Everything was lined up. Paint, brushes and artists. The idea was to beautify downtown Newark with murals on building sides to brighten the Brick City landscape.

Everyone had good intentions, to be sure. But organizers of two new programs, seemed to overlook the one program already in place, and that’s where the problems began.

One new mural faction was led by Jonathan LeVine, owner of a well-known street art gallery in New York City, and local developer Amer Hanini. With paint companies Liquitex and Winsor & Newton, they planned to bring artists from around the world to brighten the city's landscape with dozens of murals over the next year.

The other group, called NeWWalls Newark, was ready to jazz up city downtown corridors with 10 murals in 10 days. The Newark Downtown District hired Rebecca Jampol, as consulting curator to line up a cadre of noted artists.

But as word spread of the initatives, so did backlash from Newark’s artist community from the exisiting Newark Mural project, a city sponsored program headed by Rodney Gilbert of Yendor Arts.

"I don’t understand how you start a mural program and there’s an existing mural program in a city like Newark and you don’t go to the creators of the program," Gilbert said. "You have to have conversations with people. I don’t think its respectful.’’

With so few resources and opportunities for artists to produce work, news of the projects left local folks with plenty of questions and concerns .

The LeVine camp said they meant no disrespect, a sentiment echoed by NDD and Jampol, who is also founder of Solo(s ) Project House.

"We believe art is about expanding networks and sharing new perspectives, which can only help enrich an already diverse community," LeVine and Hanini said in a statement. "We value the community’s insight and we are looking forward to connecting with the communities in Newark.’’

They said they spent a lot of time talking to business owners and residents about proposed city murals that will be inspired by Newark’s rich history.

NDD also acknowledged its faux paus.

"We dropped the ball,’’said NDD’s Chief Executive Officer Anthony McMillan. "We don’t want anybody to feel slighted. It’s so not what we’re about.’’

McMillan said NDD, funded by the business community to improve the quality of life in downtown Newark, was approached by several artists groups who expressed an interest in doing public art. He said Jampol had the best proposal and plans to implement it took off.

"We made the mistake of running with what we thought was a great project, but it couldn’t be a great project if it’s absent of truly hearing what the people feel,’’ McMillan said.

By then tension in the arts community was simmering. The chatter ran the gamut from gentrification to the city losing its identity with new artists.

"We want them to know that there was history here before they got here,’’ said Kevin Sampson, a Newark artist of 20 years."You don’t come in and project your vision upon a community.’’

Gwen Moten, executive director of the city’s Division of Arts, Cultural Development and Tourism, asked both groups to hold off on their projects so Newark artists could be a part.

Both sides agreed, and it’s a good idea they did. Newark is the kind of town where there needs be ownership. Otherwise, the new art work might be vandalized. To that point, none of the 21 city murals in five wards have been touched since its mural program started six years ago.

With both projects on hold, a four-day art conference led by Jampol was held that dealt with art in public spaces and how it should be achieved.

Panelists agreed there was a new energy in town, but the community should be engaged. They also said there has to be a balance in talent recruited to produce the work, meaning world class skills are great, but there should be opportunities for artists to be exposed to that kind of experience.

Jampol apologized for any oversight, explaining that she didn’t want the community to think artists were going to fly in and slap up murals.

"We want people to feel comfortable with what we’re doing,’’ she said.

Much of this could have been avoided if Newark’s commission on the arts was reappointed under former Mayor Cory Booker’s administration, said Lynwood Oglesby, executive director of the Newark Arts Council.

He said the commission, which served for three years under former Mayor Sharpe James, would have reviewed the projects and offered recommendations.

"Tension might not have existed,’’he said. "There would have been a place for this conversation to take place.’’

And that’s what’s happening now.

Barry Carter: (973) 392-1827 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter

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