Gant-Gilbert major update: the time has come!

I just want to to take a few minutes to update everyone who has an interest in The Gant-Gilbert Artist Collective and the commencement of BlkBoxNwk’s programming cycle.

#1 - Creative Catalyst Fund - I would like to thank City of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Arts and Culture Director Fayemi Shakur and all involved in the selection and administration of this grant ($10,000) which is earmarked for arts based programming at BlkBoxNwk.

#2 - We have liftoff! (March 1st) - With all construction, approvals and obstacles that have hindered our ability to activate the space removed from our path. We are announcing that we will be able to begin programming arts and community events as well as provide affordable space rental as soon as March 1st!

Major shout outs to Invest Newark (Marcus Randolph, Roger Johnson, Roy Sutherland, Emily Manz, Reesa Abraham and all)! From my perspective, they worked diligently to address every issue that came about deliberately and with full transparency! They came into a challenging circumstance with a 2 decade dead construction project with outdated plans and managed to nurture its development into a beautiful living space for artists, a space for arts and culture and a worthy memorial to the lives of Jerry Gant and Rodney Gilbert who have contributed so greatly to our community’s culture.

That being said, this space has been a long time coming. To put it in perspective, I had booked an event in the space for 15 months ago (October 2021) that I had to cancel. Not being able to follow through on a booking was a great disappointment as I stand by brand reputation and personal credibility among community partners and clients.

Having faith when it appeared I had no control over the situation was hard to do, but something I had experience with. I had broken my ankle during construction of Coffee Cave and was unable to bare any weight on my foot for 9 months. I was this close to not even opening for business, but by the grace of God remained faithful and got the doors open.

2 Corinthians 12:9
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

As progressive visionaries, to persevere and grind are mandatory modes. Anything worth achieving will involve challenges to be navigated. When it seems like our ability to navigate has been compromised, there might be down times that we go through, but OUR energy and belief is the common denominator that rewards successful outcomes. In MY case, although I was unable to verify commitments, plan and schedule, I WAS able to put an emphasis on structuring how BlkBoxNwk will operate and educate myself on areas that I had little real life exposure to.

On that note, cheers to all involved and keep your eyes open for updates!