Rahway Arts District History

History
In the early 1990's, Mayor James J. Kennedy
along with the Rahway and Union County
government, business, cultural, and community
leaders put forth a Master Plan for the city of
Rahway: to encourage and guide the city's
growth which will sustain economic
development and retain and protect Rahway's
citizen's high quality of life.

The Rahway Arts District is a part of that plan:
an area of the Rahway Central Business District
where there exists a concentration of
performing, visual and cultural arts, and arts
related businesses, including opportunity to
develop live/work opportunities for artists. The
primary focus of the Arts District is the
creation of an artistic environment and a
working arts community.

Planning for the Redevelopment
Mayor James J. Kennedy, as a part of his plan to
create an active cultural and arts community created
the Rahway Arts District Advisory Board and
appointed cultural leaders to help the city and
redevelopment groups coordinate strategic and
architectural plans that focus on the revitalization
and economic prosperity of the neighborhoods in and
around the Rahway Arts District.

The members of the Advisory Group have a mix of
creative, educational, administrative and business
skills that will ensure the success of the
redevelopment of the Rahway Arts District

Growth and Change ~ Revitalization
It is a daily adventure to experience the
revitalization activities going on in Rahway's
Downtown and Arts Districts. The most recent
update on the commercial and cultural activities
that take place in and around the Arts District ~
stay tuned ...

Location
The Rahway Arts District begins at the eastern side of
the West Main Street corridor from Poplar Street to
Irving Street ~ bordered by the two branches of the
Rahway River and the NJ Transit/Amtrak rails
traveling North to the edge of the residential area of
the Central District.

The Rahway Arts District Advisory Board
Mayor James J. Kennedy
(The Mission)

Administration:
Executive Director, Catherine A. Peila

Advisors:
Sandy Erwin, Executive Director
The Union County Performing Arts Center
Lawrence Cappiello, Executive Director
The Arts Guild of Rahway
Anthony Deige, Director of Community Services
Office of Cultural Affairs Rahway
Joseph Mancuso, Professor
Theater Department, The State University of New Jersey
Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts
James Vagias, Theater Consultant
Andrew Chiang, Executive Director
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Peter Pelissier, Rahway Business Administor