Art Galleries

Curator’s Statement:

It is an honor and a privilege to have this opportunity to curate the MPAC exhibition for Art in the Artium for the annual Black History Month Celebration at the Morristown Performing Arts Center. I am elated to bring together several of the most exciting, trailblazing, and thought-provoking Artists, whose work inspires and engages as well as spark deep reflection and empowerment.

Mr. Craig was moved to call the exhibition Black Joy with his declaration that it is more important than ever for us to find our joy. It is time for Black people to be steadfast in finding joy, be joyous and expressing our joyfulness. What’s the old adage: “We laugh so we don’t cry.” We also find joy so we won’t perish. We may be facing, in a not-so-distant future, things that will challenge us on a multitude of levels, but the one thing that Black people have always had is the ability to be is resilient and determined, and using these abilities to find our joy.

The array of Artists selected for the Black Joy exhibition expresses the many, many aspects of our Blackness – history, achievements, and creativity.  During this time of recognizing and celebrating our oneness we find how varied we are – we are not one-dimensional. We express ourselves in a multitude of ways that is freeing and offering a means of connecting at the same time.

Simply take a look at the artistry of each Artist in the Black Joy exhibition to feel their unique passion, their history and their joy, and it is easy to see what makes them who they are, as well as the artwork they create. Starting with Serron Green, who brings his bold and unmistakable statements of pride through complex imagery, as evident in his smoldering piece titled Black Joy, telling us not to hold back in putting our joy on display. Meclina Gomes expresses the beauty and grace that we reveal on the outside as well as from the inside. She reminds us to show and share our love for ourselves and for one another. Kwesi Kwarteng is the vessel to our roots through his abstract art using culturally significant fabrics, where we see how he speaks to the journeys of the diaspora. In contrast, Therez Fleetwood takes her talent as an accomplished fashion designer to undeniably channel the spirits of the great Harlem Renaissance Artists in the coats of her Harlem Renaissance Revival Collection. And Radisha James, whose piece, Explosive Radiance, chosen as the icon piece for the exhibition, is a breathtaking example of her creativity. Without a doubt, her ability to capture movement with a spectrum of unapologetic bold colors is transformative.

I hope that every person who sees this exhibition will learn from, connect with, and feel the joy – the Black Joy in the artwork from these extraordinary Artists.

~ Wanda R. Croudy