emergeNEXT

emergeNEXT and Windows on Market Street is a collaboration between Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art and Gallery Aferro, Newark

October 10, 2014–January 1, 2015
Opening Reception: October 10, 2014, 7–10pm, 77 Market Street

Mary Valverde
Triumph (not televised), an installation
Curator: Jaishri Abichandani

Jayson Keeling
Protect Me From All the Measures They Take In Order to Protect Me,
an installation
Curator: Kalia Brooks

Gallery Aferro
73 Market Street, Newark, NJ 07102
p. 973 353-9533 f. 862 902-1684
e. info@aferro.org www.aferro.org

Aljira Emerge Fellow (2006) Mary A. Valverde was born in Queens, NY and is an interdisciplinary artist and professor based in New York. Valverde received her MFA at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012 and her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 1999. Valverde is currently the 2014 Thomas Hunter Ceramics Artist in Residence and a 2007 artist in residence at the Artists Alliance, NYC. She has exhibited her work at the New Jersey State Museum, El Museo del Barrio, The Queens Museum of Art, Momenta Gallery, Saltworks Gallery, Corridor Gallery, Rush Arts Gallery, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Bronx River Arts, Abrons Art Center, Cuchifritos Gallery, Tribes Gallery, among others. Valverde has also contributed to various projects through the BASE collective and Couturemonials.

Aljira Emerge Fellow (2006) Jayson Keeling was born in Brooklyn, NY and attended The Fashion Institute of Technology. He lives and works in Long Island City, Queens. For most of his career Keeling worked almost exclusively in the medium of photography, but recently he has begun to explore painting, video and sculpture as well. His work has been featured in many exhibitions including; 30 Seconds Off an Inch, The Studio Museum in Harlem, NYC; Behind The Green Door (solo), The Abrons Art Center Henry Street Settlement, NYC (2009); 99 and 44/100% Pure (solo), Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT (2009); The Queens International 4, The Queens Museum of Art, Queens, NY. His residencies include, The Apex Art Out-Bound Travel Residency to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2009), The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Swing Space Residency (2009) and Workspace Residency (2007-8), The Bronx Museum’s AIM 27 (2006) and Aljira Emerge 8 (2006).

About EmergeNEXT
EmergeNEXT is an initiative to continue engaging with Emerge (link to Emerge page) fellows by offering advanced professional development opportunities, continued career guidance and solo project space to Emerge fellows further along in their careers. The EmergeNEXT exhibition opportunity is conceptualized as a project room without a formal curatorial role and serves to recognize and showcase the progress and development of Emerge fellows as artists.

About emergeNEXT: Windows on Market
EmergeNEXT: Windows on Market is a collaborative series developed with Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art and Gallery Aferro. Previous Fellows from Aljira’s Emerge Program are chosen by a guest curator to develop new work that activate the unique private / public storefront window spaces on Market Street. Each artist is encouraged to explore the idea of INSIDE OUT | OUTSIDE IN or propose something altogether new.

About Activate: Market Street
Gallery Aferro’s “Activate: Market Street,” is a new, year-round public art project transforming hundreds of linear feet of vacant storefront windows in Newark’s historic downtown district. Storefronts owned by RBH Group on Market Street between Washington and University Streets are activated with installations, films, animation, neon sculptures, kinetic and interactive art, and performative public programming from local, national and international artists. Supported by RBH Group, and created by Gallery Aferro, the project delivers arresting, unexpected, and highly memorable experiences with contemporary art directly to the public, whether residents, students, workers or first-time visitors.