The Newark Canvas Project is a full sensory dive into Newark’s creative soul—part festival, part open studio, part community portrait. Set in the heart of the Central Ward, this one-of-a-kind experience invites everyone, regardless of age or artistic background, to pick up a brush, sit for a portrait and become part of something much bigger than themselves.

At the center of it all is a mobile community mural, a bold, modular painting built panel by panel with contributions from everyday participants, guided by Newark muralists. The result is a striking visual story of the city’s diversity, resilience and imagination. But the mural is just the beginning. The surrounding Community Art Lab pulses with energy: colorful collage stations inspired by Newark’s architecture and history, speedy live portraits drawn by local illustrators and a pop-up exhibition showcasing the talent of Newark-based visual artists—complete with artist talks and the warm backdrop of a Newark DJ spinning throughout the day.

This is where art is not something that happens to a community but something a community makes together.

And the experience doesn’t end when the festival does. The mural panels travel on to schools, libraries and neighborhood spaces, keeping the creativity alive all year long.

Come ready to create. Leave with something you helped build.