(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Novado Gallery presents "Of Matter and Light," a two-person exhibition featuring the work of Robert Glisson and Brooke Lanier. The exhibition, curated by Anne Novado and Eleazar Sanchez, will be on view from November 8 through December 6, 2025.
"Of Matter and Light" invites viewers into an encounter with elemental forces: the weight of matter and the delicacy of illumination. Through the distinct yet complementary practices of Glisson and Lanier, the exhibition meditates on how substance and atmosphere converge, fracture, or linger in states between presence and evanescence.
There will be an opening reception and Artist Talk on Saturday, November 8, 2025 from 6:00pm-9:00pm.
About the Artists:
Robert Glisson holds a BFA in Studio Art from Cortland State College, with later study in painting and figure drawing at Syracuse University. He has done commissioned work for the Syracuse Chiefs, Stamford Science & Nature Museum, Prometheus Book Publishers.
Robert Glisson's paintings, often begun en plein air and resolved in the studio through memory, pursue atmosphere and emotion rather than literal representation. His works straddle the line between realism and abstraction, dissolving boundaries so that light becomes an active force within the composition rather than a mere illuminant. Color, form, and space are stretched just beyond the familiar, creating inner landscapes that hover between perception and memory.
Brooke Lanier earned her Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Tyler School of Art, where she spent her first year studying in Rome, Italy. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Known for her evocative depictions of water, vessels, and maritime structures, Lanier similarly navigates thresholds of solidity and reflection. Her years of intensive study and appreciation of historic ships has shaped a body of work where form hovers between buoyancy and gravity, between architectural solidity and the impermanence of reflection. Lanier is also recognized for her commitment to maritime heritage, creating paintings that supported the conservancy of the legendary SS United States, and helped to restore the 1901 Portuguese tall ship, the Gazela. In 2022, Lanier was the Gazela's Artist in Residence. Through these works, she bridges art and advocacy, bringing visibility to both the fragility and resilience of cultural memory embodied in the great ship.
Together, Glisson and Lanier create a dialogue of resonance and contrast: landscapes dissolving into atmosphere, architectures dissolving into reflection. Both their works engage optical systems and material residues, guiding the viewer through subtle modulations of tone, weight, and transparency.
The exhibition ultimately proposes that matter is never fixed, and light never inert. Each painting becomes a site where tangibility and radiance coauthor one another, offering us the opportunity to witness not only what is seen, but what is felt.
Novado Gallery is located at 110 Morgan Street in Jersey City, New Jersey. The gallery opened its doors in December 2016. It carries an inventory of artworks on paper & on canvas, and provides a range of art services for corporate and private clients throughout the east coast including art installation, art commissions for specific projects, and museum-quality custom framing. At Novado Gallery, carefully curated programming presents works that encourage dialogue, celebrate the artist’s vision, and challenge conventions. From established to emerging talent, each exhibition in our gallery has been created to resonate with intellectual and emotional depth.
Novado Gallery exhibitions also feature insightful events. Whether it's an artist's talk, a panel discussion, or a gallery tour, ther aim is to bridge the gap between art and its audience, providing a platform for meaningful interaction.
The gallery is located 2 blocks from the downtown waterfront at 110 Morgan Street, in the Modera Lofts, between Washington & Warren Streets. It is minutes by train from the World Trade Center to Grove Street. Ferry service from Manhattan to Harborside or Exchange Place.
