Celeste Bateman Documentary To Premiere At Newark Arts Festival

Newark NJ

05 October, 2021

7:00 AM

Description

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of a Patch Newark community member. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. On Saturday, Oct. 9, the Newark Public Library and Celeste Bateman & Associates, LLC will host the Newark premiere of the new documentary, "Gone Too Soon: The Life, Legacy and Loss of Newark's Cultural Icons," as part of the Newark Arts Festival Open Doors exhibits. Directed by Celeste Bateman, "Gone Too Soon" is an examination of the lives and cultural contributions of 11 of Newark's most influential artists, local leaders and historians including: WBGO Jazz-88 CEO Cephas Bowles; poet/playwright/activist Amiri Baraka; poets Breya "Blkbrry Molassez" Knight and Halim Suliman; actor/director/arts administrator Rodney Gilbert; historians Dr. Clement Alexander Price, Charles F. Cummings and Dr. Robert Curvin; artists Russell A. Murray and Jerry Gant; and theater producer Kabu Okai-Davies. The Newark premiere of Gone Too Soon is free of charge and will begin with a reception at 1 p.m., followed by the screening in the James Brown African American Room at the Newark Public Library and a post-show discussion with the production crew. Registration is required to attend this event. Guests can RSVP at https://bit.ly/3hh0K2h. Free parking for the event will be available at the Bears & Eagles Stadium Lot. The entrance is located on Bridge Street. Through interviews with the people who knew and worked with these Newark greats, director/producer Celeste A. Bateman delivers lively vignettes of these beloved icons. The film is an opportunity for those who are new to the city – residents, workers, students, teachers, developers – to understand and appreciate the rich tapestry of Newark's culture and those who in recent decades helped weave it. "Our mission in creating this documentary is to memorialize the lives and contributions of these individuals who factored significantly in the artistic and cultural landscape of Newark but died before they were able to enjoy the fruits of their labor," Bateman said. "We also wanted to create awareness among emerging artists about those who came before, giving them a strong foundation for their own contributions." Joslyn Bowling Dixon, director of NPL acknowledges the significance of this presentation and her delight in the library's co-presentation to the public. "Newark Public Library has been at the center of the city's cultural and educational programming and services for many generations," she said. "We are honored to play a role in commemorating the work and outreach achieved by this amazing group of men and women." The crew for the documentary consists of professionals who are natives-of or based-in Newark. Bateman recognizes crew members' commitment to the film's subjects and their everlasting legacy as reasons why the finished piece is emotionally rich. "Gone Too Soon" will bring the incredible works of these icons to life for the viewer. Funding for the documentary has been provided by the M&T Weiner Foundation; Newark Arts (ArtStart Grant); the City of Newark Creative Catalyst Fund in Partnership with Newark Arts; and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Family members, colleagues and friends also provided contributions. Visit www.npl.org for updated COVID-19 precautions and additional information about this event. Don't forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.