This summer, Aljira presents a trio of exhibitions by New Jersey artists. An opening reception will be held on July 18, 2013, from 6–9 pm.

Jazz Stripe Series: Paintings by Erica Barton Haba

Erica Barton Haba’s Jazz Stripe Series of paintings represents the artist’s interest in abstract design and pure color. In her own words, Haba says, “I found that…I could approximate something that reminded me of the liveliness and surprise that I so enjoyed in jazz music.”

“Exuberance is Beauty,”
                          William Blake
Paintings by Jim Haba

Jim Haba, who is married to and shares a studio in Hillsborough, NJ with Erica Barton Haba, says this of his work in this exhibition: “Freshness is my goal. I also hope for what Blake calls ‘Exuberance,’ something to break through the glaze of ordinary seeing.”

Schools for the Colored:
A Portfolio of Photographs by Wendel A. White

An artist born in Newark, New Jersey, White says this series of photographs “depicts buildings and landscapes associated with racially segregated schools in ‘Up-South,’ the northern ‘free’ states that bordered the slave states. They make up the architecture and geography of America’s educational Apartheid.”

Check out our recent blog post and interview with Wendel A. White.

Public Programs:

September 6, 2013, 6-9 pm
Closing reception for “Exuberance is Beauty” and “Jazz Stripe Series.”
From 7-8 PM: Readings by New Jersey Poets Laureate, Gerald Stern and Amiri Baraka, with poets Anne Marie Macari and Amina Baraka, moderated by artist and poet Jim Haba.

September 7, 2013, 2-4 pm
Artist’s talk and roundtable discussion with Wendel A. White.