Newark Mourns Rodney Gilbert, Arts Community Giant

NEWARK, NJ — Newark lost a valued and beloved member of its arts community this week: Rodney Gilbert. Newark Arts confirmed the death, stating that Gilbert “unfortunately passed on Wednesday morning.”

“Your memory will live forever,” the group wrote on Facebook in tribute to the “giant of the Newark arts community.”

Gilbert was the founder and CEO of Yendor Productions, a Newark-based firm that consults, develops and produces arts education programming and events for under-served artists and communities.

According to the Yendor Productions website, some of Gilbert's diverse accomplishments include:

• Worked in professional theatre for over 30 years
• Graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia
• Oversaw the theatre program for Newark Public Schools, Extended Day and served as the lead teacher and liaison to its Drew University Theatre partnership
• Was an adjunct professor for the Theatre Department at Drew University
• Served as an Arts Educator for the Kennedy Centers’ Wolftrap program
• Served as the Director of the Writers program for Playwrights Theater
• Was a Senior Program Manager for the Newark Murals Program
• Member of the Actors Equity Association, a Leadership Newark Fellow, and an Audelco Award Nominee

Both Newark Arts and the Newark Public Library posted social media messages mourning Gilbert’s passing this week.

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page here.

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Main Photo: Newark Arts Photo Documentary Project