The Arts

The Essex County (NJ) Chapter of the LINKS, Incorporated support arts programs where there is a focus on artist of color while enriching the quality of life of our youth and community through engaging art experiences.

The ECCL’s abide by the National initiatives, by developing a ‘sustainable and transformational program that addresses current issues, concerns, and needs that impact the lives of a target population within the global black community.” This National Program for the Art Facet is entitled Classics Through the Ages. ECCL’s has successfully implemented a Classics Through the Ages Program at the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of performing and Fine Arts for the last eight (8) years.  We have supported and will continue to support the Strings department, at CTS, by donated financially, attending concerts and recitals and bringing Master Violinist to the school.

We are very proud of the fact that ECCL’s have had numerous first, second and third place winners in the Links National Young Masters Writer’s and 2.0 Arts Competition. Our Competition winners have all gone on to pursue the Arts in college. ECCL’s has several students who are published in the Links National Writing Collection which is now housed in the Library of Congress.

Every Conference year the ECCL’s participate in the Poster Art Competition. We conduct a chapter competition and the first-place winners, in each category, are entered in the National competition.

The ECCL’s Arts Facet has and continues to collaborate with and support the Cicely L. Tyson Middle/High School with meaningful programing. In the Fall we are presenting to the community a Talent Showcase in which the students will perform and demonstrate their artistic creativity. We will continue to support the school by conducting an African American Month Door Contest. Members of the Arts Facet will continue to support the school by volunteering to assist the Theater Director with plays and performances.

The Arts facet is in the planning stages of another book signing.

The Arts Facet will continue to support NTS, STY, ITS, and HHS by participating in Umbrella Programming.

The Arts Facet will continue to support local art venues; i.e., Papermill Playhouse, Valley Art Museum, Art in The Atrium, Montclair Art Museum, Studio Museum of Montclair, and NJPAC.

The Arts facet has and will continue to inform our members of up-coming arts events so we come fellowship-so we may be “Linked in Friendship, and Connected in Service.”