Lunastage - About Lunastage

LUNA Stage is moving

Luna Stage is looking forward to becoming part of the Valley Arts District of Orange/West Orange. Here is how we envision the site will look.

Please read below what HANDS, the non-profit organization which owns the building we will be renting, envisions for the area:

The Valley as an Arts location

The Valley, a 40-50 block neighborhood straddling the Orange/West Orange border, has a rich history and enjoys a unique identity. One hundred years ago it was claimed to be the hat making capital of the world with 34 hatting firms producing millions of hats. Its industrial core has seriously declined over the years with many industrial buildings now vacant or underutilized and deteriorated. It’s ideally situated, along the urban-suburban divide, with incredible transit access including a commuter rail station with service to Midtown Manhattan in under 40 minutes. Add to this a group of popular Italian restaurants, a great jazz club and the vacant factory buildings near a train station become the basic material for growing an Arts District. A core of artists, arts businesses and arts program spaces are the missing ingredients. HANDS is committed to developing space for those and keeping them affordable, long after the renaissance has driven up property values and housing costs.

HANDS believes that intentionally creating an “artist-presence” in a concentrated area will attract customers, new businesses, restaurants, new residents and more artists. The 100 Arts spaces will be a mix of live/work residential (for-sale and rental), retail, work studios, program and teaching space and more.

ValleyArts, officially launched in May, 2005 was created by HANDS as a vehicle for achieving many of the community aspirations expressed during the three-year Valley planning process.

The goals of ValleyArts are:

Enhancing educational opportunities
Creating careers for young people
Expanding businesses, jobs, and tax revenues
Increasing recreation programs and events
Beautifying the neighborhood
Lifting community spirit
Celebrating the history of the Valley
Projecting a unique identity for the Valley neighborhood and beyond