March 2021-In these unprecedented times of political shifting and a worldwide pandemic, women continue to lead the way by shedding light on important issues, building bridges, questioning boundaries, and envisioning a better world.
The artworks, created in a variety of media and styles, explore social gender constructs while honoring the struggles, triumphs, and contributions of women in our world today.
A year into the Pandemic lockdown and as we find ourselves still in confined spaces, artists find freedom in their creativity, showing us the light -and the art- at the end of the tunnel.
Enjoy, and be inspired.Andrea Arroyo, Curator
Lift (2020) by Diana SchmertzNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Lift
"Due to the current political and social hostilities that surround us every day in America I feel compelled to create works that are inclusive, stressing the importance of positive social agreements in our society." -Diana Schmertz
From Female Figurine Series 2 (2021) by Gal CohenNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
From Female Figurine Series 2
"The ‘Female Figurine’ series is based on prehistoric (2000-20,000 BC) sculptures, accounted to be the most ancient form of representation of the female body in humankind." - Gal Cohen,
Grey Matter (2020) by Laurence Elle GrouxNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Grey Matter
"Each work is created with an expression of introspection and invites visual engagement which I hope raises a sense of curiosity and suggests the paths we chart in our lives which are often filled with a multitude of emotions." - Laurence Elle Groux
https://www.laurenceellegroux.com/about-Elle
Renaissance (2020) by Laurence Elle GrouxNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Renaissance, Laurence Elle Groux, 2020
I view every new work as a sort of miraculous creation where my fears, sorrows, joy and love can pour forth and capture the essence of the human experience.
Who Gets To Determine Who Belongs Where (2021) by Julia JustoNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Who Gets To Determine Who Belongs Where
"The flag was made from discarded clothing I bought and used during my time as an immigrant in America. The project seeks to create a platform to resist injustice and speaks to how we could move forward collectively."- Julia Justo
Watch our talk with Julia Justo to find out why she decided to make this beautiful piece of artwork.
Matter (2020) by Campbell CathleenNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Matter
"I’ve been photographing Harlem and Uptown Manhattan for decades but only recently began exhibiting. My photos relate to the theme: In “Matter,” the boy is inside looking out onto a world that requires more than “Black Lives Matter” murals to keep him safe." Cathleen Campbell
Other Peoples Children (2019) by Sky PapeNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Other Peoples Children
"Facing mass extinctions, social inequity, teetering democracy, and a ravaging pandemic, I am interested in how geometry and patterns may provide clues for contending with systems that verge on widespread cataclysm."-Sky Pape
Untitled (2018) by Jessica MaffiaNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Untitled
"My body is a map on which I inscribe my inner landscape. I am conducting a thorough psychological excavation using Nature as metaphor for psyche."-Jessica Maffia
How does Jessica Maffia use different elements of nature to express her inner nature? Be sure to watch to find out why!
Cyanotype of Natives (2020) by Vicky AzcoitiaNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Cyanotypes of Natives
"After the pandemic had begun, beyond its casting a shadow on the promising early light of spring and having consumed midsummer, I felt a need to make peace with the growing anxiety of uncertainty through artistic expression." -Vicky Azcoitia
Lacrimae (2020) by Patricia MirandaNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Lacrimae, Patricia Miranda, 2020
Found textile and natural dyes are frameworks for creating monumental works with a small ecological footprint. Sewn into large shroud-like works, I layer objects of lamentation akin to ex-votos, reliquaries, and ritualized body forms.
How did the pandemic influence Vicky's artwork?
Dangers Which Lurk (2021) by Karen GreeneNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Dangers Which Lurk
"A camera is always on my person because one never knows when light and the subject will be just right." -Karen Greene
Selfless Service (2020) by Maria FernandezNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Selfless Service
"My work as a photographer has consisted in exposing the inequalities I see everywhere I go. When people see my work, I’d like them to feel that moment of shared emotion and experience. Photography is a source of some of my utmost pleasure."- Maria Fernandez
Mestiza Consciousness (2019) by Kiri AvelarNorthern Manhattan Arts Alliance
Mestiza Consciousness
"My artistic practice is designed to further provoke thought around the artistic, physical, and cultural borderless experience of Latinx artists in America." -Kiri Avelar
Watch to see what inspired and influenced Kiri's artwork
Keep reading with Part 2 of In/Out – Light/Dark: Women in the Heights and Art in Our Time.