All Night Long

Artworks’ 24-hour celebration of art, music, food and film promises to bring an edginess to the state capital.

By: Megan Sullivan
   After World War II, a city once known for its burgeoning pottery, steel, iron and rubber industries faced an economic decline. Many of Trenton’s most prosperous factories closed down or were abandoned. Industrial cities across the United States suffered similar fates after many businesses and inhabitants relocated.
   On the bright side, urban revitalization efforts in Trenton have spawned in recent years and there are high hopes for the city’s rebirth. Organizers of the first Art All Night Trenton — a 24-hour celebration of art, music, food and fun — hope the joyful event at Artworks on Stockton Street June 23 to 24 will act as a catalyst for community development and shine a spotlight on the capital city.
   "Other cities that have lost industry, like Detroit, Pittsburgh or Bethlehem, they have no source of employment, but Trenton is always going to be the state capital," says Michael Gumpert, organizer of Art All Night Trenton. "So you have all of these people who are potential homebuyers, you’re on a river, which is good for revitalization, there’s great history, great architecture… So we’re hoping all these (facets) eventually combine to contribute to the revitalization."
   The event is modeled after a 10-year-old celebration held in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Lawrenceville. Art All Night Lawrenceville had a modest beginning in 1998 with 101 pieces of art on view and 200 attendees. The annual event gained a cult-like following, however, with last year’s celebration drawing 883 artists and more than 10,000 visitors.
   "It’s really a great example of how art can be an engine to community revitalization," Mr. Gumpert says. "Now, Art All Night wasn’t the only thing that did it, but it was definitely a part of it. It brought people to the neighborhood… as they’re driving through, they’re seeing all the great architecture, all the great spaces.
   "So that’s one of the goals of Art All Night, to bring people into Trenton," he continues. "The types of people that we hope to attract are the ones that can be future participants in the urban revitalization of Trenton."
   Mr. Gumpert left his hometown of East Windsor after high school to study at the University of Pittsburgh and lived in the city for 12 years. As a community organizer in Lawrenceville, he often had to deal with slumlords and drug dealers in the former heavy-industry section of Pittsburgh. Mr. Gumpert volunteered at Art All Night for a few years, and decided to bring the celebration to Trenton when he moved back to the area about three years ago.
   "I just saw the transformation in my neighborhood over the past 10 years," he says, "and how it was really just a down-and-out neighborhood that turned into people restoring homes, and (opening) coffee shops and galleries and stuff like that."
   Once he joined the board of Artworks, Trenton’s visual arts center, Mr. Gumpert proposed launching an Art All Night with the same vibe and spirit as the Lawrenceville festival. While exhibits featuring works by professional artists are usually on view within the former Sears warehouse, the event will provide the opportunity for artists of all abilities to have their work displayed in a gallery setting.
   "It doesn’t matter how good they are or what type of art or how old they are," Mr. Gumpert says. "So, we’re going to have professional artists like Mel Leipzig, who has his stuff in the Whitney, next to 4-year-old refrigerator artists."
   All artists, whether art students, professionals, amateurs or kids, are invited to submit one piece of art in any medium at Artworks June 22 (from 4-8 p.m.) or June 23 (9 a.m.-2 p.m.). The art should be brought ready to hang if two-dimensional and earphones must be provided for any kind of digital media. Mr. Gumpert hopes to fill the main gallery walls with 300 pieces, and display additional two-dimensional works, sculpture and digital media in three of Artworks’ classrooms. A placard with the artist’s name, title of the piece, medium and price (if he or she wants to sell it) will be placed next to each artwork.
   "I think it will bring people who are interested in art to the event and like-minded people who appreciate art," Mr. Gumpert says. "I think when all these people are together in a room, a lot of ideas are going to circulate and percolate, contacts and networks are going to be made."
   "That’s another goal of Art All Night," he adds, "for all these people to start talking with one another, and see how they can participate in bringing art to Trenton and using it as an economic and community revitalization tool."
   The free event, sponsored by Mini Cooper of Princeton, also will feature live music, food (including crepes, falafel and wraps), art demonstrations, children’s activities and art films.
   Michael Moculak of Mobile Glass Blowing Studios will be on hand to demonstrate various glass blowing techniques from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Mr. Moculak, who studied business at Bucks County Community College, discovered glass blowing when he decided to take an introductory course. "I stumbled onto it, and it’s the best thing that ever happened to me," he says. "It’s seven years later and I’ve been doing it ever since."
   Mr. Moculak travels with his trailer filled with studio equipment to various events, mainly in Eastern Pennsylvania, and enjoys getting audiences involved through his demonstrations. "It’s so limited where you can view glass art," he says. "I’m able to bring it to anyone who wants to see it, without coming to the studio."
   Outdoor silent movies will begin projecting on a 25-foot screen at about 10 p.m. The films include 1927’s science fiction classic MetropolisRivers and Tides, which follows artist Andy Goldsworthy in the making of his ephemeral sculptures from elements of nature; and The Mystery of Picasso, a filmed record of the artist painting numerous canvases for the camera.
   The music at the event will be sponsored by grassroots organization Vibe Café, with about 15 hours of performance time scheduled on both an indoor and outdoor stage. Performers include local musicians and bands (both professional and those just starting out), spoken word poets and a few surprises.
   "We’ll be incorporating some interactive music time with the Art All Night event as well where musicians can come up and participate in the show," says Samara Lentz, director of Vibe Café. "I think that’s pretty key because the nature of the art exhibit is community involvement, so we want the music aspect to be the same."
   While Vibe Café has been in the works for a year and a half, Ms. Lentz says it officially became a registered nonprofit in the state of New Jersey at the end of February. The organization promotes development in Trenton through the arts as part of a continuing effort to make the city a cultural arts destination. Vibe Café aims to connect, provide exposure and support local college students, young professionals and emerging artists to create a sustainable and dynamic arts community.
   "We started Vibe Café in my basement as an opportunity for family and friends to hang out, have a party and donate money to help us get started," Ms. Lentz says. Now, Vibe Café hosts open mike nights, jam sessions and Saturday night D.J. parties in the area and members hope the Art All Night event will take things a step further. "We’re trying to do amazing things," Ms. Lentz says. "There’s a really cool energy that passes around here when people put their mind to doing something good."
   Mill Hill resident Lisa Kasabach, director of City Smiles, has organized children’s activities for Sunday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. A local tile store has donated tile pieces so families can help create a community mosaic together. Easels also will be set up in Mill Hill Park, next to Artworks, so children can do open air paintings and refrigerators will be on site with magnets so the young artists can display their artworks.
   "It’s like a public refrigerator," Ms. Kasabach says. "We’re trying to do things that are hands-on, but a little quirky."
   Ms. Kasabach, who founded City Smiles in 1991, has two sons, ages 5 and 7, and says she has always worked with children in various jobs over the years. The goal of the organization is to highlight that Trenton is a positive place for families and children to live. "We all are raising our kids here because we like Trenton and city living," she says. "We want to promote what’s good here for kids."
   Mr. Gumpert expects about 2,000 people to attend the event, which he hopes will become a successful annual celebration.
   "I think we’re putting together an event that has an urban edginess to it," he says, "something that Mercer County suburbia doesn’t really get to experience."
Art All Night Trenton will be held at Artworks, 19 Everett Alley, Trenton, across from the Motor Vehicle building on Stockton Street, June 23-24, 3 p.m.-3 p.m. Free admission/parking. Artists can submit artwork June 22, 4-8 p.m. and June 23, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Artists must pick up their work June 24, 3-6 p.m. To volunteer, contact Michael Gumpert at [email protected] or come to an information session at Artworks June 15, 7:30 p.m.; www.artworkstrenton.org