Newark art gallery that struggled during pandemic begins to see brighter days
Posted May 01, 2021
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Now, the owner of Akwaaba is looking towards brighter days: she’s planning a new exhibit and summer community events too.
“I’m feeling very confident that we’re going to be able to ride this whole COVID storm,” said Laura Bonas-Palmer, who opened the art gallery in 2019.
Akwaaba which means welcome in Twi, a language spoken in Ghana is located at 509 South Orange Ave. in the city’s West Ward. It opened in a portion of the city that has long been looking to revitalize.
Crossroads of a plague
The worst pandemic in a century has ravaged Newark and its Black community. It was a tragedy decades in the making.
Updated on Dec 11, 2020;
Published on Dec 10, 2020
Newark has suffered the most COVID-19 deaths and cases in New Jersey. Photo by Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media
The haunting stare was frozen on his daughter’s face.
Walter Andrews found her in the middle of the night, dazed and unseeing as she rocked back and forth on his living room floor.
“Tasha! Tasha!” he said in a loud whisper. But she merely groaned, continuing to gaze ahead vacantly.