Examine NJ's Rivers At Stockton's Art Gallery

GALLOWAY, NJ — The outdoors serves as inspiration for two new exhibits inside Stockton University’s Art Gallery for the spring semester.

In the lower gallery, 16 artists have contributed to “We Are the River: Complex Narratives, Conservation and Committing to New Jersey’s Waterways." The exhibit takes a closer look at each of the major rivers and watersheds in the state, the school announced in a news release.

“The exhibit examines how contemporary artists are inspired by, interact with, and interweave their own stories into the complex history of our New Jersey rivers,” said Exhibition Coordinator Ryann Casey, who curated “We Are the River” with Collections Specialist Allie Wilson. “The exhibition will address the past, present and future of rivers that once brought live but now threaten the very communities they help build.”

The list of participating artists includes Nancy Agati, Milcah Bassel, Michael Chovan-Dalton, Nancy Cohen, Joanie Gagnon San Chirico, Tyrese "Bright Flower" Gould Jacinto, Steve Kuzma, Lauren Rosenthal McManus, Jean Shin, Rebecca Schultz, Brandon Seidler, Lawre Stone, Amanda Thackray, Rachel Blythe Udell, Michael Williamson and Cheryl Patton Wu.

Some of these works are on display for the first time, according to the school.

The upper gallery exhibit is titled “Dwell & Dusk: The Incredible in the Mundane” by Elizabeth Gerdeman and Michael Hahn.

Gerdeman is an American visual artist based in Germany since 2011. She is currently a lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig and exhibition venues for her work include the Hammon Harkins Galleries in Columbus, Ohio, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Leipzig. Michael Hahn is an artist who’s from and currently lives in Leipzig. His work has also been featured in the Museum of Contemporary Art there and in the Spriten Kunsthall in Skien, Norway.

The art gallery will host a “Viewfinders Workshop” with Gerdeman from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 28. Students will create their own viewfinders using paper cutouts and paint, which will then be photographed around campus and installed in the gallery as part of the exhibit. There will also be an artist tour and reception with Gerdeman and Hahn from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on March 5.

Both exhibits run until April 7. The gallery will also host an exhibition of works by senior Bachelor of Fine Arts students from April 21-28 with a reception to meet the artists from 1-3 p.m. on April 21.

The art gallery is open 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Exhibitions and events are free and open to the public; visit stockton.edu/art-gallery for more details or contact Ryann Casey, exhibition coordinator, at Ryann.Casey@stockton.edu.