Gerardo Castro’s portrait by Michael Gabor.

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- New Jersey City University (NJCU) is presenting a Gerardo Castro Memorial Exhibition in the Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery through October 17, 2024. Gerardo Castro (1967 – 2024), an esteemed Afro-Puerto Rican artist, taught various art courses at New Jersey City University over two decades after earning his MFA at Pratt Institute and his BFA at NJCU.

Castro’s artwork illustrated, in his own words, the “multiplicity of the Afro-Caribbean experience by addressing issues of colonization, queer history, ritual performance cultures, and gender.” Using oil painting and mixed media, he created portraits of saints, real and imagined, to honor people of color and promote inclusivity.

His work has been exhibited locally, nationally, and internationally, including in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Spain, and across the U.S. This exhibition is made possible by the cooperation of the Ethan Cohen Gallery which held his solo exhibition last year and Michael Gabor, Castro’s partner and co-founder of the Newburgh Art Supply and Newburgh Open Studios.

There will be a Memorial Gathering on Wednesday, October 9 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.  They invite the public to share their memories of Gerardo Castro. Click here to register for free tickets for the Memorial.

The exhibition is part of the university's Hispanic Heritage Month program. 

For further information, see Gerardo Castro Afroboricua Latin Artist and Chronogram's memoriam.

The Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery is located at Hepburn Hall, Room 323, 2039 Kennedy Blvd. in Jersey City, New Jersey.