Kea speaking to visitors to the ark, Bergen St. and 14th Ave., Newark, NJ 1987
Photo by Camilo Vergara

In the 1980s, Kea Tawana built a giant ark in a devastated neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. It no longer exists, but Kea’s ark remains a powerful symbol of hope in Newark and beyond.

Kea’s Ark, the award-winning documentary by the producers of State of the Arts, is now free to view through August 7 as part of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities summer film festival. Find out more here—and sign up for a live virtual discussion with the filmmaker Susan Wallner and Princeton University professor and documentarian Purcell Carson on Wednesday, July 27 at noon.

Susan began the documentary Kea’s Ark after producing a short story for State of the Arts. The half-hour film explores in depth the story of the ark, the vision of its builder, and its lasting impact on the community. Learn more here.

Kea’s Ark was made possible by the NJ Council for the Humanities, and by the NJ State Council on the Arts. It received the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Emmy for Arts Program and is currently being distributed nationally.

We hope you can join the conversation!