Pro Arts Jersey City

PRESS RELEASE: For immediate release

The Empowering: A social justice exhibition

Curated by Danielle Scott

Dates: February 6 – March 21, 2021

Location: ART150 Gallery, 2nd Floor at 150 Bay St. Jersey City, NJ 07302

Unfortunately, there is no elevator access at this time.

By Appointment: Saturdays & Sundays, 1-4PM.

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-empowering-tickets-137705323329

Above L to R: Onnie Struther,  xplorefreedom,  Francisco Silva

Pro Arts Jersey City is excited to announce its inaugural exhibition in their first gallery in 26 years. The Empowering: A social justice show was curated by Danielle Scott featuring sculpture, video, painting, drawing, fiber art, and photography by Pro Arts members and other talented New Jersey artists.

Curator’s Statement: The Empowering was born to help us feel more connected to each other, more hopeful and more human. I wanted viewers to feel our history, all of it and every shade - our pain, our darkness and our light. This exhibition depicts the depths of the artist’s heart, mind, soul and spirit. Art is not always about pretty things. It's about who we are, what happened to us, and how our lives were affected. My vision and selection process came from Nina Simone's quote, "An artist duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times and that is to me the definition of an artist." The Empowering is giving voices to those who have been silenced for far too long. Danielle Scott, January 2021

Participating Artists: Luis Alves, Josephine Barreiro, Donna Bassin, Sy Battle, Mashell Black, Anthony E. Boone, Aaron Boucher, K Brown, Miguel Cardenas, Marina Carreira, Crespo, Gannon Crutcher, Orlando Cuevas, Dorie Dahlberg, Stephanie Daniels, Peter Delman, Stephanie DeManuelle, Derek Jay Dent, Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Michael Endy, Diane English, Jim Fischer, Bennet Gewirtz, Cheryl Gross, Valerie Huhn, Ben Jones, Troy Jones, Deirdre Kennedy, Robert Kosinski, Cheryl Lathan, Kristine Lopez, Mansa K. Mussa, Mary McFerran, Andrea McKenna, Christy E. O'Connor, Kathleen O'Hara, Harold Olejarz, Samad Onque, Suliman Onque, Yvonne Onque, John Piccoli, Paul Edward Pinkman, Carol Quint, Nicole Rivers, Philip A. Robinson Jr., Ruler, Theda Sandiford, Gale Sasson, Julie Marie Seibert, Ameerah Shabazz-Bilal, Francisco Silva, Deb Sinha, Onnie Strother, Brad Terhune, Mollie Thonneson, Peter Tilgner, Charles Trott, Loura van der Meule, Kelly Villalba, Bisa Wendy Washington, Agnieszka Wszolkowska, Judy Wukitsch, xplorefreedom 

Pro Arts Jersey City is a professional visual arts membership organization dedicated to supporting and promoting artists and their work. Please visit our website at www.proartsjerseycity.org for more information. 

Our programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of the State, a partner agency for the National Endowment for the Arts and by Funds from the National Endowment for the arts, administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Thomas A. DeGise, County Executive, and the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Pro Arts is also grateful to GFP Real Estate for the generous donation of gallery space. This contribution will help to further the important work of our organization.