Construction Is Under Way on a New Littleton Avenue Home for Akwaaba Gallery in Newark's West Ward
Studio Lofts, LLC says work at 166-170 Littleton Avenue has passed its framing and mechanical inspections and is moving into the insulation phase — a roughly 9,000-square-foot project with about 3,000 square feet of gallery space, 10 artist studios and apartments.
Construction is officially under way at 166-170 Littleton Avenue in Newark's West Ward, where Studio Lofts, LLC is building a new home for Akwaaba Gallery, New Jersey Stage reported in a release originally published Oct. 26. The approximately 9,000-square-foot mixed-use property is expected to significantly expand the gallery's ability to present exhibitions, support working artists and welcome collectors and visitors.
The new facility will include approximately 3,000 square feet of gallery and exhibition space, 10 private artist studios and residential apartments, according to the report. The City of Newark has certified and signed off on the project's rough structural framing and mechanical inspections, directing it to advance immediately into the active insulation phase.
Studio Lofts said it is grateful to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for a pre-construction grant that funded approximately half of its pre-construction costs, according to the report. Akwaaba Gallery, founded by Laura Bonas-Palmer and opened in 2019, currently operates at 509 South Orange Avenue in the West Ward.
Additional announcements regarding the gallery's opening, its inaugural exhibition, the artist studios and upcoming programming will be released as the project advances, according to the report.
