(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) presents Between Places, an exhibition of paintings and drawings by artist Brian Wall. The exhibition will be on display from March 19 – May 3, 2026.
There are artists who paint what they see. And then there are artists like Brian Wall, who paint how they move through the world.
Between Places spans multiple years of work created across Colorado, Costa Rica, North Carolina, and New Jersey. The exhibition traces Wall’s evolution as a self-taught artist learning to balance instinct with intention.
His earliest ink drawings pulse with intuitive energy. Over time, that spontaneity sharpened rather than softened. The work remains dynamic but increasingly grounded in craft, revealing a productive tension between impulse and control that drives the exhibition.
Each place leaves its imprint. The bold, saturated abstraction of Wall’s early Colorado years gives way to the openness and organic flow that emerge in Costa Rica, where immersion in nature sparks both ease and environmental awareness. In North Carolina, greater planning enters the studio, and themes of connection and isolation begin to surface.
“Most of my newer work has a lot to do with connection and isolation,” Wall explains, “the way that we have so many systems in a city that are completely different, but somehow still work together.”
Later works created in New Jersey grow denser and more industrial, with restrained color and compressed space suggesting pace and pressure.
“In Brian’s work, you can actually see the shift,” notes curator Jeremy Moss. “The early pieces feel like pure momentum. As the years unfold, that energy doesn’t fade; it becomes focused. The spontaneity is still there, but now it’s supported by craft and deliberation.”
Wall’s work has often been compared to M.C. Escher for its shifting geometry and layered perspective. Structures bend and loop, and what first appears abstract begins to reveal glimpses of narrative within the composition.
“A lot of people just want to be comfortable around their art,” Wall reflects. “Other people love being challenged by it. It lights up their brain.”
“Brian challenges you to look twice,” Moss adds. “The first glance is impact. The second glance is discovery. Somewhere between those two moments, you realize the painting has changed, or maybe you have.”
Spanning years and landscapes, Between Places reads like a map of belonging, an exploration of how movement, environment, and experience shape both the artist and the art.
There will be an Opening Reception on Thursday, March 19, from 6:00pm–8:00pm The public is invited to attend the free reception, meet the artist, and experience a collection of works spanning multiple years and locations that have shaped Wall’s evolving artistic practice.
The South Orange Performing Arts Center offers audiences exhilarating and diverse arts entertainment in its intimate venue, serving as the cultural heartbeat of the greater South Orange/Maplewood region and contributing to the economic and social vibrancy of its highly diverse community.
SOPAC is an accessible cultural destination that presents world-class artists in an intimate and welcoming environment. The Jennifer & Tony Leitner Performance Hall is a 439-seat mainstage theatre with superb acoustics, sight lines, and seating. Audiences remark that performances in this space are like having their favorite artists right in their own living room. Artists acknowledge that the atmosphere encourages conversations with audiences. The Loft at SOPAC is a 2,185 square-foot multi-purpose space used for performances, rehearsals, classes, and special events.
The unique architecture of SOPAC’s building, which includes a stunning 3-story glass-enclosed atrium, is also home to the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery. Beyond the building, SOPAC co-produces local events such as South Orange Summer Nights and serves students and schools through its arts education residencies.
SOPAC is invested in arts education. SOPAC serves students and schools in our region through a School Performance Series, performing Arts Residencies, and an annual juried art exhibit entitled INSPIRED MINDS: Young Artist Exhibition. SOPAC also collaborates with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts each year to host the Region 5 Poetry Out Loud competitions. The Seton Hall University Arts Council presents a diverse range of events at SOPAC with seasoned professionals, students, and faculty.
SOPAC opened its doors in 2006, born from a shared vision of the South Orange Village Trustees and Seton Hall University as the centerpiece of an ambitious redevelopment plan. Now celebrating its 20th Anniversary Season, SOPAC continues to serve as a cultural cornerstone for the region — an economic driver for the community and a catalyst for artistic opportunity — while looking ahead to its next chapter of impact and growth.
