Color Polemics opens on April 30th at The Gateway Project

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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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

http://gatewayprojectspaces.com/