Emily Barnett’s ‘I Can’t Breathe #2’
MONTCLAIR, NJ — Studio Montclair — still going strong despite the obstacles of COVID-19 — has announced one of its largest and most distinguished exhibits, the 24th annual open juried exhibition “ViewPoints 2021.” It will run from April 23 through May 28 at Studio Montclair Gallery, 127 Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair. There will be a Zoom reception on Saturday, April 24, at 7 p.m., during which time cash awards will be presented. An in-person opening reception — with COVID-19 precautions — will take place on Sunday, April 25, from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
This year’s exhibit features 46 works selected from more than 800 submitted pieces. They reflect a vast range of mediums, materials, subject matter and themes, but above all they comment on the difficulties faced during this singular year.
“Many works were executed with the skill and sensitivity of trained eyes and hands,” juror Eleanna Anagnos said. “While nearly perfect, these were not always the works I chose. I chose artwork that either spoke to the difficulties we are facing right now with social distancing, loneliness, homelife, or the inequities and discriminatory practices of racial profiling, which have become increasingly more evident.”
Other works selected by Anagnos are distinctive due to their breaking of conventions within an art historical context. Among them are a pair of photographs that “read” as paintings, and a pair of Brutalist-inspired sculptures that defy expectations with their small stature and use of vivid color. Anagnos said that some “work I chose exhibited artists with promise and potential. My aim is to encourage these artists by including them in this exhibition.”
Participating artists are Charlene Avery, Roxanne Baechler, Emily Barnett, Meaghan Bates, Amy Becker, Tina Bernstein, Martin Brief, Marieken Cochius, Michael Connors, Darby Dawid, Billy Dietz, Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Adam Erlbaum, Eva Marie Fitzsimmons, Bennett Gewirtz, Allan Gorman, John Gummere, Linda Brooks Hirschman, Valerie Huhn, Gerald Hushlak, Erin Karp, Robin Keller, Shoshana Kertesz, Ann Kraus, Paula Marino, Bud McNichol, Ruth Bauer Neustadter, Arianne Petersen, Marisa Picardo, John Power, Jack Quinn, Akil Roper, Rebecca Lea Rosenheck, Theda Sandiford, Mark Sengbusch, Francisco Silva, Stephen Spiller, Peter Tilgner, Rhonda Urdang, Miroslav Vrzala, Emily Woo and Harold Zabady.
Gallery hours are by appointment only on SMI’s website. Visit www.studiomontclair.org for more information.
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