Upcoming Exhibition at The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster

March 23, 2012 - PRLog -- The Center for Contemporary Art and Gallery Aferro are excited to present Through You Into Action, a major multi-site exhibition and accompanying publication of the same name, commemorating the first 5 years of Gallery Aferro’s award-winning studio residency program. The publication will be available for sale on site at each venue starting April 16. The exhibitions, curated by gallery co-founders Evonne M. Davis and Emma Wilcox, present an expansive and highly diverse cross-section of contemporary art practice, encompassing sculpture, printmaking, painting, installation, video and performance by 30 alumni of the program, which takes place in Gallery Aferro’s 20,000 sq ft building.

Connecting Bedminster (Somerset County) and Newark (Essex County) and featuring site-specific installations, Through You Into Action presents the artistic vibrancy of the region, and the important role that workspace programs and art centers play in placemaking and the free exchange of ideas.

Exhibiting artists: Anonda Bell, Katrina Bello, Gianluca Bianchino, Patricia Cazorla, Marcy Chevali, Lane Cooper, Kevin Darmanie, Don Edler, Dahlia Elsayed, Nadja Frank, Jerry Gant, Tai Hwa Goh, Hiroshi Kumagai, Norene Leddy, Ann LePore, Caroline Mak, Vikki Michalios, Margaret Murphy, Kathryn Okeson, Alison Owen, Peter Owen, Nell Painter, Ryan Roa, Steve Rossi, Iyrs Schenker, Ryan Schroeder, Jomar Statkun, Barbara Wallace, Ken Weathersby, Sara Wolfe

The residency program brings together 10-12 local, national and international artists each year to work on ambitious projects. Each artist receives 24/7 access to a large studio, career support, studio visits from curators, the opportunity to participate in public events such as artist talks and open studios, a culminating solo exhibition, inclusion in a publication and the chance to document their experiences on the studio blog. With an ever-expanding alumni network of almost 60 artists, there are ongoing opportunities for collaboration and fellowship.

Gallery Aferro and the Center for Contemporary Art are both creative hubs where art is not only shown but made. The exhibitions as well as the accompanying publication allow the public to learn much about process: how and why each piece was conceived, worked upon, and fully realized. The fully illustrated catalog, No. 19 in Gallery Aferro’s publication line of artist books, catalogs, essays and sound art CD’s, features writing from each artist illuminating their concepts as well as their experiences in the program.

Over the past five years, artists from NJ as well as nationwide have written about the program’s signature mix of convivial community and necessary solitude. Kate Okeson writes, “My time at Gallery Aferro afforded me physical and psychological space in which to lay out ideas - end to end - so as to see what kind of real estate my ideas had. I had the ability to be an observer of other artists' processes, and by watching their progression; I was able to draw some conclusions about paths taken in the process of artmaking. I formulated a wider view of myself as an artmaker.” Now, we invite the public to formulate this wider view of artmaking!

The Center for Contemporary Art is a vital regional art center with a comprehensive studio art program, professional exhibition program and important community outreach component. The mission of The Center is to provide a vibrant, contemporary cultural center through arts education, exhibitions and community outreach that will inspire creativity and enhance people’s lives.

The mission of Gallery Aferro is to bring cultural education and esthetic engagement with contemporary issues to all people equally, and to create an environment where artists can gather and share physical and intellectual resources. Gallery Aferro currently offers annual on- and off-site exhibitions featuring local, national and international artists, a wide range of public events including talks, screenings and workshops, a year-round residency program, an expanding array of educational offerings and a publication line.

The Center for Contemporary Art is located at 2020 Burnt Mills Road in Bedminster, N.J.
Gallery hours are Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. & Thursday evenings until 8:00 p.m. Friday & Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Closed Sundays and major holidays.

"Through You Into Action runs from April 16 through June 9, 2012. A public opening reception will take place on Saturday, April 21st from 6-8 p.m.

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The Center for Contemporary Art (formerly known as the Somerset Art Association) is a vital regional art center with a comprehensive studio art school, professional exhibition program and important community outreach component.