Art City New Brunswick Festival
Art City New Brunswick Festival is a vibrant celebration of art, culture, creativity, and community that transforms New Brunswick, New Jersey, into a dynamic destination for artistic expression. Produced in collaboration with coLAB Arts, the festival brings together visual artists, performers, cultural organizations, local businesses, and residents to celebrate the city's rich cultural diversity and growing creative economy.
Through curated exhibitions, live performances, interactive art experiences, and community engagement, the festival highlights the power of the arts to connect neighborhoods, amplify diverse voices, and create meaningful opportunities for artists and audiences.
A central feature of the festival is the Art City Public Art Residency, developed by coLAB Arts to support eight selected artists and artist teams in creating new public artworks inspired by place, cultural history, memory, and community identity. The 10-month residency provides artists with studio space, a $10,000 commission for each artist or team, and opportunities to develop and share their creative processes through monthly open studios and exhibitions. The Art City New Brunswick Public Art Residency features eight talented artists: Chanika Svetvilas, Andrew Harrison, Traci Johnson, Dennis RedMoon Darkeem, Haemee Han, Kate Eggleston, Jin Jung, and Misha Tyutyunik. Through their diverse artistic practices and approaches to public art, these artists explore themes of community, identity, culture, place, and belonging.
As Festival Curator, Atim Annette Oton brings more than two decades of experience in arts programming, cultural strategy, and creative placemaking to shape a festival that reflects New Brunswick's unique identity and artistic energy. Building on her leadership as producer of the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour (JCAST), Oton's curatorial vision emphasizes artistic excellence, accessibility, cultural representation, and collaboration. Art City New Brunswick Festival seeks to strengthen connections between artists, businesses, and communities while positioning New Brunswick as a thriving center for contemporary art, cultural innovation, and creative entrepreneurship as envisioned by coLAB Arts.
The Art City New Brunswick Festival takes place on Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM in downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Official festival website: www.artcitynewbrunswick.org
Festival schedule and map: Art City Festival Information
Presented by: coLAB Arts
For the 2026 Art City New Brunswick Festival and Public Art Residency, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) funds coLAB Arts through its A.R.T. (Arts and Culture) Phase II Grant Program.
About coLAB Arts
coLAB Arts is a New Brunswick, New Jersey–based nonprofit arts organization that brings together artists, social advocates, and communities to create transformative work. Founded in 2010, the organization uses creative engagement to connect artistic expression with civic participation, social justice, cultural identity, and community development. Its multidisciplinary programming includes public art and murals, theater, storytelling, visual arts, arts education, artist residencies, and community-based cultural initiatives. By collaborating with residents, schools, local businesses, and community organizations, coLAB Arts creates opportunities for artists to develop new work, reach wider audiences, and contribute to a more vibrant and inclusive city. Learn more: www.colab-arts.org