Orange resident named curator of SOPAC gallery

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Performing Arts Center recently announced the appointment of Jeremy Moss of Orange as curator for the Herb & Milly Iris Gallery in the arts center. He will be overseeing the strategic direction of the gallery, as well as bringing new exhibits to the South Orange landmark that reflect the mission of the Herb & Milly Iris Gallery: to encourage emerging artists and to bring contemporary art to a broader audience. His first show is “Inside Looking Out,” by Dorothy Anderson Wasserman, running Dec. 15 through Feb. 23.

“Jeremy Moss brings an abundance of riches to this position. His extensive experience, relationships and passion for the arts make him the ideal curator for the Herb & Milly Iris Gallery,” SOPAC Executive Director Mark Packer said in a press release. “We look forward to exciting and thought-provoking works of art enhancing our beautiful building.”

With a resume that reflects his eclectic approach to art, Moss began his career as a photographer eventually working in fashion photography and later expanding into journalism where he shot for Business Week, The New York Times and many others. He began to be more active in painting and fine art, winning many prizes at juried exhibitions and leading to opportunities to expand his experience by becoming an expert art jurist himself.

Moss, who resides in Orange, works in several media including photography, mixed media and painting. His experience as an artist has given him opportunities to organize and curate festivals like the Maplewood Art Walk, and running the art show for the Hat City Street Festival for Valley Arts in Orange.

Working with ValleyArts has broadened his horizons, according to the release. He was the chairperson of the Valley Arts Visual Arts Committee, co-founded Open Orange, one of the region’s largest juried art show, founded Slice of Orange, another local art show, and curated the Firehouse and Orbital Galleries, and was subsequently asked to join the ValleyArts board of directors. He now works as the director of marketing and curation at Valley Arts Inc.

“The opportunity to advance the reputation of the Herb & Milly Iris Gallery as a center of artistic excellence is an exciting prospect,” Moss said in the release. “My vision is to bring diverse, thought provoking and exciting exhibits to SOPAC.”

  SOPAC, Valley Arts