Trenton residents and visitors interested in exploring some very new art can start the year off by visiting several of the city’s important venues displaying lively new work:
The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie’s current exhibition, “Curated by Trenton,” is on view through January 22.
For this highly Trenton-specific show, lead curator, photographer, and Artworks Managing Director C.a. Shofed brought together five Trenton-area curators — Lank, Buck Malvo, Heather Palecek, Brass Rabbit, and Habiyb Shu’aib — to mount the show that features work by more than 30 artists.
That includes the following artists based or active in Trenton: Joshua Adair, Alia Bensliman, Bill MF Brown, April Cooper, Kate Eggleston, Will Foskey, Stampy Goblyn, Kate Graves, Sharon Harris, Vee Katz, Will Kinsley, Kyle Lang, Mel Leipzig, Rory Mahon, Buck Malvo, Chris Marinari, Matt “Afromatic” Morton, Léni Pacquet-Morante, Henry Simon, Jim Simon, Marilyn Simon, Tamara Torres, Kelly Vetter, Andrew Wilkinson, and others.
Participating curator and photographer Heather Palecek shares some of the sense of “Curated by Trenton” with the following statement for her portion of the exhibition, “Upcycle/Uplift.”
“Upcycling is the act of taking an object that is no longer in use and repurposing it, giving it a second life. An important aspect of upcycling for me, is that it’s saving an item from being added to a landfill, contributing to our global garbage crisis as well as climate change. ‘Upcycle/Uplift’ features 11 local artists who work with upcycled objects in the creation of their art as either materiality, substrate, tool, or presentation. The environmentalist in me is inspired by their unique and profound manipulation of objects to create works of art that are not only beautiful, but sustainable.
“I’d like to send a message that upcycling materials is a substantial way to better our future and world and uplift these artists as local leaders in this movement. I hope everyone (artists and non-artists alike) will be encouraged to upcycle after experiencing ‘Upcycle/Uplift.’ You may find inspiration from Kelly Vetter, who collects single use plastic bags and utensils to create incredibly intricate and sophisticated animal sculptures, or from Alia Bensliman and Jim Simon, who incorporate old magazines into their sculptural and 2D works. Or maybe take inspiration from Kyle Lang, who uses glass from old picture frames as his photographic substrate for darkroom experimentation, and Sharon Harris, who has turned old tin cans into cameras to create her beautiful portraits. Or from Habiyb Shu’Aib, who has upcycled materials into frames that correspond to the subject matter in his work. This exhibition also features the work of Marilyn Simon and Henry Simon, Tamara Torres, Kate Eggleston, and Will Kinsley.”
“Coming from these 11 artists are diverse styles, subjects, and mediums: a little something for everyone. I’m thrilled to announce that Kate, Will, and Kelly are unveiling works created for and seen for the first time,” Palecek continued.
“Upcycle because you care about the environment. Upcycle to reduce pollution and litter on our streets. Upcycle because it’s fun. Uplift community members, teachers, artists, and friends who are doing good for our world and within our community. And listen to (folk singer and social activist) Pete Seeger’s words: ‘If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled, or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production.’”
The Trenton City Museum, housed in historic Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park, is open to the public Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Free. 609-989-1191 or www.ellarslie.org.
“PANDEMICA: Images of a Potential Future” continues at the Trenton Free Public Library through January 28.
The exhibition coordinated by the Trenton Artists Workshop Association features the work of Addison Vincent, artist and artistic director of Artworks Trenton.
The artist discusses the catalyst for creating the work as follows:
“In a world of increasing population, decreasing resources, and climate change, we are forcing the extinction of species and rapid mutation of viruses. The threat of annihilation for our species is ever present by our advancements, a self-destruction in the name of progress.
“Pandemics are nothing new. They happen every few generations, almost like a check and balance for an exploding population. What made this recent pandemic unique was the rapid pace at which the virus spread. Congestive populations, ease of travel around the world, and a thriving global economy are all part of a pandora’s box that has slowly been opening over the last few centuries. Humans have been a catalyst for the next mass extinction event.
“Imagine if our advancements in science, medicine, and technology didn’t exist. How would this pandemic have played out? It could have become a part of life where we tried to lead a life as normal as we had become accustomed to, while adapting to extraordinary circumstances as we did early in the pandemic. PANDEMICA is a snapshot of what ordinary life could look like in the future. A species trying to go about daily life while adjusting to the ‘new normal.’
“The use of gas masks in these images are a representation of our adaptation to a toxic environment. It’s a symbol of our fragility, our basic life-giving function of breathing needing assistance in a world that we created for ourselves.
“The PANDEMICA series was created early in the pandemic when society halted, sheltered in place, and the future was uncertain. It started as an Instagram project, a way to be creative and stay connected with the world outside of my family unit. Ordinary motions in extraordinary times.
“If we have learned anything from this go-round with a global pandemic, it should be that we need to carefully look at what we are doing to this small rock hurdling through space. Will we have time to adapt to our rapid advancements, or will we be a part of the next mass extinction event?
The Trenton Free Public Library is located at 120 Academy Street, Trenton. Hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 609-392-7188.
The New Jersey Arts Annual at the New Jersey State Museum took on the big task of presenting 127 works by 95 artists recognized by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts by framing the exhibition with the idea of “Reemergence.”
The title is both a nod to the fact that it was the first such venture in two years and an opportunity for the participating artists to address their time during the pandemic and their subsequent return to “an altered landscape” caused by the “ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, political and ideological polarization, and a collective reckoning with systemic racism.”
The works selected by NJSM Assistant Curator of Fine Arts Sarah Vogelman are expert, cover a great variety approaches and mediums, and demonstrate the overall strength of the state’s artistry — an important visual statement for the NJSCA.
Yet important too is the recognition provided to the regional artists who are in the exhibition and whose work may be an introduction to area gallery viewers.
Regionally significant artists include Princeton artists Ricardo Barros, Gay Bitter, Connie Bracci-McIndoe, Judith K. Brodsky, Zenna Broomer, Eileen Hohmuth-Lemonick, Charles McVicker; Lawrenceville’s Barbara Klein, and David Orban and Léni Paquet-Morante in Hamilton.
Since the exhibition provides a flash-like introduction to each of the artists, those unfamiliar with them can find more on the artists through their websites or keep an eye out for these currently active regional artists. But those already familiar with the above will get a chance to see new approaches and work as the artists and arts viewers began to re-emerge in a COVID changed world.
Reemergence, The New Jersey Arts Annual, New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street, Trenton. Through April 30, 2023, Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Free. 609-292-6300 or www.statemuseum.nj.gov.
