(HAMILTON, NJ) -- Two Artist Led, Community Driven exhibitions focused on storytelling from the individual and community perspectives are entering their final weeks and will close on January 7, 2024. The exhibitions, now on view in Grounds For Sculpture's Domestic Arts Building, were developed to highlight and deepen relationships in New Jersey, specifically with the Indian and Trenton communities.
Local Voices: Memories, Stories, and Portraits provides a multi-faceted look at the Indian community in New Jersey through first-person narratives, portraits and objects and was created in partnership with artist, teacher, and journalist Madhusmita Bora. The second exhibition, Spiral Q: The Parade, focuses on the locally and nationally recognized puppet-making organization, Spiral Q, with its rich history of take it to the street advocacy processions for social and political change.
“Grounds For Sculpture is taking on new levels of engagement with our audiences as we organize Artist Led, Community Driven exhibitions to deepen our understanding of how we—as artists, individuals, and communities—reflect on our world and respond to the subjects and issues of today,” said Gary Garrido Schneider, Executive Director of Grounds For Sculpture. “We remain committed to engaging and challenging visitors of all ages and backgrounds with exhibitions and collections that present the work of contemporary artists through sculpture, while developing greater understanding of our audiences through storytelling and listening to the voices of the communities around us.”
Kathleen Ogilvie Greene, Chief Audience Officer at Grounds For Sculpture and lead curator of both exhibitions, added, “Both Madhu Bora and Spiral Q have been amazing partners, and it’s been a pleasure to present two distinct, yet connected, paths to storytelling: the individual narratives within one exhibition and the collective voice of a community in the other. I’ve been delighted to work on both shows with co-curator Quentin Williams, who brough his expertise as a curator, activist, and poet to the team.”
Grounds for Sculpture is located at 80 Sculptors Way in Hamilton, New Jersey. Outdoors, nearly 300 contemporary sculptures are sited across 42 landscaped acres. Indoors, temporary exhibitions from established and emerging artists are featured in six galleries. Engaging and educational programs for all ages are offered year-round, and may include lectures from top minds, hands-on workshops, tours, concerts, and performances.
Grounds For Sculpture was founded by artist and philanthropist Seward Johnson. It opened in 1992 on the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds and was a natural extension of its predecessor, The Johnson Atelier. Hundreds of artists studied and produced work at the Atelier, and Johnson saw the potential of the neighboring bygone fairgrounds as a place where artwork could be sited within the landscape, and visitors could delight in discovering contemporary sculpture. More than 700 artists have had their work on view here. The collection contains sculpture by 150 artists, including Clement Meadmore, Anthony Caro, Beverly Pepper, Kiki Smith, George Segal, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Isaac Witkin, Joyce J. Scott, Willie Cole, and founder Seward Johnson. Many sculptors attribute their roots here, and each year, more artists are offered the unique opportunity to create new site-specific work for the galleries or outdoors.
Local Voices: Memories, Stories, and Portraits and Spiral Q: The Parade is made possible by major support from Marjorie Ogilvie and Miller Parker (PNAA Foundation) and The Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation. Additional generous support is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Brooke Barrie Art Fund, Drs. Umesh and Sunanda Gaur, Holman, NRG Energy, and PSE&G. Support is provided in part by the Atlantic Foundation, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel & Tourism, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.
Photos: Bruce M. White; Katayun K. Kapadia photographed by Erica Lee, 2023, fabric banner; Faravahar figurine and pin Courtesy of Katayun K. Kapadia; Installation view of Spiral Q: The Parade featuring the Make Your Own Protest Sign maker space, all objects Courtesy of Spiral Q
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