Visual Arts Center of New Jersey to Host Community Opening Day in Support of Fall Exhibitions

The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey (VACNJ) holds a community opening day event to mark the opening of its two fall exhibitions:

The First Water Is the Body 

Athena LaTocha: After the Falls

WHEN: Indigenous People’s weekend, on Saturday, October 9, from 1–6 PM
WHERE: Visual Arts Center of NJ, 68 Elm Street in Summit, NJ
ADMISSION: free

The event will include tours of the exhibitions; samples of Indigenous food provided by Buffalo Jump NYC; and performances throughout the day by the Silver Cloud Singers & Dancers, an intertribal Native American singing and dance troupe that weaves together traditional and contemporary Native song and dance. The event will begin at 1 PM with a blessing and land acknowledgment recognizing that the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is situated in Lenapehoking, the ancestral land of the Lenape people, and honoring all Indigenous communities, past, present, and future.

In addition to the day’s events, the Art Center will hold a series of programs throughout the course of the exhibitions’ stay at the Art Center, including 

• curator-led tours
• a community workshop series led by art educator in residence, Dennis RedMoon Darkeem
• a film screening, artist talks and additional programs

To help with the vision, scope, and content of this programing, VACNJ formed an advisory committee that included Diane Fraher (Osage/Cherokee), filmmaker and founder and director of AMERINDA Inc.; David Bunn Martine (Shinnecock/Montauk/Chiricahua Apache), director and curator, Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center and Museum, Shinnecock Reservation; and Dennis RedMoon Darkeem (Yamasee Creek-Seminole Native American, RIGHT), artist and art educator. 

More information can be found about these programs and about the opening day by visiting artcenternj,org.

All community programs associated with the exhibition The First Water Is The Body are generously funded by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

About the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey

For over 85 years, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey has been exclusively dedicated to viewing, making, and learning about contemporary art. Recognized as a leading non-profit arts organization, the Art Center’s renowned Studio School, acclaimed exhibitions, and educational outreach initiatives serve thousands of youth, families, seniors, and people with special needs every year.

The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is located at 68 Elm Street in Summit, NJ. Gallery hours: Monday– Thursday, 10 AM–8 PM; Friday, 10 AM–5 PM; and Saturday & Sunday, 11 AM–4 PM. Admission must be reserved in advance. Please call 908.273.9121 to confirm holiday hours. Visit artcenternj.org for more information. 

Support

Major support for the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is provided in part by the Peter R. & Cynthia K. Kellogg Foundation; the Wilf Family Foundations; and Art Center members and donors.