Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art

Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art (NSFIA) was a city-run vocational and art school in Newark, New Jersey. Opened in 1882 as the Evening Drawing School, its name was changed in 1909 to the Fawcett School of Industrial Arts, and changed again in 1928 to the Newark Public School of Fine and Industrial Art. The name was shortened to Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art some time later.^[1] It moved into a new building in 1931.^[2]

Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art
1931 building
Location
Newark, New Jersey United States
Information
Type	Public, vocational
Established	1882
Closed	1997
Director	Edward John Stevens, Jr.
Faculty	David John Rush
Color(s)	Blue and white
Affiliation	Newark Public Schools

A number of well-known artists served on the faculty at Newark over the years, including the prolific illustrator and graphic designer Irv Docktor and painter John R. Grabach. Others included Enid Bell, Gustave Cimiotti, Hannes Beckman (design and color), Hillaire Hiler (color), Joseph Konzal (sculpture), Gerson Leiber (print making), Leopold Matzal (portrait), Reuben Nakian (sculpture), Robert Conover, Leo Dee, Jane Burgio, and Grigory Gurevich. Ida Wells Stroud taught there from c.1907 to 1943.^[3] The painter Avery Johnson taught at the Newark School from 1947 to 1960.^[4] In addition to teaching there, the painter Gustave Cimiotti, Jr. served as director of the school from 1935 to 1943.^[5] Henry Gasser, well known for his paintings of Newark, served as director from 1946 to 1954.^[6]

The school closed its doors in 1997 when, in the midst of a budget crisis for the Newark public school system, it was decided that public schools would only operate K-12 schools.^[7][8] The school was originally housed within the same building as the Newark Arts High School.^{[citation needed]} The college moved from that facility due to lack funding in the early 1990s and was relocated to Lyons Avenue until its 1997 closure.^{[citation needed]}

Notable alumni

• J. Clayton "Clay" Conroy
• Leo Dee
• Irv Docktor
• Carla Dunlap
• Helen Frank
• John D Howard Jr
• Don Martin
• Santo Pezzutti
• Nicholas Reale
• Eli Reed
• Bill Sienkiewicz
• Grif Teller
• Charles Waterhouse

References

1. Cupper, Dan (2003). Crossroads of Commerce: The Pennsylvania Railroad Calendar Art of Grif Teller. Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-2903-6. p. 27
2. A Drive through Newark James Betelle, where are you?
3. Pedersen, Roy (2013). Jersey Shore Impressionists: The Fascination of Sun and Sea, 1880-1940. West Creek, NJ: Down the ShorePublishing.
4. Tova Navarra, New Jersey Artists Through Time (Fonthill Media LLC, 2015), p.18
5. Peter Hastings Falk, ed., Who Was Who in American Art (1985).
6. Carol Lowrey, A Legacy of Art: Paintings and Sculptures by Artist Life Members of the National Arts Club (New York: The National Arts Club in association with Hudson Hills Press, 2007), p. 103.
7. Sharkey, Joe. "Going Once, Going Twice: A School of Art., New York Times, January 12, 1997. Accessed December 09, 2009.
8. Chiles, Nick. "Long-lived Newark arts school closes after its 18-month scramble for aid fails". Newark Star-Ledger, February 1, 1997. Accessed February 8, 2010 via Newsbank.com. "After 18 months of scratching and scrambling to stay alive, the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art closed its doors yesterday, 115 years after it first opened to young artists throughout northern New Jersey. The school, which has produced generations of successful artists and designers, couldn't go on any longer after losing its funding from the Newark school system."

• Peter C. Merrill, "German Immigrant Artists in America: A Biographical Dictionary", p. 174, Scarecrow Press, Jan 1, 1997

External links

Media related to Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts at Wikimedia Commons

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