Vince Parrillo, professor at William Paterson University, did a fantastic job documenting the many inspiring and talented creatives connected to Paterson, NJ. His film, "Silk City Artists and Musicians" explores the people and places within Paterson that fuel an artistic renaissance in the country's first planned industrial city.
The Art Factory was highlighted in the film in a number of ways. As an arts center, The Art Factory has produced dozens of art exhibitions over the past several years. Local artists are featured in these exhibits as well as artists from the greater New York City area and famed international artists. Curators love to create exhibits in the vast, post-industrial spaces within the 20+ former textile buildings that make up the Art Factory. Some spaces are raw, with exposed timbers, brick walls and hardwood floors while others are museum quality white walls with polished floors and professional lighting. Renowned artists such as Red Grooms and Willie Cole have shown their work in the Art Factory. Large scale art installations have completely taken over spaces that span 10,000 square feet. There is even an outdoor sculpture garden that adorns the entrance to Great Falls National Park. All of the recent Paterson Arts Council's annual Artwalks have been headquartered at the Art Factory.
Other ways that the Art Factory has been highlighted in "Silk City Artists and Musicians" is through the individual creatives that call the Art Factory home. There are several floors within the Art Factory that house dedicated studio space. Over 100 painters, photographers, film makers, sculptures, furniture designers, musicians, etc. create their distinctive art in their private studio space or in shared, co-working environments throughout the Art Factory. There are fully equipped woodworking shops, metalworking shops, photography studios (cyclorama), computer workstations and cafes/patios/open spaces in which to spread out. The bonus of using the co-working spaces is that the artists get to meet other artists to network or potentially collaborate on joint projects.
Finally, the Art Factory is a creative destination unto itself. With it's nineteenth century textile mill structure intact, photographers and film makers from around the world flock to the dozens upon dozens of cool, authentic spaces. There are cobblestone courtyards, rustic stone and masonry walls, huge wood timbers, large factory windows, vaults built into the mountainside, 25' vaulted ceilings, forests of cast iron (and wood) columns and hardwood flooring throughout. Musicians such as Run DMC, Alice in Chains, BonJovi and Wyclef Jean have all shot music videos at the Art Factory. Similarly, Nike, Victoria Secret, Marvel Studios, Ink Masters, Discovery Channel, BMW, and many more have either shot ad campaigns, televisions shows or feature films at the Art Factory.
