Windows of soul is a unique project aimed at bringing life to blighted urban neighborhoods. It consists of a yearly event where we install artwork in the windows of abandoned buildings in local neighborhoods. Boarded up windows along the side of a street are painted or pasted with art, beautifying the area. Art is either submitted prior to the event or created during the event, by both professional artists and members of the community. The event brings people together through the art, music, and co-creation. What makes the event work is community involvement- we organize it as a mix between an art exhibit and a block party.
This year we’re kicking it off on Friday night, 9/13 with a gallery opening featuring our most impressive art submissions. There will be live spinning by our DJ, ItsJustAhmad, wine and refreshments and of course great art. Admission is free. Saturday we’re taking the art to the street. This year we’ll be pasting up art on Montgomery St, near E State. There are a some huge empty buildings in this area and they are full of boarded up windows. We’ll bring out the bucket truck and cover as much as we can, and of course, involve everyone in the process. We’ll be hosting artists workshops and giving everyone a chance to contribute art. On Sunday we’ll be having a jam in the Gandhi Garden on E. Hanover. Inside the garden we’ll have food and live music. In the alley behind the garden we’ll be painting, adding to the already awesome murals back there by Kasso and Luv 1.
From Sept. 1st – Sept. 11th, send us any art you have and we’ll paste it up on the abandoned buildings on our block (see these submissions from last year’s event.) You can drop off art at 219 E. Hanover St, Trenton NJ between noon and 7pm. Or you can mail it to SAGE Coalition at the same address. Click the flyer to the right for more information ->>
Sept. 13th 2013, 6-9PM – Opening @ Gallery 219, 219 E. Hanover St. Trenton
Sept. 14th 2013, 12-6PM – Outdoor Art Workshops and Window Installations @ North Montgomery & E. Sate St. Trenton (the parking lot next to the gallery)
Sept. 15th 2013, 12-7PM – Mural Jam and Live Music @ The Gandhi Garden, 223 E. Hanover St. Trenton
William Kasso
Leon Rainbow
Wills Kinsey
Andrew Wilkenson
Digital Graham
Luv-One
Lank Williams
SNX
Mek One
Demerock
Ras One
Black Collar Biz
The Black Out Kings
DJ ItsJustAhmad
Sol Debt
Lee Leonard
Elizabeth Amaral
Isaiah Taliaferro
Jamaila Hernandez
Nick Green
Mario Schambon
Ashley Garguilo
and many more!
Windows of Soul 2 Facebook Event Page »
More information on the Windows of Soul Project »
Another year, another chance to rock great artwork on blighted buildings. Windows of Soul is all about transforming blight into beauty. Join us in bringing some positive culture to struggling neighborhoods. You can submit art to be pasted up on vacant buildings, or join us for workshops, music and more. It all goes down this weekend, Sept. 17th and 18th on Walnut Ave, between Chambers and Monmouth St, Trenton NJ.
WOS (Windows of Soul) 2015 took place on the infamous city block of Walnut Ave. Walnut Ave, located in the Wilbur Section of East Trenton, is quite possibly, the most infamous block in the east ward. It’s one well known for illegal activities and unfortunately, its murder rate. This block is in pain…and it has been for a very long time.
We wanted to originally focus on walnut in 2013, during the seconded installment of WOS, but was unable to make it happen at that point, partly due to politics and contracts which bonded us to downtown Trenton. It was always a goal to do this block. The sheer number of abandoned properties and the strong community was enough to keep attention on the struggling block.
SAGE partnered with the Arts council of Princeton ( http://artscouncilofprinceton.org/ )to fund WOS. With a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and matching funds from individual donors, we had enough funding to put this project together. During the summer, the WOS team was composed. One Trenton Project which consists of Caitlin Fair and Kimby Heil handled community outreach. Both Hands Artlet, spearheaded by artist/teacher, Bentrice Jusu, covered photography and event documentation. TCNJ Bonner Center provided volunteers for community cleanup and Artworks Trenton hosted the opening artshow that kicked off the weekends festivities.
Saturday, Oct 17th, bright and early that morning, we begin the install of art on the abandoned buildings. TCNJ Bonners and kids form the community produced art on canvas and paper donated by HomFront Artspace, while Graham Apgar of Sage Guerrilla gardening unit broke ground on a new community garden entitled,”Graffiti Garden”.
Leon Rainbow, with assistance from TCNJ students produced a mural book-ending the garden titled “Section Love”. The mural was a homage to the wilbur section and the strong sense of community which connects so many individuals within the neighborhood.
Wils Kinsey, Lori Johansson and their team of volunteers oversaw the install of artwork on the abandoned properties. With a boom truck and tons of art being turned out from the kids in the community, there was no shortage of art and Wils and company kept up a steady pace, installing throughout the weekend.
Ahmad Shakur, SAGE resident DJ an his team musicians held down the music. Classic Hip Hop, House, R&B and Funk was the soundtrack for the weekend…keeping this running smooth and chill.
Sunday, Oct. 18th, the final day of event and the one with heavy attention on the music performances. Local and a few regional acts performed to a steady crown of onlookers and spectators. Ahmad kept the grooves going while Wils and company continued with the install. One trenton project hosted the community BBQ and books and breakfast programs, which passed out children books to the neighborhood kids.
“Reach the world but touch the hood first”… a quote from Brooklyn emcee/actor, Mos Def, define SAGE Coalition’s mission; to never forget were one comes from while striving for something better than what is given. Many born under depressed conditions find it is difficult to raise above what most would consider a dead end socially, spiritually and economically. Windows of Soul is the visual representation of the aforementioned quote. With its 4th installment now complete, SAGE and company looked to go above and beyond our previous community beatification endeavors. This one felt more like the first and more organic than the previous two. I believe its because this one, like the first, had nothing to prove…other than to provide art to those with limited access to it. The kids, parents and all that participated enjoyed themselves and the feeling of connectivity was apparent.
“Windows of Soul” exceeded all of our expectations.We were all riding high from the weekend. Thanks to all who came together to make this happen. Addison Vincent and Jesse Vincent from the Artworks Trenton family, you guys are the “Wonder Twins”. Graham Apgar for keepin’ it real with the “Graffiti Garden”. To my native brother, Leon Rainbow, I think you will forever understand that “Wilbur Section” and “East Trenton” are truly different, but its all love. Wills Kins aka..”THE FOREMAN” for always coming through in the clutch and keeping things in order with the install. Kimby Heiland Caitlin Fair of “One Trenton” for the continued outreach leading up to this project and making Sunday super chill with “Books and Breakfast”.Ahmad Shakir for always setting the mood(Respect the DJ). To my brother Earlie Harrell for keeping the flame going. You are the realist my G. To Bentrice Jusu of “Both Hands” and Aine Mickey for documentation and helping build up this event with your unselfishness in adding light to the hood. To my SAGE Coalition brother Jonathan Conner, the “Larry Bird” of Street-art…salute. To Lori Johansson, Nikki Nailbomb, Drew Glenn and the entire Championship Sports Bar & Grill family for supporting and always being there when needed. Christopher Michael Jones, Mike Murphy, Andrew Wilkinson, Lauren Otis, Kate Graves, Kelvin L. Smith, Chelsea Perron,Elizabeth Amaral, and Marge Caldwell-Wilson for helping, supporting and always representing. To the Bonner Scholars for coming out and being apart with your community service and art output…and all the artist that submitted work and came out to celebrated community with us…thank you. To the community of Walnut Ave and Wilbur section and anyone I may have forgot to add…Salute, Thank You and One Love. Trenton still making it. It Don’t Stop!
http://media.trentonian.com/2015/10/17/photos-from-sage-coalitions-windows-of-soul-4-in-trenton/
S.A.G.E. Coalition currently seeks art submissions for the fourth annual Windows of Soul in Trenton, New Jersey. Windows of Soul is a 3 day art extravaganza geared at community renewal!
Kicking off Friday,October 16th with a gallery showcase, featuring notable submissions from 6pm-9pm at TrentonWorks Gallery. Saturday, October 17th and Sunday, October 18th we install artwork on the panels and doorways of neglected properties, then commence with a Block Party! The weekends festivities will take place on the 100 block of Walnut Ave in East Trenton. Help transform the city! S.A.G.E. members and volunteers will display arts submissions in our signature urban outdoor art gallery — a bold community plan mounting artwork in the windows and doorways of Trenton’s abandoned buildings.
At Windows of Soul, urban infrastructure becomes the community’s public canvas. Art and urban development collide. Dazzling, colorful aesthetics breath life into Trenton, invigorating culture and social progress.
Grace Trenton’s skyline with your artistic vision. Please, submit paintings, stencils, pastels, stickers and other visual media to:
One Trenton Project
2 Highland Dr.
Yardly, Pa. 19067
Drop off location and time:
Trenton Works Gallery
5 South Broad St.
Trenton, NJ
Oct. 12 – Oct. 15, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
(609) 222-9334
sagecoalitionnj@gmail.com
Check out previous Windows of Soul events:
Windows of Soul 2014 kicks off this weekend! Join us this Friday, Nov. 14th at 6pm for Inked Up at Gallery 219, and then Saturday and Sunday, join us for an art festival like no other as we deck the windows of on N. Stockton St. with amazing artwork. It’s all part of Windows of Soul Initiative. Read more about this years event here »
Windows of of Soul is back! We’re looking to cover the boarded up windows of vacant properties Stockton St, Trenton NJ with inspiring artwork! Help us do it by submitting your art, then come to the event to celebrate! Please Contact Us if you would like to set up a time to bring art to the studio. Click to learn more about the Windows of Soul Initiative »
Join us on October 5th and 6th for the next evolution of Windows of Soul. Turns out painting boarded up windows just wasn’t doing enough for us.. so we’re Storming the Gates!! Yes, one Sunday night we were biking through downtown, on our way to Rainbow Garden (the ONLY open restaurant in downtown Trenton on Sunday).. and all you could see were rows and rows of these bland metal roll-down gates. It was obvious what we had to do: put together a team of premier street artists from all over the country, and spray some soul onto these gates, Windows of Soul style. After months of planning, it’s finally happening. It’s gonna be a 2 part event, on October 5th and 6th, with a brand new pop-up gallery reception downtown, followed by a day of live art creation. I don’t mean to hype this up too much but.. I’m pretty sure nobody’s ever done this (legally) in any city.. These gates are literally going to be a Trenton exclusive. And in my opinion this may be the first interesting thing to happen in downtown Trenton since Washington boated over and Stormed the Hessians. Don’t miss it!! Read more about it here »
Join us this September 13th, 14th and 15th for Windows of Soul 2! Read all about it here »
We’re gearing up for Windows of Soul, our yearly street revitalization event. This year we’re doing it on Sept. 13th, 14th and 15th. We need your art submissions! Send us any art you have and we’ll paste it up on the abandoned buildings on our block (see these pictures from last year’s event.)
You can drop off art at 219 E. Hanover St, Trenton NJ from Sept. 1st to the 11th, between noon and 7pm. Or you can mail it to SAGE Coalition, 219 E. Hanover St, Trenton NJ.
Then join us on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13th, 14th and 15th for an art-errific weekend!! Just like last year, we’re breaking it into 3 events:
Featuring submitted work from selected artists. 6-9pm at Gallery 219, 219 E. Hanover St. Trenton. Free admission and refreshments!
Come out for open artist workshops, and help us install art on buildings on the corner of East State and N. Montgomery (next to the gallery.) 12pm-6pm.
Featuring music performances and a BBQ in the Gandhi Garden next to the gallery. Hosted by Black Collar Biz. 12pm-7pm.
And, I’ll let you in on a little secret.. there will be one more Windows of Soul event coming up, which will shake the whole city!! But we’ll announce that later. For now, send us your art, and come on out.. let’s take street art to the next level.
The Trentonian
http://www.trentonian.com/article/20120922/NEWS01/120929770/-windows-of-soul-spotlights-art-in-trenton
Trenton Times
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/09/trenton_art_group_holds_three-.html
US 1 Newspaper
http://princetoninfo.com/index.php?option=com_us1more&Itemid=6&key=9-19-12windows
http://www.examiner.com/article/trenton-radiates-urban-creativity
http://everydayadventureswithanna.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/windows-of-soul/
http://www.redballoonstudio.com/?p=1171
Windows of soul was a daring move. People outside were afraid to come to East Hanover. People on the block were afraid of the crazy new artists. But it seemed all fears and doubts were smashed on both sides as we powered through three straight days of art and festivities.
We kicked it off Friday night with the opening of our brand new gallery. Inside the the art set the mood.. we set up each room to highlight a different style: photography, graphic art, pop art, and a chill black-light pad. It wasn’t long before the gallery was packed, the wine was flowing, and party spilled into the street.
Saturday was all about the art. The street was blocked off, and it was filled with canvases, cloth, boards and enough cans of spray and house paint to cover the whole block.. and that’s just what we did. Armed with a scissor lift and a bucket truck, we covered about 75% of the boarded up windows on East Hanover St. (that’s a lot.) It was a huge collaborative effort- The Sage Collective crew came out to rock some of the larger windows, while the higher ones were filled up with art submitted from all over the place. Local artists came out to paint live and run workshops, and the kids had a ball painting hundreds of feet of parachute cloth, plywood, and tires rolled out in the street. I was running a pendulum painting workshop. With a 10 foot tall tripod we painted a couple dozen wood panels throughout the day. Even the parking meters got painted. A few hundred people must have come through, and it seemed like everyone there was either making art or getting down with the DJ. On that end, ItsJustAmhad kept it all moving with a great mix of 80s & 90s hip-hop, house and funk. The barbecue was on-point, serving up some mean shish kabobs.
Sunday was all about the music, and we had some great acts come through, headlined by the soulful riffs and fiery lines of Dre Skuffs & the Blackout Kings. Black Collar Biz kept the show moving and performed a few classics, Ahmad spun in some Spongebob just to drive his son crazy, and Lyrik and I performed “Is this Love” by Bob Marley (yes, it was love that I was feeling.) All the while, Wills, Kasso and the crew kept on painting and installing art on window panels. By the end of the day only a few were left. Our neighbour Anne also got her deep-fry on, cooking up some fiery wings and showing some big love.
For me, this quick little story tells it all… On Sunday morning, in a classic last-minute brainstorm, Jon and I decided to build a stage out of a bunch of garbage we found in a warehouse down the street.Which looks very spacious and it was similar to that of Dry Storage Space Kelowna .Together we slowly toppled a stack of 300 pound shipping boxes and dragged two of them out of the rubble with ropes and found tools. Then Kasso and Wills stepped in to help, and we trucked both boxes, with a stack of old plywood, two blocks down the street with a hand cart and a dolly. At that point I still didn’t know if it could work. I had serious doubts. The performers were getting ready to start and I was beginning to think we were just getting in the way and wasting everyone’s time. Then Derrick from across the street showed up to lend us a hand, and so did an old friend who I haven’t seen in years. After we sawed and hammered it all together, The headlining band, which was waiting to do a sound check, stepped in to help lift everything into place. Together, we pulled off a stage which definitely did its job, and in my opinion, looked pretty sick. Throughout the day dozens of people performed on it, including myself. The whole experience was a lot like Windows of Soul as a whole.. It was a crazy idea, brought forth with stubborn determination and finally realized when a whole village stepped up to make it happen. During this event I was assisted (saved) multiple times by the help of friends, neighbours and local kids. The SAGE group may have set this up, but it was definitely the whole community which made it go. I want to thank everyone out there from the bottom of my heart.. it meant so much to me to see so many people come together so spontaneously and meaningfully.
On Monday afternoon, the last panel was painted, depicting a little bird sitting on a giant, hatching egg. I feel like that means something. All I know is that we’ll keep on doing what we love to do, for the good of ourselves and whoever wants to join us.
