PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
MANUFACTURERS VILLAGE AS AN ART DESTINATION
EAST ORANGE, NJ
OUR MISSION
Manufacturers Village Artists is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable studio space for artists and fostering community engagement in East Orange, New Jersey, and surrounding areas. We achieve this by creating impactful public programs, public art projects, and art exhibitions that invite community members into our creative spaces, fostering opportunities for artistic collaboration and cultural enrichment.
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Robert Wood Johnson
George Seabury
19TH CENTURY HISTORY
The Manufacturers Village complex in East Orange, New Jersey, was originally constructed in the 1880s as the Seabury & Johnson’s Factory, later known as Johnson & Johnson. In the early 1900s, partners George Seabury and Robert Wood Johnson parted ways, with the Seabury family retaining ownership of the buildings. Since the 20th century, the Seabury family has leased these spaces to small businesses.
TWENTY FIRST CENTURY TO PRESENT
In the mid-2000s, a small group of visual artists moved into the buildings, renovating the spaces to create working studios and paving the way for other artists to follow.
Over the next eighteen years, more artists invested their time and money in building dozens of studio spaces within the buildings, creating a thriving community of diverse makers and thinkers.
Today, Manufacturers Village hosts over 60 artists specializing in painting, sculpture, installation art, and photography.
Manufacturers Village has also served as an incubator space for numerous small businesses, including designers, woodworkers, and startup businesses, achieving full occupancy with a waiting list for space.
OPEN STUDIOS & ARTIST RESIDENCY
Twice a year, Manufacturers Village Artists host an Open Studios event, inspiring thousands of visitors from the neighborhood and surrounding communities, as they explore the wide range of studio spaces, experience the enormous range of work in progress, and directly engage with the artists about their ideas and projects. In addition, artists from the local neighborhood have curated and exhibited their work as part of the event. As word gets out, more people attend and enjoy this cultural exchange. Initiated in March of 2021, Liquitex art materials has been generously operating an on-site residency program that gives underserved artists free studio space and art materials, enabling them to explore their creativity and artistic vision.
BLACK LIVES MATTER COMMUNITY MURAL
In response to the murder of George Floyd, a core group of the Manufacturers Village Artists, working with the support of the building owners, initiated and organized one of the largest Black Lives Murals in the country, located on the parking lot at Manufacturers Village. This 9,000 s.f. mural was designed and painted by artists of color from the greater East Orange area. Because it is one of the few surviving murals from that time, the mural has become an important landmark in the history of the national Black Lives Matter movement, and a point of pride for the City of East Orange. Thanks to the work of the artists in the building and the support of the buildings owners, the mural has been carefully maintained, and will be preserved for generations to come.
The mural provided employment for East Orange artists and professionals in the midst of the Covid pandemic. The Manufacturers Village Artists were able to accomplish this in partnership with Arts Council of East Orange, and Pink Dragon Artist Syndicate with the support of the City of East Orange. The entire project was paid for by the generous contributions of Liquitex, and over one hundred community members.
The BLM mural at Manufacturers Village has been featured on NBC News, ABC News, News Channel 12. A documentary of the mural making process by the local filmmaker Kiymora Smith was premiered at the Montclair Art Museum in January of this year, and was also shown at The Cicely Tyson Community School for Performing and Fine Arts. The mural will also be featured in the upcoming television show ‘ArtNation’, premiering fall 2022 on the Smithsonian Channel.
FUTURE VISION: MVA NON-Profit Org
Through the establishment of the Manufacturers Village Artists Corp, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, our goal is to expand our role in the East Orange community as a vibrant year-round hub for creative exchange and community programming.
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To support this transformation and secure a sustainable future, we are actively seeking support from federal, state, and private sources. This strategic initiative aims to cultivate a thriving artistic community within Manufacturers Village, strengthening our position as a cultural cornerstone that enriches both the local community and the broader state of New Jersey for generations to come.
Enhancements to the existing art studios & small business could include:
• Contemporary Art Exhibition Space
• Mixed Use Community Space
• Performance Space
• Black Lives Matter Sculpture Park
• Career/Skill Education: metal working,
laser cutting, 3D printing
• Expanded Artist Residency Program
• Cafe/Restaurant(s)
• Design Shop