Artworks, Trenton, N.J.’s, visual arts center, has unveiled a mural in solidarity with the goals of justice and racial equity advanced by the Black Lives Matter movement across the country.
“The collaborative four-panel mural pays homage to Trenton citizens who participated in peaceful demonstrations this past summer in protest of unnecessary police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others before them, and in recognition of the fact that the nation still needs to acknowledge and address institutional racism at all levels of society.”
Each panel is executed in a black and white palette by a different artist, based on their interpretation of images taken by Trenton photographer Habiyb Shu’Aib during the summer Black Lives Matter protests in Trenton.
The artists are Quentin “Kwenci” Jones, Jonathan “Lank” Conner, Roy Haynes, all of Trenton, and Andre Trenier of Bronx, N.Y. The panels were framed into a cohesive whole, with lettering, by Trenton artist Wills Kinsley.
“At a time when our nation is in the throes of change, we at Artworks wanted Trenton residents to have their own public artistic expression of solidarity with the goals of justice and racial equity advanced by the Black Lives Matter movement,” said Artworks Executive Director Lauren Otis.
“We knew that expression could best be executed by the talented artists in our midst, particularly Black artists,” he said. “I knew they would create something memorable. What they have executed is beyond compare, strong, beautiful, unflinching, yet filled with hope, a call to action, and a call for change.”
The public mural is installed on the side of the Artworks main gallery building at 19 Everett Alley in downtown Trenton. Funding for the project came from the I Am Trenton Community Foundation and ContentTrenton, in addition to Artworks funds designated for public art projects.
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