June Cater’s ‘On the Shelf’
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Gallery 1978 remembers its good friend and mentor June Cater, who died this past April 2016, with a new exhibit, “The Head.” She gifted the building, which now houses 1978 Maplewood Arts Center, to the township of Maplewood in 2000. Cater’s legacy lives on and is embodied by this center for the visual arts. This exhibit brings together the artistic expressions and ideas of the tireless volunteer board members, who have met Cater’s challenge of creating a vibrant arts center for the community.
The theme of the exhibition is based on Cater’s installation piece “On the Shelf,” which consists of a number of expressive heads sculpted out of clay, mounted on shelves, measuring more than 11-feet wide. “On the Shelf” still exists and will be the centerpiece of this exhibition. This piece symbolizes the huge amount of undiscovered, “wasted” talent that Cater realized after teaching talented art students from Newark.
The exhibition will feature artists who have been or currently are sitting on the 1978 volunteer board. These artists have created work based on the theme of the exhibition, which is curated by Mikel Frank and Nette Thomas.
There are a number of special events planned the first few days of the exhibition, which the public is invited to attend. The schedule is as follows:
- Friday, July 8, from 7 to 9 p.m. An opening reception with interactive painting sessions with artists and the public. There will be live music, and refreshments will be provided. Children are welcome.
- Saturday, July 9, from 2 to 6 p.m. The Visual Passion Duo — Mikel Frank and Gerard Amsellem — will create a large-scale, multipanel painting dedicated to June Cater.
- Sunday, July 10, from 2 to 5 p.m. Gallery 1978 will be open for viewing and the curators will be hosting an open critique session for local artists who would like to get feedback on their work. High school students who plan to attend art school are especially encouraged to participate.
The exhibit will be on view throughout the summer. To view the exhibit, contact 1978artscenter@gmail.com.
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