By Danielle Merzatta
If you’re wondering where the action was in Greater Morristown on Friday night, it was tucked off Speedwell Avenue in a bright celebration of culture and color, as the Morristown Neighborhood House kicked off For the Love of Art, its second annual, weekend-long, Black History Month celebration.
The exhibition showcases pieces by 14 African American artists. A portion of proceeds from art sales will benefit programs at the nonprofit Neighborhood House, which has been helping immigrant and minority communities since 1898.
“Tonight we are bringing together the things that always bring people together — art, music, food, and fun– while taking the opportunity to educate the community about the impact of the Neighborhood House, for our community and for our children,” said Ayo Sanderson Wilson, chief operating officer of the Neighborhood House and its partner organization, Cornerstone Family Programs.
“We take care of ages 2-102, and the heart of this community is in this building. Tonight we celebrate the vibrant beating of that heart and soul,” she said.
Slideshow photos by Bill Lescohier. Click /hover on images for captions:
The festivities continue on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, from noon to 5 pm with art exhibit tours and discussions led by artist and curator Ron Ritzie, and performances by the Rhythms for Life student violin program and the Morristown Neighborhood House Unity Steppers.
The public gets one more chance to enjoy the artworks on Sunday, March 1, from noon to 3 pm. The Nabe, as it’s affectionately known, is at 12 Flagler St. in Morristown.
Friday’s gala reception also showcased major renovations that took place throughout 2019 at the Nabe.
Fundraising began with the launch of the House 2 Home Initiative at the Nabe’s first Black History Month celebration, held at the 70 South Gallery last year.
The renovation included all classrooms and the gymnasium. Antoinette Rowe, a major donor and former board member, flew in from Florida for Friday’s dedication of the new Rowe Auditorium. The auditorium doubles as the largest classroom, hosting up to 70 1st and 2nd graders.
Gymnasium renovations were sponsored in part by the NBA Players Association Foundation, and by a new local business, Currax Pharmaceuticals, which also supports the Nabe’s basketball travel team and college prep program.
Dignitaries at Friday’s soiree included state Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-25th Dist.), Morristown Councilwoman Tawanna Cotten, former Morristown Mayor Jay DeLaney Jr., and the Rev. Jerry Carter, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.
FROM AFRO-PUNK TO SATIRICAL REALISM
The exhibition presents an exceptional and eclectic grouping of works, from abstract pieces and oils on canvas to assemblage works using found materials.
There’s AfroPunk, Neon-funk, Abstract Expressionism, and Satirical Realism. All works are for sale and available throughout the weekend.
Kortez, artist; with Woods’ ‘AfroPunk 3,’ acrylic-on-wood, $6,500. Photo by Danielle Merzatta
Artist Joe Woods, a Pittsburgh native who resides in Elizabeth, has two pieces in the show. Both are in his bold, bright, graphic signature style that nods to the AfroPunk movement. It’s his first experience at the Nabe; he said he felt honored to be invited. You can follow his work on Instagram: @funkydoodler.
Charles Caldwell, an artist raised in Morristown, introduced Kortez, a modern visual artist, to display his work at the exhibit.
“I’m so excited about the fact that this work supports this community. I’ve fallen in love with the place,” Kortez said.
He has five pieces in the show– three 4-foot-by-4-foot acrylic-on-canvas works, and two acrylic-on-wood panels. You can see more of Kortez’s creations at House of BAV, his shared retail location in East Orange, and on Instagram: @esotericurbanism.
Caldwell will be featured in Bowties to My Soul, an art show and poetry reading, on March 14, 2020, at the Akwaaba Gallery in Newark.
There was artistry in Friday’s food, too.
It was sponsored by BAZODEE, a company that sells African American Caribbean sauces. CEO Debra Sandler, a former president of Mars Chocolate, has built this new brand inspired by her Venezuela and Trinidadian roots and her Auntie Mavis’ recipes.
These sauces were used to create a Caribbean-style spread that complemented the spicy art on the walls at the Nabe.
Organic beverages were courtesy of Juiced by J, which last November sponsored a Thanksgiving feast for preschoolers in the gym–one of the rooms transformed into gallery space for this weekend’s exhibition.
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'For the Love of Art' is celebration for the love of the Morristown Neighborhood House - Morristown Green
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