New Brunswick Debuts Vision for Downtown Art Gallery

Keith Jones II walked into the shuttered 100-year-old bank at 352 George Street and marveled at its 30-something-foot marble walls, vintage sconces and stained-glass ceiling.

He immediately turned to Robert Weiss of Weiss Properties and uttered words he'll never forget.

"Keith said, 'Robert, I need this building for something,'" Weiss said.

Fast-forward three years and that something has turned out to be a space where pieces of art will line the walls and be displayed behind the 10-ton vault doors.

The vision for the Trust Gallery was unveiled Wednesday, with city and state officials, local community leaders and other stakeholders on hand to conjure what it will be like when it officially opens its six-inch-thick metal doors in 2027.

Officials said the space that once served as the Brunswick Bank and Trust will now serve as a community gallery and performance center. It's envisioned as a place where creativity will flourish, artists will be celebrated, young people will discover their talents and residents and visitors will gather to experience culture, music, performance and expression.

"This will be a space where we can tell stories, whether they're emotional, whether it's through music, whether it's through dance," Jones said. "This building right here will be that beacon for this street, this city, this county, this state. We're going to take real ownership of it. We're not shying away from it. This is one of those things where we have taken all the commitment to do that."

In February, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, a state agency focused on revitalizing urban areas, stimulating business development and fostering job creation across the state, awarded New Brunswick $5,732,716 through its Urban Investment Fund Grant Program.

That money will not only help with renovations inside the gallery, but will help the city with the creation of a plaza with an art installation, seating and wayfinding directly across from the New Brunswick Train Station and adjacent to the Health and Life Science Exchange (HELIX) project.

It will also help with what was referred to as the New Brunswick Sculpture Project, which will utilize the funding to purchase and install several sculptures created by Seward Johnson throughout the City Center.

"Together, these shared initiatives are connected by a shared vision: to make art accessible, visible and an integral part of everyday life for our residents and visitors," Mayor Jim Cahill said. "Whether someone walks into this performance center for a concert, passes a sculpture on their way to work or attends a community arts program for the first time, they become part of something larger, a shared experience."

The Trust Gallery's first piece of artwork sat silently, watching the jugglers and stilt walkers, listening to the jazz quartet and enjoying the festive event on George Street on Wednesday afternoon.

The abstract piece, with thickly applied hues of purple, gold and other colors, was created by Fernando DeOliveira, whose art gallery is on Bayard Street.

The painting is being donated from the personal collection by Bruce Carnegie of New Brunswick-based Red Hawk Realty.

The creative genius of the day, however, was Jones.

"Keith Jones really is a creative genius, is what I call him," said Weiss, of Weiss Properties, whose offices are just down the block from the Trust Gallery. "We spoke every day for two years straight, and he said, 'Mark I got this. Mark, you worry too much.' And that's Keith's style. He's smooth, he's cool and he gets it done. He cares so much about the youth. I'll come on a Sunday, he'll be running a clinic for kids. I'll come Wednesday and he's doing an art show. He is busy day and night. He's born and raised in New Brunswick, but now he's innovating in New Brunswick."

Article & Photo Credit: Chuck O'Donnell, TAPinto New Brunswick