ARTS FESTIVAL

National Minorities with Disabilities Coalition at Rutgers

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The National Minorities with Disabilities Coalition (NMDC), partnering with Rutgers University, and the Paul Robeson Gallery, held its 2nd Annual Greater Newark Black Disabled Arts Festival recently at Rutgers University.

The reception began with a solemn moment of silence for the three promising college students that were murdered in Newark that week. The President of Newark's City Council, the Honorable Mildred Crump opened up the Artists' Reception welcoming all to the City of Newark and the Arts Festival. Crump was the first African American Braille instructor in Detroit in the 1960s and upon moving to New Jersey she became the first African American Braille instructor in 1965.

Pamela Ujazi Gaston, Chair of the Arts Festival is a 33 year employee of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI). Last year Ujazi Gaston participated as a vendor and was so impressed with the artists that she took the lead as the 2007 Black Disabled Arts Festival Chair. After serving as Art Festival Chair, Ujazi Gaston began the NMDC Newark Chapter and has already partnered with Rutgers University for the 2008 Black Arts Festival.

Other local dignitaries and the New Jersey business community attended the artists' reception and viewed the work of artists who are blind, visually impaired, developmentally disabled and wheelchair users.

The reception was held in the Robeson Gallery. Curators were Daniel Veneciano and Lisa Hasselbrook. Black disabled artists from around the United States were given an opportunity to display their craft and share their story.

The second day of the festival included events for the entire family. Children enjoyed an imagination exploration workshop that featured arts and crafts for every-one. African drumming and modern dance workshops were also held.

Modern dancer, Zazel-Chavah O'Garra, performed a routine adapted to her TBI injury. O'Garra, a Presidential Arts Scholar, has performed in the U.S., Europe and her hometown of Montserrat, West Indies. O'Garra was also featured on the cover of "Essence" magazine twice. In 2001 O'Garra had a benign brain tumor that paralyzed her right side and left her with a slight speech impediment and cognitive loss. After therapy, she transitioned into teaching dance. O'Garra lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Gary Corbin is a cancer survivor of more than 30 years and a right leg amputee. Corbin has written and co-directed 3 nationally recognized infomercials featured on ABC's Nightline and CNN. Corbin is a graduate of University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree in Visual and Performing Arts. Corbin performed his "Four One-Legged Men" one-man play. He took the audience through four intense vignettes of four different amputees from different backgrounds.

Jane Dunhamn is the Founder and Executive Director of the National Minorities with Disabilities Coalition. As the mother of an adult daughter with cerebral palsy, Dunhamn's vision is for a national umbrella organization that grew out of her life-long commitment to ensuring her daughter had the necessary and equal resources to succeed academically and professionally.

A noted speaker and board member of many professional disability organizations, Dunhamn was just nominated to serve on the United States Civil Rights Commission. NMDC's goals are to promote "equity" in all aspects of the disability movement, "excellence" in community service, and "opportunity" for all people with disabilities.