Red Badge of Courage Curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud
October 28 to December 7, 2007
The Newark Council for the Arts is pleased to present "Red Badge of Courage" featuring new work by sixty-six artists from New Jersey, New York and abroad in a 13,000 square foot space in downtown Newark. Curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud, the exhibition is based on the life and work of 19th- century writer/poet/journalist Stephen Crane, a native of Newark, NJ. Although he died young -- at age 28 -- Cranes work and life have inspired many artists throughout the years: His portrait was used by the Beatles on the cover of their album "St. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band". The 2001 film The Dark Riders was based on a Crane poem. And there have been a number of film versions of "The Red Badge of Courage," the most famous of which was directed by John Huston and released in 1951. "The Red Badge of Courage" tells the story of a young mans life as a soldier during the American Civil War.
More than a hundred years after Cranes death, the artists in “Red Badge of Courage” draw historical references as a tool to interpret and represent their concerns with contemporary society. Newark is a city rich in history, from the 19th century manufacturing boom through the depression years and past that to the infamous 1960's riots. But Newark is going through many changes and to become a major economic and cultural center again.
