YOU’RE INVITED TO A BUBBLY BENEFIT
Saturday | March 22, 2025 | 1-4pm
On March 22nd, Newark Arts invites you to an afternoon of champagne, art, and giving back at Newark ArtSpace! This exclusive benefit supports Newark Arts’ mission to uplift local artists and bring transformative projects to our community. Every guest will leave with a limited-edition signed print by Kern Bruce, whose original artwork will be auctioned live!
FEATURED ARTIST
Kern Bruce
Kern Bruce is a Trinidad-born, Newark-based artist whose work explores the African diaspora, colonialism, and modern-day
racism through mixed media and digital art. With a background in broadcast design at BET, creative work for Ralph Lauren and Club Monaco, and UX design at Amazon and Audible, Kern’s art blends raw emotion with storytelling. He’s painted the cover for Tiffanie Drayton’s Black American Refugee (Random House Penguin), created a 40,000-square-foot digital projection mural in Hartford, and contributed to a 20,000-square-foot Black Lives Matter mural in East Orange. His art has been featured at the Smithsonian-affiliated Morris Museum, in Law & Order, Godfather of Harlem, and Hightown, and is part of the permanent collection at Southern Connecticut State University.
Follow him on Instagram at @kernyboydraws.
Featured artwork:
- Black American Refugee, 16″x20″, Mixed Media, 2021.
- Isis, 16″x20″, Mixed Media, 2024.
FEATURED ARTIST
Kern Bruce
Kern Bruce is a Trinidad-born, Newark-based artist whose work explores the African diaspora, colonialism, and modern-day
racism through mixed media and digital art. With a background in broadcast design at BET, creative work for Ralph Lauren and Club Monaco, and UX design at Amazon and Audible, Kern’s art blends raw emotion with storytelling. He’s painted the cover for Tiffanie Drayton’s Black American Refugee (Random House Penguin), created a 40,000-square-foot digital projection mural in Hartford, and contributed to a 20,000-square-foot Black Lives Matter mural in East Orange. His art has been featured at the Smithsonian-affiliated Morris Museum, in Law & Order, Godfather of Harlem, and Hightown, and is part of the permanent collection at Southern Connecticut State University.
Follow him on Instagram at @kernyboydraws.
Black American Refugee, 16″x20″, Mixed Media, 2021.
Isis, 16″x20″, Mixed Media, 2024.
Exibiting Artists On View At Newark ArtSpace
JAH RASTAFARI
JAH is the name of God and his presence in every individual. Haile Selassie, the Great Emperor of Ethiopia, the Power of the Trinity, was crowned Le’ul-Ras and became known as RAS, which means the head of the dynasty. His given name TAFARI means “one who is respected or feared.”
Rastafari is Afrocentric and focuses attention on the African Diaspora. It originated among impoverished and socially disenfranchised Afro-Jamaican communities in 1930s Jamaica. The activation highlights the rich textures, colors and composition of both figurative and abstracts works. These elements are rooted deep in the Ethiopian culture, history, offering diverse approaches and formats.
WORKNEH BEZ
Workneh Bezu Kassa, born on 8th of March 1978 and he grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Workneh began drawing from a very young age, taking drawing lessons in elementary school and showing great artistic ability. Although his family encouraged him to become an auto mechanic, Workneh was destined to follow his passion for art and enrolled at the presti- gious Addis Ababa University School of Fine Art and Design, to study under some of the masters of Ethiopian Painting and Sculptor. For Workneh, art is his life, his passion and dreams. Receiving formal training gave Workneh the techniques and academic skills he needed to bring his dreams to reality. Workneh experiment with different artistic forms and has become one of the pioneers of children’s puppet film and short animation film in Ethiopia. Included in his creations are rug puppets, paintings in oil and watercolors, sculptures and graphics art.
ADDIS GEZEHAGN
Addis Gezehagn (b.1978) Gezehagn completed his BFA from Addis Ababa University Alle School of Fine Art in 2011 with a distinction. A long-time artistic presence in Addis Ababa, he is known for portraying the multifaceted characteristics of the city’s residents by detailing the external facades of their homes. In his painting series, he captures the chaos, charisma, artistry, and harmony of his birth country, Ethiopia. The paintings depict dream-like deconstructed and layered renderings of the urban landscape rising above the ground. These compositions, made by layering magazine cutouts with acrylic paint, blend the boundaries of fantasy and reality of urban life, blurring the lines between the past, present, and future. Flattened and reductive, Gezehagn’s works imagine cityscapes as towers or patchworks of colorful doors and gates, the architectural structures seeming to signify a natural, organic network of living spaces.
Music By
DJ Kaydonna
Feature performance by
Paola La Unica
REMEMBERING LAST YEAR
LOVE, NEWARK ARTS 2024
Photos by Barry Crentsil & Ka’bre, Kmonae Kompany.
Get your tickets now
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
FAQ
Yes, there will be heavy hors d’oeuvres.
Will there be art for purchase?
Yes! The Jah Rastafari exhibition will be on display, with artwork available for purchase. Additionally, the commissioned work by Kern Bruce will be up for auction.
Where is the venue located?
Newark ArtSpace is located at 355 Broad Street Newark, NJ 07104, which is the northern end of Broad Street near Bloomfield Avenue. The gallery is located in the Vermella Broad Street development, a luxury apartment complex conveniently situated next to Newark Broad Street Train Station.
Can I buy tickets for my children?
Yes. However, please be aware that alcohol will be served at the event.
Is there an opportunity to share my art as this event?
No, this event does not include opportunities to showcase artwork. However, it is a great opportunity to connect with the art community and explore future possibilities.
Is there parking available?
Parking for Newark ArtSpace is Located directly adjacent to Building 355 via the Burger King Parking lot. Enter the lot From Broadway.