Announcing: A 9/11 Reflective Art Exhibition

This September 11th marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. We have all felt the effects of that day, individually and collectively, our reactions ranging from a deeply personal emotion to public outcry.

It is my privilege and honor to be a participating artist in the 9/11 art exhibit described below. I hope those of you in the New York metropolitan area will be able to attend and experience this very special showing.

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In recognition of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, New Jersey City University will present “AFTERWARDS and FORWARD: A ten-year 9/11 reflective art exhibition,” a group show featuring works by 18 international artists, including Joel Meyerowitz, Yoko Ono, and Ultra Violet, as well as two works on loan from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

The exhibit will be on display from Monday, August 29 through Tuesday, September 27, in the Visual Arts Gallery, 100 Culver Avenue in Jersey CityAn artists’ reception will be held 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Monday, September 12.

On loan from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum will be Milton Rosa-Ortiz’s “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,” a lightbox with World Trade Center debris, and Werner Pfeiffer’s artist’s book, “Out of the Sky-9/11 a tribute.” Among other works featured in the exhibit will be Mr. Meyerowitz’s “Nov. 12, 2001, 2001 North Tower Shroud in Smoke and Spray,” a photograph from his “Aftermath: Images from Ground Zero, 2001” series; Yoko Ono’s wish tree, and Ultra Violet’s sculpture, “IX XI.”

Exhibiting artists will also include Hugo Bastidas, an NJCU professor of art; Richard A. Buntzen, a 2009 NJCU alumnus; Nemat El-Nasser, Carole A. Feuerman, Ben Jones, NJCU professor emeritus of art; Thierry Palau, Duda Penteado, José Rodeiro, an NJCU professor of art; Herb Rosenberg, NJCU professor and chair of art; Patricia Saxton, Jacqui Taylor-Basker, Raul Villarreal, and Chee Wang Ng. Works by these artists include paintings, collages, prints, sculpture, graphic designs, a film, and an installation.

“AFTERWARDS and FORWARD” considers the implications of the momentous events of 9/11 and endeavors to shed light on a host of prevailing issues about violence in the world and to promote dialogue, deeper reflection, meditation, and contextualization relating to or emerging from the 9/11 disaster.

Works selected for the exhibition include works created in the wake of 9/11 or its ensuing war-on-terror in any medium and works about peace created after 9/11. Three themes are represented in the exhibition: artistic responses to 9/11; artistic responses to the war on terror; artworks to promote peace efforts. Each artist whose work has been selected for the exhibit has demonstrated a strong commitment to anti-war issues throughout his or her career.

The tenth anniversary of 9/11 holds great significance for both Jersey City and New Jersey City University. Jersey City served as the primary staging-area for aid, support, search-rescue, organization, escape, and clean-up. With its uniquely ethnic faculty and student population representing 57 languages, NJCU is a microcosm of the diverse socio-economic populations impacted by the events of 9/11.

Gallery hours are 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and by appointment. For further information call Dr. Midori Yoshimoto, NJCU director of campus galleries, at  (201)200-2197.

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A reminder will be posted as the event draws closer.

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I Love Lucy

An outstanding display of “play”, Google celebrates Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday in one of their now infamous animated google doodles.

google.com's doodle for August 6 let you turn the dial and adjust the volume!

If you’re too young to know “I Love Lucy”, you’ve missed one of the all-time great comediennes. If you’re old enough – enjoy the memories. Thanks Google!

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A Plethora of P's / #32: Play

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”  ~ Plato

Last year I did a post about the importance of play. And I still couldn’t feel more strongly that play is not only important, but essential for health and happiness of mind, body and soul.

Maybe some of you feel the same ~ I know I’m not alone in working long hours, and feeling some of life’s rather large stresses in a big way. Which, although we may not find the time, is all the more reason to make the time for play.

Doesn’t have to be a week-long affair (although a month would suit me fine right about now!); doesn’t even have to be a whole day or whole night. More might be better, but even a little can go a long way. So have a laugh with a friend, skip down the sidewalk, do a cartwheel, toss a ball, make lemonade ice cubes, sing a silly song, bend yourself into a letter of the alphabet … just for the fun of it. No other reason required. Period!

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

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Unplugged

Posting just this once, to tell you we’ve unplugged for a week…

… and to let you know we didn’t forget about this week’s “P” design, which (appropriately) stands for “play!” (proper embellishment will follow…)

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