To close out its year of 50th anniversary programming and celebrations, Trenton Museum Society looks forward with the new juried exhibition NEXT: Reimagining the Future Through Art. Featuring 40 pieces by 30 artists, the show will be on view in Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie and online from Friday, December 8, through February 11, 2024.
Artists were asked to submit work that demonstrated how they used their art to explore new techniques or materials or to depict their view the future. The result is an eclectic mix of works in digital art, sculpture, photography, painting, and – for the first time in a Trenton City Museum juried show – video.
Examples of works in the show include New York City audiovisual artist Kaya Pope’s short video AWAKE, inspired by the Afrofutrurist exploration of Sankofa “looking back to go forward” and envisioning a boundless, liberated future for Black people.
Lake Newton, of Memphis, Tennessee, in the archival pigment print NOWHERE BUT HERE, says that the images are a reflection on our layered past and a meditation on our indeterminate future.
The NEXT exhibition will include a slate of related events: Sunday, December 10, 4 to 6 pm Opening Reception; Curators’ Talk with Diane Ciccone and Jane Malloy Saturday, January 6, 2 to 4 pm; NEXT Children’s Art Workshop Sunday, January 7, Virtual Artists’ Talk Sunday, January 21, 2 to 4 p.m., NEXT Freedom Friday Spoken Word Friday, February 11, 7 to 9 p.m.; Closing Reception Sunday, February 11, 2 to 4 p.m. Visit ellarlsie.org/next for the NEXT online gallery and store, where most of the artwork is available for purchase.
Trenton City Museum is open Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 4 pm, and Sundays, 1 to 4 pm. While there is no admission charge, donations in support of the museum’s mission and programs are welcomed. Visit www.ellarslie.org for more information.
ABOUT TRENTON CITY MUSEUM AT ELLARSLIE
Trenton City Museum is housed in Ellarslie Mansion, an 1848 Italianate Villa on the National Historic Register, located in the heart of Trenton’s Cadwalader Park. The historic and popular park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed such landmarks as New York City’s Central Park. The museum showcases exhibitions of contemporary fine art and ongoing and changing displays that explore Trenton’s rich industrial and cultural history. It offers spoken word and music performances, education programs for all ages, and other community gatherings. Members of Trenton Museum Society work closely with the City of Trenton to support the museum’s operations and programming. Learn more at ellarslie.org, 609-989-1191, or info@ellarslie.org.
