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<b>All Night Long</b> </div>
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<div class="bylinesource">By: Megan Sullivan, TIMEOFF</div>
<div class="dateline">06/15/2007</div>
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<td align="left" valign="top" width=""><font color="#000000"
face="arial,helvetica" size="-1"><b>From glass-blowing demonstrations
outdoors to an exhibit of artwork by
community members indoors, Art All Night will be action-packed. </b></font></td>
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<div class="leadline"><br>
<b>Artworks' 24-hour celebration of art, music, food and film promises
to bring an edginess to the state capital. </b><br>
<br>
</div>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"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.<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
The <b>free event</b>, 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.<br>
<br>
<h3><b> 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."</b></h3>
<h3><b> 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."</b></h3>
<br>
Outdoor silent
movies will begin projecting on a 25-foot screen at about 10 p.m. The
films include 1927's science fiction classic <i>Metropolis</i>; <i>Rivers
and Tides</i>, which follows artist Andy Goldsworthy in the making of
his ephemeral sculptures from elements of nature; and <i>The Mystery
of Picasso</i>, a filmed record of the artist painting numerous
canvases for the camera.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"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."<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"It's like a public refrigerator," Ms. Kasabach says. "We're trying
to do things that are hands-on, but a little quirky."<br>
<br>
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."<br>
<br>
Mr. Gumpert expects about 2,000 people to attend the event, which he
hopes will become a successful annual celebration.<br>
<br>
"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." <br>
<br>
Art All Night Trenton <i>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 <a
href="mailto:gump5555@hotmail.com"><u>gump5555@hotmail.com</u></a> or
come to an information session at Artworks June 15, 7:30 p.m.; <a
href="http://www.artworkstrenton.org" target="_blank"><u>www.artworkstrenton.org</u></a></i>
<br>
<b><br>
</b>
<h3><b>More information can be found here:</b></h3>
<h3><b><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.artworkstrenton.org/">http://www.artworkstrenton.org/</a></b></h3>
<h3></h3>
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