under the stars and recognize that we are all part of one vast universe.” — Eirini Linardaki, Artist ➡️ “Constellation Bench” is the inaugural sculpture of Newark Grounds (@newarkgrounds ), an initiative to create a more continuous, walkable cultural corridor in downtown Newark. The route links nearly 100 public artworks and spaces along a pedestrian-friendly path connecting Newark Penn Station to Teachers Village and beyond. The star-shaped installation serves as seating and gathering space. Inspired by a search for a place to picnic, it responds to the need for welcoming, inclusive public spaces. Drawing on constellations—ancient systems of navigation and connection—the sculpture’s radiating arms symbolize the many cultures and stories that converge in the city. 🌳 Developed with the Newark City Parks Foundation (@newarkcityparks ), the program reflects a shared commitment to parks as vital civic spaces and integrating public art into everyday life. The initiative is a collaboration with the City of Newark Division of Art and Cultural Affairs (@cityofnewarknj ), Newark Arts and Education District (@newarkartsed ), Newark Alliance (@newarkalliance60 ), Newark Happening (@newarkhappening ), Newark Downtown District (@newarkdowntowndistrict ), Newark Arts Council (@newarkarts ), Four Corners Public Arts Partnership (@fourcornerspublicarts ), and the Rutgers University–Newark Design Consortium (@acm_gd ).

Installation in Progress: “Constellation Bench,” a new public sculpture by artist Eirini Linardaki (@linardakiandco ). Scroll ➡️ for a sneak peek! 🎉 Thank you to SRI Fine Art Services (@srifineartservices ) for installation support! 👏 The work will be revealed May 4 at 2:00 PM in📍Mulberry Commons in Newark, New Jersey, and will remain on view through August 2026. RSVP at constellationbench.eventbrite.com or via 🔗 link in bio! 🌃 “Constellation Bench” is the inaugural sculpture of Newark Grounds (@newarkgrounds ), an initiative to create a more continuous, walkable cultural corridor in downtown Newark. The route links nearly 100 public artworks and spaces along a pedestrian-friendly path connecting Newark Penn Station to Teachers Village and beyond. ⭐️ The star-shaped installation serves as seating and gathering space. Inspired by a search for a place to picnic, it responds to the need for welcoming, inclusive public spaces. Drawing on constellations—ancient systems of navigation and connection—the sculpture’s radiating arms symbolize the many cultures and stories that converge in the city. 🌳 Developed with the Newark City Parks Foundation (@newarkcityparks ), the program reflects a shared commitment to parks as vital civic spaces and integrating public art into everyday life. The initiative is a collaboration with the City of Newark Division of Art and Cultural Affairs (@cityofnewarknj ), Newark Arts and Education District (@newarkartsed ), Newark Alliance (@newarkalliance60 ), Newark Happening (@newarkhappening ), Newark Downtown District (@newarkdowntowndistrict ), Newark Arts Council (@newarkarts ), Four Corners Public Arts Partnership (@fourcornerspublicarts ), and the Rutgers University–Newark Design Consortium (@acm_gd ).

🎉 We’re just one month away from the inaugural 2026 Newark Grounds Groundbreaker Awards, presented by Project for Empty Space! We’re excited to reveal this year’s theme: Kaleidoscope 🎉 ➡️ Join us on Thursday, May 28 at 7pm, at PES at Ironside Newark (📍110 Edison Place, Newark, NJ) for a special evening of community and a gathering highlighting new artworks and neighborhood-centered initiatives debuting as part of Newark Grounds. A VIP portion of the event will start at 6pm for VIP ticket holders. ⭐️ This year, we’re honored to celebrate three leaders whose work is shaping the future of Newark’s public spaces: Tai Cooper, Marcy DePina (@marcydepina ), and Chantal Fischzang (@chantista )! Learn more and secure your ticket 📲 tinyurl.com/2026groundbreakerawards! 🌇 This year’s experience unfolds through “Kaleidoscope”, a visual and spatial language inspired by Damien Davis’s new sculptural installation in Mulberry Commons, Newark, NJ. Drawing from Newark’s layered histories, cultural practices, and built environment, the work transforms these influences into shifting constellations of bright color and form. Brought from the park into the gallery, these elements will reflect, refract, and layer into an evolving field of perception. 🎟️ We’re also pleased to introduce two new VIP Tickets at $1,500 each, which include limited-edition artworks from the 2026 Newark Grounds sculpture program. ➡️ “Kaleidoscope”  Limited-edition print by Damien Davis (@damiendavis ) 18” x 24,” Edition of 25 Archival Pigment Print  Printing supported by Shine Portrait Studio (@shine_portraitstudio ) at Express Newark (@expressnewark ) ➡️ “Rooted In Newark” Limited-edition sculptural work by Shoshanna Weinberger (@shoshannaweinberger ) 8” x 12,” Edition of 10 Printing supported by the Form Design Studio (@ruformdesignstudio ) at Express Newark These special editions extend beyond the evening itself while contributing to the continued growth of Project for Empty Space’s public art initiatives. 💫

Newark Grounds, led by Project for Empty Space in collaboration with civic and cultural partners, announces the unveiling of “Constellation Bench,” a new public sculpture by artist Eirini Linardaki (@linardakiandco ). 👏 🎉 The work will be revealed May 4 at 2:00 PM in📍Mulberry Commons in Newark, New Jersey, and will remain on view through August 2026. RSVP at constellationbench.eventbrite.com or via 🔗 link in bio! 🗣️ “I wanted to create an artwork where people in Newark can feel welcomed—to rest, be in peace, gather with friends, eat, listen to music, and reflect on the multiculturalism of our community. By coming together and sharing the beauty of our different cultures, we can find solace under the stars and recognize that we are all part of one vast universe.” — Eirini Linardaki, Artist ➡️ “Constellation Bench” is the inaugural sculpture of Newark Grounds (@newarkgrounds ), an initiative to create a more continuous, walkable cultural corridor in downtown Newark. The route links nearly 100 public artworks and spaces along a pedestrian-friendly path connecting Newark Penn Station to Teachers Village and beyond. The star-shaped installation serves as seating and gathering space. Inspired by a search for a place to picnic, it responds to the need for welcoming, inclusive public spaces. Drawing on constellations—ancient systems of navigation and connection—the sculpture’s radiating arms symbolize the many cultures and stories that converge in the city. 🌳 Developed with the Newark City Parks Foundation (@newarkcityparks ), the program reflects a shared commitment to parks as vital civic spaces and integrating public art into everyday life. The initiative is a collaboration with the City of Newark Division of Art and Cultural Affairs (@cityofnewarknj ), Newark Arts and Education District (@newarkartsed ), Newark Alliance (@newarkalliance60 ), Newark Happening (@newarkhappening ), Newark Downtown District (@newarkdowntowndistrict ), Newark Arts Council (@newarkarts ), Four Corners Public Arts Partnership (@fourcornerspublicarts ), and the Rutgers University–Newark Design Consortium (@acm_gd ).

✉️ You’re cordially invited to Project for Empty Space’s Newark Grounds: Benefit for Public Art + Celebration of Groundbreakers—honoring the leaders who champion and invest in Newark’s public art and creative spaces. 🎨 ➡️ Join us on Thursday, May 28 at 7pm, at PES at Ironside Newark (📍110 Edison Place, Newark, NJ) for a special evening of community and a gathering highlighting new artworks and neighborhood-centered initiatives debuting as part of Newark Grounds. A VIP portion of the event will start at 6pm for VIP ticket holders. ⭐️ This year, we’re honored to celebrate three leaders whose work is shaping the future of Newark’s public spaces: Tai Cooper, Marcy DePina (@marcydepina ), and Chantal Fischzang (@chantista )! Learn more and secure your ticket 📲 tinyurl.com/2026groundbreakerawards! ➡️ Introducing the Newark Grounds Groundbreaker Awards Leaders Circle + Host Committee! This year’s Leaders Circle includes Edison Properties Newark Foundation, Express Newark (@expressnewark ), RBH Group (@rbh_group ), SRI Fine Art Services (@srifineartservices ), and The Fidelco Group. 👏 Our Host Committee includes Naina Boveja, David Antonio Cruz, Damien Davis (@damiendavis ), Cat Dawson (@ct_dwsn ), Teddi & Scott Dolph (@teddidolph ), Anne & Peter Englot (@ats.englot )(@peter.englot ), Tiana Webb Evans (@tiana_webb_evans ), Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, LLC, Amy Goldrich (@amy10279 ), Michi Jigarjian (@michijig ), Eirini Linardaki (@linardakiandco ), Lewis Long, Linda Morgan & Phil Haws (@lpmorgan3 ), Newark Arts Council (@newarkarts ), Melissa Osterwind (@melissaosterwind ), SILVERMAN (@silvermanbuilding ), Rosemary & Robert Steinbaum, Mickalene Thomas (@mickalenethomas ), and Shoshanna Weinberger (@shoshannaweinberger ) (list in formation). 🎉 Proceeds from the evening support Project for Empty Space’s public art efforts and Newark Grounds (@newarkgrounds ), a walkable cultural corridor bringing 75+ public artworks into daily city life, —helping activate shared spaces through art, community partnerships, and initiatives that make Newark more vibrant, welcoming, and accessible. 🌇

The countdown is on! 🎉 We’re beyond excited for Newark Grounds: Benefit for Public Art + Celebration of Groundbreakers—honoring the leaders who champion and invest in Newark’s public art and creative spaces. 👏 ➡️ Join us on Thursday, May 28 at 7pm, at PES at Ironside Newark (📍110 Edison Place, Newark, NJ) for a special evening of community and a gathering highlighting new artworks and neighborhood-centered initiatives debuting as part of Newark Grounds. A VIP portion of the event will start at 6pm for VIP ticket holders. Learn more and secure your spot 📲 tinyurl.com/2026groundbreakerawards! ✨ MEET OUR HONOREES | TAI COOPER✨ Tai Cooper is a senior leader at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), where she oversees an $800 million portfolio across Community Development, Economic Security, Small Business Services, and Business Banking.  🖼️ A key architect of NJEDA’s Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (ART) program, Tai has championed arts funding as a catalyst for economic growth and community vitality. 🤝 Tai also spearheaded New Jersey’s cannabis equity programs, overseeing the nation’s largest grants supporting social equity applicants. 🌇 A Newark native, Tai holds urban planning degrees from Rutgers University and NYU and has received multiple statewide leadership honors.

The countdown is on! 🎉 We’re beyond excited for Newark Grounds: Benefit for Public Art + Celebration of Groundbreakers—honoring the leaders who champion and invest in Newark’s public art and creative spaces. 👏 ➡️ Join us on Thursday, May 28 at 7pm, at PES at Ironside Newark (📍110 Edison Place, Newark, NJ) for a special evening of community and a gathering highlighting new artworks and neighborhood-centered initiatives debuting as part of Newark Grounds. A VIP portion of the event will start at 6pm for VIP ticket holders.

Learn more and secure your spot 📲 tinyurl.com/2026groundbreakerawards! ✨ MEET OUR HONOREES | CHANTAL FISCHZANG (@chantista ) ✨ 👩‍💻 Chantal Fischzang is a Communication Designer and tenured Associate Professor at Rutgers University-Newark, where she also coordinates the Graphic Design Program. Based in the NY/NJ area, her work positions design as a transformative, publicly engaged practice grounded in collaboration, civic impact, and collective problem-solving across disciplines and communities. Central to her teaching and practice is her leadership at Express Newark, a center for art, design, digital storytelling, and music dedicated to co-creation and community partnership. She is Co-Director of the Design Consortium and Visual Means, two academic programs within the Graphic Design curriculum that function as student-faculty creative studios fostering cooperative learning and social engagement in Newark. 🌇 Her work spans brand identity, print, publication, exhibition, interactive, and environmental design and has been recognized through peer-reviewed exhibitions, competitive grants, invited lectures, and national and international awards. Honors include recognition from AIGA, Communication Arts, the Webbys, W3, Graphis, Core77, Creativity, HOW, UCDA, Awwwards, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Join us for an exciting week at Project for Empty Space in Newark as we celebrate the launch of “In Search of the Spirit House” by Adama Delphine Fawundu on March 31, followed by a full evening of spring openings and community gathering on April 2! ✨ Learn more and RSVP via link in bio! Here’s what’s coming up: ➡️  Tuesday, March 31 | 6–8 PM “In Search of the Spirit House”: Book Launch + Artist Talk @adamadelphine @shine_portraitstudio 📍Express Newark 50 Halsey Street, Newark, NJ 07102 Learn more + RSVP: insearchofthespirithouse.eventbrite.com ➡️ Thursday, April 2 | 6–8 PM “A Feeling of Itself” Opening Reception @litrutgers @acm_gd @chantista @gise.la.co 📍Project for Empty Space – Street Level 800 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102 Learn more + RSVP: afeelingofitself.eventbrite.com ➡️ Thursday, April 2 | 7:30–9:30 PM OPEN HOUSE BLEND @forsarecordings @thehouseblend.irl pesstudios 📍Project for Empty Space – Lower Level 800 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102 Learn more + RSVP: pesopenhouse.eventbrite.com