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THE GATEWAY PROJECT
PRESENTS INAUGURAL EXHIBITION
COLOR POLEMICS
Opening Reception
Thursday, April 30th
from 6-9PM
Gateway Center, Newark NJ, 07102
NEWARK, NJ (March
31st, 2015) The Gateway Project Gallery is pleased to announce the opening
of Color
Polemics: Unpacking the Movement Towards Racial Equality and Identity in
America, the inaugural exhibition in the new gallery space. Color Polemics will open at the Gateway
Project Gallery at 2, Gateway Center, Newark NJ, 07102, on April 30th, 2015,
from 6 9 PM.
Color Polemics: Unpacking the Movement Towards Racial Equality and
Identity in America is an exhibition inspired by two important works
from American art history: Norman Rockwell’s commemorative painting of Ruby
Bridges, The Problem We All Live With (1964),
and Jacob Lawrence’s The Great Migration
series (1940-1941). Dating two periods in both the pre and post period of
racial desegregation, these works illustrate a shift in American race relations
and set the stage for a larger progressive commentary on the subject.
Color Polemics
deals with similar issues of sociocultural integration within today’s society
across the United States. Works in the exhibition examine both the fricticious
discord and harmonious outcomes of racial politics in the United States. Too
often exhibitions that address issues of racial politics focus on the
negativity fallouts of the issue; this exhibition, by contrast, takes a
nonpartisan stance and tries to examine all aspects of the issue.
Color Polemics features some of the greatest cultural practitioners
in American art. Participating artists for the exhibition are: Ayad Alkadhi,
Chiraag Bhakta/ *Pardon My Hindi, David Antonio Cruz, Derrick Adams, Hank
Willis Thomas, Himanshu Suri, JC Lenochan, Kameelah Rasheed, Kara Walker, Laura Kina, Lunar New Year, Mark Hewko, Nick Kline, Nina Chanel Abney, Nyugen Smith,
Richard Barnes, Tomie Arai, Travis Somerville.
This exhibition is part of a larger four part exhibition
series called Visualizing OUR Americana that explores contemporary social
issues through a critical visual lense. The exhibition does not include
“artifacts,” instead it presents contemporary work that explore the larger
themes pertaining to the larger concept of American culture. Each exhibition is
inspired by a popular work of art from American Art History that have
effectively become works of “Americana” in and of themselves. The purpose of
the series is not only to examine these issues, but also to highlight the
positive aspects of diversity that directly correlate with each topic. Other
exhibitions in the series, slated to appear in Fall 2015, Spring 2016, and Fall
2016, address issues such as female empowerment, urbanity, and LGBTQIA
equality. Each exhibition is inspired by a seminal artist or piece from
American art history that changed the landscape of both art and social activism.
The Gateway Project is a multifaceted arts hub that houses
artist studios, artist workshops, a gallery space, and a residency program. The
Gateway Project Gallery & Residency program is a nonprofit arm of the larger
program, and is run by Project For Empty Space, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to socially engaging, multidisciplinary art exhibitions and
programming that encourage social dialogue, education, and systemic change for
cultural tolerance. The Gateway Project facilities are located in Downtown
Newark, NJ, in the Gateway 2 Center, adjacent to Newark Pennsylvania Station.
The Gateway Project
Two Gateway Center, Newark, NJ 07102
