(NEWARK, NJ) -- Just a few short days after the summer solstice, Gallery Aferro will welcome its first group shows to the ever-evolving creative space in over two years. Building on the success of their winter and spring presentations, the Saturday, June 25th opening reception will showcase works from more than 85 artists across three new exhibitions. All shows on exhibition run from June 25 to August 5.

The sunny season usually brings with it brighter days, exhilarating nights, and the desire to break free, stand proud, and be heard like never before. And for many reasons, that seems to ring especially true this year. Not since early 2020 has Aferro invited so many artists to share their voices, media and message within Newark’s oldest artist-run gallery. 

Tell Me More About Yourself (Self-Portraits and Other Autobiographical Endeavors) is an exhibition that will focus on both old and new interpretations of society’s perennial favorite: the self-portrait. Featured in the Main Gallery, 71 artists offer a glimpse into their true form as they present themselves as objects, rooms, concepts, movements, emotions, beliefs, experiences and journeys. Some are quite literal; others, embrace the abstract, but all while capturing their most authentic selves.

In the Memorial Gallery, curator Lisette Morel guides the exhibition Flow into Newark’s thriving art scene to herald one of the oldest coast-to-coast Latinx art movements of the 21st-century, the Neo-Latino Collective. The international, multigenerational organization brings 15 artists into an intimate space to share their individual and collective narratives in this challenging and surreal time. The exhibition will also pay tribute to the late Raúl Villarreal, who in 2003 gifted the group with their beloved name. 

Not to be outdone, music lovers can delight their ears along with their eyes as they step inside a vintage, early-1900s Otis Elevator to hear Aferro’s latest sound exhibition, Elevator Music 9: Jeffrey Cobbold. Inspired by his autobiographical experiences, Cobbold’s work acts as a digital storyteller, conveying events of his life through journal entries, posters, and other text-based works channeled once more through the practice of music. The New Jersey native offers listeners an experience unlike any other, a perfect complement to a summer that promises to be unlike any other. 

The free, all-ages opening reception on June 25 is scheduled from 6:00pm-9:00pm and will serve refreshments. Masks will be required at all times, except when eating and drinking.  

Gallery Aferro is a platform for the exchange of ideas in service of advancing human dignity and beauty, with a focus on visual arts as the vehicle, proudly located at 73 Market Street in Newark, New Jersey.