The City of Newark Division of Arts and Cultural Affairs is proud to announce the unveiling of two new public murals by interdisciplinary artist Helina Metaferia, created in collaboration with Project for Empty Space, which served as both facilitator and host site, and Edison Properties, which provided a second host location.
The murals—located at 800 Broad Street and 35 Halsey Street—draw from Metaferia’s ongoing series By Way of Revolution and celebrate Newark’s rich legacy of activism while uplifting contemporary voices shaping the city today.
Metaferia led a Newark-based workshop for women-identifying BIPOC participants, exploring resilience, protest histories, and strategies for self and community care. From this gathering, Newark-born cousins Nashel Brantley and Karla Cruz were selected as the central figures for the murals. Each work merges their portraits with archival materials from Newark’s activist history, connecting past and present movements for justice and representation.
The murals will be unveiled on November 17th, at 2 PM, at both locations, with community partners, city officials, and local residents invited to celebrate this new addition to Newark’s public art.