Shop Aljira
A sale of art to benefit Aljira’s exhibitions, public programs, and educational program for youth. Features unique t-shirt designs by EmergeNEXT artists Michael Paul Britto, Brendan Fernandes, Jerry Gant, and Jenny Salomon.

Dreamtime overtones from a fantastic brown planet
Special exhibition of works primarily from Aljira’s temporary collection with a curatorial focus on the color brown. Artists include Pacita Abad, Pablo Agudelo, Keith Anderson, Firelei Baez, Suzanne Bocanegra, Matthew Burcaw, Matthew Fischer, Gerard H. Gaskin, Lennon Jno-Baptiste, Richard Koppe, Russell Murray, Kenya (Robinson), Ryan Roth, Juan Sanchez, Carlos Sandoval de Leon, Ginger Brooks Takahashi, Wahala Temi, Megan Williams and more.

Her Dark Materials by Jenny Salomon
An EmergeNEXT exhibition of hybrid drawings to expose aspects of the emotive self that might normally be concealed.

“I’m thinking of you even when I’m kissing another boy” by Ethan Shoshan
New York-based artist Shoshan presents an intimate collection of objects some art, some ephemera, some gifted, some found each presented with a narrative to bring the inanimate to life. This project includes items given by and/or produced by: Sur Rodney (Sur), Mark Arthur, Betty Bee, Brian Buczak, Albert Choi, Ms Confidence, Andrew D’Angelo, Niilartey D’Osu, Mike Diana, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Flawless Sabrina, Devon Gallegos, Scott Garner, Gelitin, H R Giger, Noam Gonick & Luis Jacob, Bibbe Hansen, Geoffrey Hendricks, David Henshaw, Christian Holstad, Jenny Holzer, Kate Huh, Inbred Hybrid Collective & Les Simpson, Derek Jackson, Geraldine Juárez, Israel Julien, Marek Kukumberg, Glenn Ligon, Tim Loque, Shane Luitjens, Jack Waters & Peter Cramer, Amanda Matles & Jan Baracz, Scott Matthew, Wangechi Mutu, MR NVR.COM, Morgan O’Hara, Rios O’Leary-Tagiuri, Yoko Ono, Carlo Quispe, Michael S, Joshua Safdie, Desi Santiago & David Menkes, Ryan Schneider, Emily Severance, George Spencer, TABBOO!, Christopher Tanner, Gail Thacker, The Yes Men, Paul Thek, Robert Warner, Dennis Weddle, May Wilson, and Sara Wolfe.

Additional Programs

• Live Storytelling by Ethan Shoshan every Saturday, 2-4pm, for run of the exhibition
• Intimate Portraits film screening: March 11, 7-9pm
  Featuring works by: Jamika Ajalon, Dino Dinco, Mónica Enríquez, Leor Grady, Dana Inkster, Vince Mascoli, Nguyen Tan Hoang, Matt Palazzolo, Timothy Smith, X’Ho

 
News: Art Review by Jill Conner of Ethan Shoshan’s “I’m always thinking of you even when I’m kissing another boy” Read it here.

Images: (right, top) Jenny Salomon
Untitled (Rabbit/Wolf/Eyes), 2009
Pigment pen on paper, 22″ x 30″
Courtesy the artist.
(right, bottom) Courtesy Ethan Shoshan.

Click here to view slide show of installation images

Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art is pleased to debut a major solo exhibition of new monumental works by emerging artist Jordan Eagles who will cover the entire 3000+ square-foot space with preserved blood in a site-specific installation.

This exhibition is the first public opportunity to view Eagles’ largest and most experimental blood works to date—a massive, 30-foot, multi-panel, abstract mural in which animal blood is suspended, encased and fully preserved in plexiglass and resin. HEMOSAPIEN will also feature Eagles’ new forays into large-scale projections and color photography. Eagles utilizes overhead classroom projectors to set the entire space aglow in luminous, wall-to-wall projections of “blood light.” Life-size color photographs of nude models, onto whom he projected blood patterns, serve as documents of his photographic shoots and introduce new figurative elements that emphasize Eagles’ fascination with corporeality, mysticism, and physical and intangible spaces.

Photo (top right): Jordan Eagles, HEMOSAPIEN, installation shot, 2009.

Aljira is very pleased to host one of the community events in the city-wide birthday celebration of 75 years for Amiri Baraka. This exhibition marks a rare opportunity to view 22 of Baraka’s unique mixed-media drawings from the past 10 years.

“Many people are amazed to find out that poet, writer, activist Amiri Baraka also makes visual art,” writes Guest Curator Kellie Jones.

Join us in recognizing Baraka’s life-long activism in politics and the arts. This exhibition is sponsored by the National Black United Fund. For more information, please call (973) 698-9504 or visit www.amirib75.com.

Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art invites you to E10. Join us for the opening of this fresh group exhibition that is the culmination of Aljira Emerge, the highly acclaimed, annual strategic career management and exhibition program for emerging artists. E10 features new and recent works by a dynamic group of 22 artists of diverse backgrounds who successfully completed last year’s competitive program. This exhibition is on view through September 26, 2009.

E10 presents works ranging from painting and sculpture to video and installation by the following artists living and working in New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia: Fariba Alam, Toby Barnes, Michael Paul Britto, Cecile Chong, Priscila De Carvalho, Brendan Fernandes, Sheree Hovsepian, Gisela Insuaste, Sandra Eula Lee, Diego Medina, Lisette Morel, Nyeema Morgan, Kymia Nawabi, Jung Eun Park, Roxana Perez-Mendez, Jaye Rhee, Jose Ruiz, Jennifer Salomon, Miranda Small, Germán Tagle, Joseph Waks, and Noelle Lorraine Williams. This year, we welcome as our Guest Curator Sara Reisman, Director of Percent for Art, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

This group exhibition explores the dynamic relationship between house music and contemporary art. Artists are working in various media such as installation, painting, performance, photography, sculpture, and video. Participating artists include:

Jaishri Abichandani, Elia Alba, Vincent Bryant, Lorie Caval, April Choitz, Pradeep Dalal, Jerry Gant, Gerard H. Gaskin, Leor Grady, Tony Graves, Uraline Septembre Hager, House of Jourdan-Zion, Ryan Joseph, Jayson Keeling, Simone Leigh, Francis Legge, Muema Lombe, Ivan Monforte, Rashaad Newsome, Louis Nieves, Luna Luis Ortiz, John Parris, Carlo Quispe, Jacolby Satterwhite, Ethan Shoshan, Soigne Deluxe, Eugene Tambourine, Rhina Valentin, Z Collective

Aljira and the House of Jourdan-Zion present
The Art Ball: La Vie en Rose
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Click to view ball categories
7pm to Midnight
$10 presale/$15 at the door
Purchase your tickets online!

Music Speaks: Panel Discussion
Women in House Music
Thursday, March 5, 2009
7pm
Co-presented with Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District

Join local talent and club promoters to find out how women are major players in the dance music scene. Presenters include Abigail Adams, Entrepreneur, Artist Management, A&R, Label Owner; Carolyn Byrd, Housemother, DJ, Emcee, Promoter, Culture Creator; and Lorie Caval, artist and co-founder of Bang the Party.

Click here to read reviews of The B Sides.