By Mabel Pais

The Newark Arts celebrates its 20th Newark Arts Festival this fall with a headline exhibit honoring legendary entertainer and New Jersey native Dionne Warwick – “Dionne Warwick: Queen of Twitter.” The exhibit will debut on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, from 6-9 PM ET in a pop-up gallery at the Hahne & Co., 609 Broad St, Newark, NJ 07102. The Festival’s opening night reception includes the debut of our headline pop-up exhibition, “Dionne Warwick: Queen of Twitter.” The exhibition features specially commissioned artwork inspired by the humorous, sassy, profound, and inspirational tweets by Ms. Warwick. Plus, rarely seen archival material will be on display including items from Ms. Warwick’s personal collection.

THE EXHIBITION

“Dionne Warwick: Queen of Twitter” is an art exhibition inspired by a single Twitter account user: @DionneWarwick. In 2020, the legendary entertainer’s account went viral and was covered by major media outlets. Her commentary–on everything from perplexing celebrity stage names (yes, we’re looking at you, The Weeknd and Chance the Rapper) to social justice issues–has offered laughs, wisdom, and comfort for an intergenerational audience during the Covid-19 pandemic and civil unrest.

In this exhibition, artists have created specially commissioned works referencing the humorous, sassy, profound, and inspirational tweets by Ms. Warwick. The works range from site-specific installations to mixed media pieces exploring Ms. Warwick’s social justice and spiritual background and that sharp wit that makes her everyone’s favorite “Auntie.” Accompanying these works is an intimate selection of archival material spotlighting her illustrious and groundbreaking career.

Collectively, the artwork and archival materials celebrate Ms Warwick’s creative resilience. The latter is defined within the context of this exhibition as the ability to creatively use the arts and social media to surmount life’s obstacles and imagine a better future. Throughout her career and via her online presence, Ms. Warwick has consistently demonstrated the power of creative resilience to uplift, educate, and unite people during challenging times. Thus, making her a true Queen.

Featured Artists: Lavett Ballard, Pamela Council, Jo-El Lopez, Beau McCall, Dianne Smith, Felandus Thames

Featured Private Collections: Dionne Warwick, Souleo

SCHEDULE

More theatre, music, dance and visual art events to be added daily…check out at #NAF2021

For a schedule of events, visit newarkartsfestival.com/events

For schedule updates, visit newarkartsfestival.com/events/a-z/entry/21595

To RSVP, visit newarkartsfestival.com/rsvp

COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS

A vaccination card or negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of arrival at the exhibit at 609 Broad Street is required. Masks and Social Distancing are required.

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POLARIS LAUNCHES FIRST BIPOC FREE CHANNEL

By Mabel Pais

Polaris Delivers Meaningful Content Created By BIPOC To Millions of Households

POLARIS launches its first free ad-supported streaming TV channel (FAST). The 100% black-owned television, digital and social media platform debuts on VIZIO’s SmartCast platform. Created by digital media pioneer and legendary journalist, Rahman J. Dukes, Polaris exists to uncover and share stories created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and authentically share Hip-Hop and Black culture with the world. With guidance from the Polaris board, iconic media personality Sway Calloway (MTV) and music historian Shaheem Reid, Polaris delivers a superior viewing experience through authentic, meaningful content that channels the spirit of African culture and music.

Polaris will officially debut in October exclusively to VIZIO SmartCast users on WatchFree+, VIZIO’s free streaming service.

“Working with Polaris, we are bringing to market a channel that celebrates black culture and delivers unique entertainment experiences to SmartCast users,” said Steve DeMain, VP Engagement at VIZIO. “We are excited to partner with these legendary creators to deliver a channel exclusive to SmartCast audiences.”

 “Partnering with VIZIO to launch Polaris is a historical step in getting the stories of Black and BIPOC storytellers out there in an authentic way, something we’ve prided ourselves in for the past two decades,” said Rahman J. Dukes, Principal Chairman and Founder of Polaris. “Polaris aims to be a beacon of inspiration for the culture, and VIZIO will allow our curated content to truly be that beacon, and help us deliver authentic programming to millions of households.”

VIZIO SmartCast viewers soon have around-the-clock access to authentic programming from Polaris, including:

• The Daily Check In — In this flagship show, music historian Shaheem Reid delves into the hottest entertainment topics of the day with notable celebrities and media personalities.
• BridgeBizness — In this sports-centric show, well-respected journalist Sway Calloway and media personality Horse will host an interview style show featuring special guests and celebrities.
• Method To The Madness — An episodic series that documents the early stages of Method Man’s career during his meteoric rise to the top of the rap game.
• 9BLOCC — A music video countdown show fused with social media commentary that highlights up and coming artists.

VIZIO

Founded and headquartered in Orange County, California, the mission at VIZIO Holding Corp. is to deliver immersive entertainment and compelling lifestyle enhancements that make their products the center of the connected home. They are driving the future of televisions through their integrated platform of cutting-edge Smart TVs and powerful SmartCast™ operating system.

VIZIO provides convenient access to on-screen apps like Apple TV+, BET+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video and YouTube.TV. It also includes support for Apple AirPlay 2 & Chromecast built-in, allowing viewers to stream, control, and share content from their phone, tablet, or laptop directly onto the big screen. VIZIO SmartCast is continuously enhancing the platform with new features and content, so users have endless entertainment options, all while staying healthy and safe in their homes.

To learn more, visit VIZIO.com. Follow VIZIO on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

POLARIS & RAHMAN J. DUKES

 Rooted at the intersection of Black culture, entertainment and technology, Polaris aims to revolutionize content consumption across TV, digital and social platforms. The 100% Black-owned multimedia entertainment brand is driven by a commitment to illuminate the culture with premium, cross-generational content and programming that entertains, educates, inspires and uplifts. Airing on WatchFree+, VIZIO’s free streaming service, Polaris’ 24-hour streaming channel will uncover narratives created by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) storytellers, empower emerging content creators and collaborate with some of hip-hop’s finest. At the helm of Polaris is its chairman and founder, esteemed TV industry veteran, Rahman J. Dukes. A former executive at MTV and REVOLT TV, the behind-the-scenes power-player, has developed and produced game-changing and thought-provoking content across platforms for almost two decades.

For more information, and Watch Polaris. Follow Polaris on Twitter.

Follow Rahman J. Dukes at instagram.com/rahmandukes.

(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)