Several recent gallery openings have provided some occasions for telling, showing, and reflecting.
The Trenton City Museum recently opened “Fast Forward to 40,” an exhibition featuring the purchased award works the museum society has acquired during past iterations of the annual curated exhibition, the Ellarslie Open – Ellarslie, by the way, is the name of the historic Cadwalader Park mansion where the museum in housed.
The works now part of the TCM’s permanent collection are by a roster of prominent regional artists including Gail Bracegirdle, Chee Bravo, Larry Chestnut, Trudy Glucksberg, Justin Jedrzcjczyk, Joe Kazimierczyk, Paul Matthews, Mary McKay, Charles McVicker, Paul Mordetsky, Dallas Piotrowski, Janet Purcell, Louis Russomanno, Jack Turkel, Gloria Wiernik, Mary Yess, and others.
During the exhibition’s recent opening, “Fast Forward” curator and Trenton Museum Society trustee Carol Hill was busy telling visitors the following about the exhibition and the history of the Trenton City Museum:
“This is a gathering of old friends — artist friends — and artwork that I remember when it was added it to our collection … and it makes me smile, like greeting an old friend.
“As we make plans for our 50th anniversary of the museum society, it is a joy to bring out this work and enjoy it again as we look forward to what we will celebrate in Ellarslie Open 40.”
“As we look back, I want to thank (regional artist, former museum board member, and first president of the Trenton Artists Workshop Association) Mary Yess, who visualized giving local artists the opportunity to show their work in this newly opened venue in Cadwalader Park.
“Take a look at the 40-year timeline in the Malloy gallery. When I look at the artists in the first Ellarslie Open there were many familiar names: Bob Sakson, Mel Leipzig, Larry Chestnut, Richard Gerster, and Mary Yess just to mention a few who still participate today.
“However, we need for you to add your memories of the Ellarslie Open that you participated in or have memories of, to complete our timeline. As you know we have been many ups and downs over the years, when the city shut us down and that became the not-quite-Ellarslie-open exhibit, and so many artists and supporters stepped up to keep the museum open.”
“And when COVID closed our doors for two years, you (artists) were responsible for keeping us going with generous donations to sustain us thru the shut-down — with the help of our trustees and volunteers who worked tirelessly to get us through the pandemic.
“Many of those volunteers are still plugging along as we go for 40. Debbie Gorczycki and Sarah Unger were invaluable as we search for all of the artwork and news clippings. Several pieces were on loan to city hall that we had to retrieve. Carla Sakson and Eileen Baldwin helped hang this exhibit as they have with so many other shows.
“I would be remiss without mentioning Carolyn and Joan. Carolyn Stetson was on the board for years before moving to Colorado. (She and I) co-curated the Ellarslie Open for nearly 10 years and were responsible for selecting much of this collection. Joan Perkes stepped up to fill the top position as president and has led us through COVID and other crises.
“As (Yess’) dream came to fruition, the collection committee decided we should not only give awards for the Ellarslie Open, but purchase art from artists to add to our collection.
“(And) about 20 years ago we selected a broad spectrum of artists’ styles and media and created an award in honor of Ben Whitmire, our first real director, for emerging artists. This exhibit is all about that.”
And as shown from the viewing, this exhibition shows off a hidden gem of a regional collection and certainly something to take in on a quiet weekend afternoon.
Fast Forward to 40, Trenton City Museum, Cadwalader Park, Trenton. On view through Sunday, June 11, Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Free. 609-989-1191 or www.ellarslie.org.
Trenton-based artist Tamara Torres took her recent series of paintings that she created mainly at her studio at Artworks Trenton for exhibition at the Akwaaba Gallery in Newark.
While out of the immediate area, Torres’ exhibition, “Light In Darkness,” has significance to her home town and reflects a sustained spiritual journey the artist experienced during our recent era — when our times were challenged by COVID and civic unrest.
In her introduction to Torres’ work, curator and gallery owner Laura Bonas Palmer tells readers that “’Light In Darkness’ is a collection of abstract paintings that evoke feelings of desolation, hope, comfort, epiphany and spirituality.
“‘I call them emotional landscapes because it’s unspoken darkness, things that aren’t talked about, and glimpses of light, moments of hope and shine,’ said Torres, a self-taught artist based in Trenton. ‘That’s what I want people to get from these paintings — to see something new, a place they can swim in and hide. I want people who feel lost to see the light in the painting, to find that within themselves.’
“Many paintings from the ‘Light Within Darkness’ collection feature cavernous fields of darkness shot through with luminosity. Small human forms that Torres calls ‘shadow people’ are often half-obscured.
“‘They are unspoken, forgotten, these angels we have in our lives. They’re not here, but they make themselves seen,’ explained Torres, who has exhibited her work both locally and internationally.
“Several paintings are interspersed with images of the cross. ‘It’s a reminder that there’s something greater, something bigger than all of us that we can see and have and a peace with,’ she says. ‘It’s a symbol of forgiveness, forgiving yourself, forgiving others.’
“Torres’ paintings-especially her color palette of pinks, purples, yellows and turquoise-draw from her Afro-Caribbean heritage as the daughter of Puerto Rican parents who came to the U.S. before she was born. The struggles and sense of loss she witnessed and experienced during her youth in Trenton are also a source of inspiration.
“’A lot of people I grew up with, a lot of them didn’t make it or ended up in jail or passed away,” said Torres. “I could have easily been a statistic so many times in my life.’
“The pieces in the exhibition are mostly oil and acrylic paintings on cotton canvas and created within the past three years, with many influenced by the fear and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. They range in size, with the largest measuring 6 feet by 6 feet.
“Torres, who has worked on many community-based art programs, has exhibited her paintings in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Europe. She has been painting for more than 10 years and began her career in visual arts as a photographer. Later, she used her images as a basis for collage.”
Meanwhile, a visitor to the gallery will have no need of any of the above. The talent is evident, and the works have a presence that slowly engages the viewer — and say a lot without speaking a word.
Light In Darkness, artwork by Tamara Torres, Akwaaba Gallery, 509 South Orange Avenue, Newark. On view through June 17, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 917-260-9122 or akwaabagallery.com.
