The Trenton Times published the following article on June 14, 2013. To read the full article, click here.

Artworks’ seventh annual Art All Night celebration returns to Trenton

By Mark Syp/For The Times 
on June 14, 2013 at 6:55 AM, updated June 14, 2013 at 6:56 AM

This weekend, come to Artworks’ Art All Night Trenton 2013 to view the work of hundreds of artists, from seasoned pros to enthusiastic beginners, displayed in a unique 24-hour gallery setting.

You can even join in the fun by having one of your own masterpieces displayed.

“At Art All Night, you can literally see your child’s artwork on display right next to a piece by a professional artist,” Art All Night’s planning committee chairperson and creative director Joseph Kuzemka says.

Now in its seventh year, Art All Night accepts submissions from artists of all ages and skill levels, from trained professionals who have spent years honing their craft, to what Kuzemka has dubbed “refrigerator art,” work created by younger children that would usually find a place of honor on the family refrigerator.

The art can be in any medium, including painting, sculpture, music or film.

Admission to the event, held at the historic Roebling Wire Works, is free, and all are encouraged to donate something to display. Interested parties are also encouraged to volunteer at the event, and Kuzemka says most volunteers were free to choose the events at which they want to help out.

Last year’s event contained more than 950 works of art, while this year’s goal is to top 1,000 works. Kuzemka says taken together, the artwork creates a gallery comprising work from around the New Jersey metro area. As the name implies, the gallery stays open without interruption for the duration of the event, from 3 p.m. tomorrow to 3 p.m. Sunday.

“The 24 hours has become a signature of the event,” Kuzemka says. “We actually have about a dozen or so regulars that come back every year and make it a point to stay the entire time.”

In addition to the artwork on display there will be several events and demonstrations designed to explore and celebrate art.

Kuzemka confirms that one of Art All Night’s perennial favorite events, “Dueling Muralists,” will be returning once more. At the event, four muralists employing vastly different techniques and styles will come together to create two murals based on a preselected theme.

This year’s theme is Edgar Allen Poe, and the resulting murals will be displayed at Artworks Trenton’s annual Halloween Party, “The Monster’s Ball.”

“Dueling Muralists is a really fun event, because it slowly unfolds over the course of the 24 hours,” Kuzemka says. “When we start, you might see them just sketching out some ideas, but come back at the end and there are two 8-foot by 12-foot murals that they created over the course of the event.”

For those who want to combine images and sounds, Art All Night announces that due to the success of last year’s 24-hour session, there will once again be a film festival comprising films created by attendees.

Art All Night will also feature a number of food vendors from around Trenton, including American, Mediterranean, Mexican and Jamaican cuisine and festival standbys such as Italian ice and cupcakes.

Other events will include historic walking tours, a children’s art zone and free “master class” sessions where attendees can learn about a number of art-related topics, in order to foster and encourage an appreciation for the arts.

“People might not usually have the opportunity to learn about these things, so we’ve rededicated ourselves to the arts education aspect of the event,” Kuzemka says.

Beyond that, Kuzemka says one of the ways Art All Night encourages artists is the simple act of providing them with a public space to display their work.

For more information about Art All Night, to find out how to add your own masterpiece to the gallery or to volunteer to help at the event, look online at artworkstrenton.org/artallnight/index.