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Description
The curator Atim Annette Oton of Calabar Gallery will moderate the second panel discussion in conjunction with the current exhibition, Latin American Artists: Dreams and Possibilities / Artistas de Latinoamérica Sueños y Posibilidades at NJCU Galleries until November 15th. The artist presenters will be: Natali Bravo-Barbee (Argentina/NY); Vanezza Cruz (Dominican Republic/NY); Ray Arcadio (Dominican Republic/NJ; NJCU alum); and João (Juno) Zago (Brazil/Newark, NJ). In this panel they will discuss their individual works and how gender, image, and symbolism played a role in their creative process. About the Curator
About the Artists Natali Bravo-Barbee Natali Sabina Bravo-Barbee (born, Córdoba, Argentina) creates works that bridge the boundaries of photography and installation sculpture. Bravo-Barbee continues to document the world around her via photography, as she has since the age of fifteen. She incorporates alternative processes such as cyanotype into her practice to explore the range of what is possible within her image-based practice. The artist merges the personal with the political in her practice. She uncovers lived memories of her family's flight from Argentina in her childhood while simultaneously investigating postcolonial and feminist topics. Bravo-Barbee holds an MFA from City College, CUNY and a BA, Studio Art from Hunter College, CUNY. She lives and works in Queens, New York and actively participates on the steering committee of the Southeast Queens Artist Alliance (SEQAA). Her works have been exhibited at York College Fine Art Gallery, Mattatuck Museum, Flushing Townhall, Queens Botanical Garden and Light Art Space. My installation artwork exists at the intersection of photography and sculpture. This hybridity of forms aligns with nostalgic and playful currents running through my practice. My work also carefully considers texture, as texture triggers powerful memories in my work. This texture is an integral trigger for self-determined identity, stemming from geographical and political situations and rooted in personal histories. Cyanotypes created using relics from my own personal history make two-dimensional records of three-dimensional objects, embedding the legacy of the object into the two-dimensional representation. My work in instant photography also takes the immediacy of the moment as a fabric for interpreting our environments. Instant photography can alleviate the feeling of longing for a finished product, the latent image revealing itself in mere seconds. Vanezza Cruz Born and raised in the Bronx to Dominican parents, Vanezza's upbringing was always rich in color, pattern and imagination. A mixed media artist, graphic designer and with an early education in fine arts and music (cello), she graduated Cum Laude from FIT with a BFA in Graphic Design; and thereafter with an MFA in printmaking and painting at Lehman College. Working as a teaching artist, muralist and mixed media artist, she has exhibited her work in group and solo exhibits throughout New York City. Her work explores ideas of body image and beauty, cultural identity, colorism, representations of women of color via her experiences in being a dark skinned AfroLatina. Vanezza's preferred methods of work range from printmaking, painting, illustration, murals, collages, installations and graphic design. Ray Arcadio Ray Arcadio is a New Jersey artist, born in the Dominican Republic. He is known for his InShapeUniverse and Poprox styles. Arcadio's work is about the immigrant mind, identity and the human struggle to truly understand oneself. Ray’s work encompasses masks, symbols, urban and Indigenous markings as well as socio political messages. Whether in the form of superheroes or through his urban stylization referencing his Caribbean roots, Arcadio's work is playful and thought provoking. Ray Arcadio obtained a B.F.A from New Jersey City University in 1991. His background is in graphic design and street art with numerous murals around the east coast accredited to him. He is a founding member of Jersey City's own culture jamming collaborative group Artfux, who were pioneers in street art. Arcadio has exhibited extensively around the United States and has appeared in various newspapers, magazines and television shows. Among his solo shows he has also participated in numerous group shows throughout New York and New Jersey, and was chosen one of 30 artists to represent the state in the "The Visual Imaginary of Latinas/os in New Jersey," sponsored by Rutgers University’s Center for Latinos Arts and Culture. Arcadio’s work is in various private collections including the Jersey City Museum in Jersey City, NJ,The Museum of Modern Religious Art at the University of St. Louis in St. Louis, MO and the Museo Moderno de Arte, Santo Domingo, RD. João (Juno) Zago João (Juno) Zago is a queer visual artist working in Newark, NJ. Born in Brazil, Zago came to the US in 2005 where he’s since lived in and around Newark. In 2016 he obtained his BA in Visual Art from Ramapo College of New Jersey. He’s been an artist in residence at Gallery Aferro in Newark, NJ since 2017, and has exhibited at Gallery Aferro, Index Art Center, Equal Space and Akwaaba Gallery all in Newark, NJ, and Catalyst Gallery in Beacon, NY. He has also exhibited at the Newark Museum of Art, Morris Museum in Morris Township, NJ, and the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, NJ. In 2020 he was one of 45 grantees of the Newark Artist Accelerator Fund. In 2023 he stepped into the role of Creative Director at Gallery Aferro. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This is a hybrid event, so please join us either in-person or via Zoom Meeting ID: 940 7228 3719 Passcode: 28494011 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The exhibition is split between two galleries: The Visual Arts Gallery, located on the ground floor of the Visual Arts Building, at 100 Culver Avenue, Jersey City; and The Lemmerman Gallery, located in room 323 of Hepburn Hall, the gothic-style building facing the main gate at 2039 Kennedy Blvd.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and other times can be requested by contacting gallery@njcu.edu or @njcugalleries on Instagram.
Other participating artists for this exhibit are Jacqueline Herranz-Brooks, Alexandra Alvarez, Tenjin Ikeda, Giannina Gutierrez, Sonia Lerebours, Kandy G. Lopez, Maria Lupiañez, Cesar Melgar, Josué Morales Urbina, Dayani Muñoz, Felix Morelo, Estrella Muñoz, Sylvia Padilla, Ann Tirado, Melissa Ulto, and Katherine Miranda.
This exhibition is part of the NJCU Hispanic Heritage Month and is supported by the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies. Upcoming Events Both galleries will be open for Jersey City Artist Studio Tour on October 14, from 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. Items Not Allowed
Food and drinks are prohibited
Additional Information
Visit our website for up-to-date hours and information: njcu.edu/gallery.
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5:00pm to 7:00pm
General Admission: $0.00
All Ages
150 201-200-3246 UPCOMING EVENTS
PAST EVENTS
Wednesday, October 4th
New Jersey City University Past Event
Tuesday, September 26th
Visual Arts Gallery Past Event
Saturday, September 23rd
Margaret Williams Theatre Past Event
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