Closing BBQ party at Windows of Soul on E.Hanover Street Trenton, New Jersey

To describe the scene on Friday night is easy I can do it with one word (Cool) but, I must add exciting because there were a lot of cameras in the house taking pictures of the crowd enjoying the high quality artwork that was on display in the gallery at 219 E. Hanover Street when I arrived.

I found a comfortable seat on a couch in the back gallery/project room and then was informed by Angelo Donofrio [videographer from NYC] that the interview that he produced that I did with famed photographer Jon Naar at last years JERSEY FRESH JAM was being shown on a video monitor right in front of me.

Street artwork on the windows & doors on E.Hanover St. Trenton, New Jersey

Artwork that fills the windows on one of the buildings on E.Hanover St. Trenton,NJ

I forgot all about it and although I was not able to here it at the time I found myself  mesmerized by myself standing next to Jon talking about the current street art scene which has seen a third or fourth resurrection in recent years and is the reason for this report on this particular mammoth event on one of the worst blocks in the downtown Trenton area.

I did not attend Saturdays events that were scheduled with workshops and installation of some of the IMPORTED artwork from all over the world because I thought it would be best to capture the end results on Sunday and enjoy the block party then I could see how successful the project really was in terms of beautification of a simi-abandoned city block.

I had no doubts that this event would transform the buildings and create a major example of what art can do for a city but in retrospect I wish I could have seen more diverse artwork on those boarded up windows and doors although I am not condemning the efforts that were put fourth. It looked to me that the collective organizers were trying to make sure most of the panels were covered by crew members and everything else was an afterthought.

No matter what my critique is about this event it was a huge success and it makes your wonder;if the SAGE collective can transform on entire city block in three days, just imagine that there were more artists groups dedicated to transforming the entire downtown what they could accomplish?

I highly recommend you take a walk on E.Hanover Street  (if your local) on your lunch break or during the day so you can see how visually powerful the artwork is in person and make sure you stop in the gallery to see something you actually can buy and live with forever.

I be editing some video I shot on the event to publish at a later time so be sure to check back for more on the ‘Windows of Soul’ beautification project.