Opening Reception: Journeys of Interdependence: Portraits of First-Generation Identity in Higher Education

Friday, January 19, 2024 @ 5:00pm

Monmouth University - Pollak Gallery
400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764

The lives and experiences of students, families, faculty and professional staff who identify as first-generation are the subject of increased attention in higher education across the United States. The success of programs, initiatives, and interventions mostly focus on measurable student “outcomes” but may often miss the complicated narratives of aspiration, sacrifice, accomplishment and identity work first-generation students, families, faculty, staff and communities navigate.  Portraiture can make visible the triumphs and challenges of being first in the family in higher educational spaces. This juried exhibition features works that highlight the  first-generation college experience through portraiture and welcomes portraits made in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, printmaking, textiles, video, performance, and time-based media.

Opening Reception: January 19 from 5-7 pm