(MONTCLAIR, NJ) --  Studio Montclair presents “Mujeres del 2021” on exhibit from January 14 through February 19 at Studio Montclair Gallery. The exhibit, featuring the artwork of 34 artists, celebrates the strength and resilience of women who have toiled tirelessly to hold their families and communities together during the Covid pandemic. The gallery is open by appointment only via their website, studiomontclair.org.

According to curator Bisa Wendy Washington, “Throughout this ‘Season of Pandemic,’ women have been ‘holding it down.’ “ They have been “standing up for truth and healing for their families and communities.” Mujeres del 2021 calls attention to our “mothers, grandmothers, sisters, wives, and aunties, who never give up! A Luta Continua – the struggle continues as our mujeres struggle, sacrifice, and thrive for the beloved community.” 

The exhibit is enriched by an international collection of dolls, masks, and figurines from the collection of A.K. Mtume.  Participating Artists include: Judyann Affronti, Emily Barnett, Shirley Parker Benjamin, Carol Black-Lemon, Eleanor Blanchard, Cathleen McCoy Bristol, Rodriguez Calero, Marina Carreira, Alison Deas, David Derr, Sanford Drob, Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Maria Estrela, Gladys Barker Grauer (1923-2019), Kate Griffin, Beverly Heath, William Jones IV, Alex Katsenelinboigen, Yasmin Lerner Sivan, Erica Rose Levine, Jo-el Lopez, Manuel Macarrulla, Cassandra Martin, Stephen J. McKenzie, Russell A. Murray (1950 – 2009), Mansa K. Mussa, Leslie Nobler, Yvonne Onque, Sylvia Padilla, Onnie Strother, Nette Forne` Thomas, Peter Tilgner, Denise Toney, Gwendolyn Verner, and Linda Vonderschmidt-LaStella.

Viewers will be able to purchase artwork from Studio Montclair’s online gallery during the exhibit through studiomontclair.online. 

About the Curator: Bisa Wendy Washington is a Newark, NJ-based artist whose work is in both national and international collections. Bisa’s work hovers at the crossroads between the synthetic and the organic. Her mixed-media works combine historical, political, and religious traditions of the African diaspora to form what she calls “sculptural statements, visual narratives, and shrines for contemporary rituals.” Her work is inspired by and dedicated to ancestral spirits and modern African-American cultural icons transforming ordinary objects into objects of power.

There will be a closing reception open to the public on Saturday, February 19 from 2:00pm-4:00pm.

Studio Montclair Gallery is located at 127 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey. Gallery Hours: Open by appointment only. Make an appointment on their website.

Studio Montclair is an inclusive, nationwide non-profit organization of exhibiting, professional, and emerging artists and others interested in the visual arts. The mission of the organization is to promote culture, education, equality, and tolerance through art. Studio Montclair is committed to diversity at every level. Founded in 1997, the organization includes over 500 members.

IMAGES FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: William Jones IV:  Spiritual Priestess, Digital (mixed media); Antoinette Ellis-Williams:  God's Eyes, Digital collage and Nette Forné Thomas:  Speaking OUT, Breaking OUT, Graphite drawing on vellum with incised acetate overlay; Alex Katsenelinboigen:  Mother, Oil on Canvas;  Antoinette Ellis-Williams:  God's Eyes, Digital collage and Marina Carreira:  Claude with Butterfly Dress, Mixed Media.