Gallery Aferro: Dignity and Beauty Exhibition at Visual Arts Center of NJ

NJCH is a proud sponsor of the exhibition Gallery Aferro: Dignity and Beauty, on display at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey from February 23–May 24, 2024.

Visionary artists and changemakers Evonne M. Davis and Emma Wilcox founded Gallery Aferro in Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood in 2003, then moved downtown three years later to 73 Market Street. Considered the oldest alternative space in New Jersey, Aferro prioritized cultural work engaging with Brick City’s social inequities, economic struggles, and transformative change. In January 2024, after twenty years of supporting art and artists and organizing hundreds of innovative exhibitions, residencies, and community-engagement and educational programs, Davis and Wilcox have announced the closing of their ambitious enterprise.

To honor Gallery Aferro’s twenty-year legacy, this exhibition brings together artworks by a select group of alumni from the fellowship programs that served specific cohorts with financial support, studio space, and exhibition opportunities. Within this progressive, creative community, the Lynn and John Kearney Fellowship for Equity was awarded to women of color, while the Sustainable Arts Fellowship was given to artists who are parents. The alumni represented here are Katrina Bello, Anjali Benjamin-Webb, Ruth Borgenicht, Amy Faris, Krystle Lemonias, kara lynch, Bud McNichol, Lisette Morel, and Steve Rossi.

To learn more about the exhibition, admission, and hours, and to view select digital pieces, please visit artscenternj.com.