Callas: Juror for the 2024 NJ Arts Annual: Exploring Our Connections

Callas Juror Statement:

What an honor it is to be part of the New Jersey Arts Annual, especially in one of the most diverse states in the U.S. This call for submissions allows us to explore and discover the diverse experiences and expressions of New Jersey artists. It prompts us to consider whether the diversity of our state is reflected in the art community and if there is sufficient access to inclusive arts education.

In this exhibit, we see a myriad of people, families, cultures, and values represented. With over 1,000 artworks submitted, the 63 selected artists provide a snapshot of the diverse experiences of living in New Jersey. Many artists spoke in their statements about navigating their identity through race, gender, and other personal dimensions. Their experiences shape the art we see today, grappling with questions of belonging, identity, and connection.

Art and culture serve as powerful tools for understanding the complexities of our world. They help us move beyond binary thinking and encourage us to see the world from different viewpoints, understanding that perspectives are not fixed but evolving. Art brings people together, fostering conversations about our shared humanity and the challenges we face.

This year’s theme, “Exploring our Connections,” invites us to consider what it means to belong and how we can find belonging across differences. The natural world teaches us that diversity is crucial for resilience and beauty. Just as ecosystems thrive on diversity, our communities flourish when we embrace and celebrate our differences. Artists help us see beauty in diversity. Through their work, they reveal the myriad ways of seeing, knowing, and learning that exist within different cultures.

The diversity of mediums used in this exhibit – photography, video, digital art, pen and ink, oil, mixed media – demonstrates the varied ways artists express their ideas. Fabric, “the cloth we are cut from,” stands out as a medium rich with metaphor. Several artists explore themes of knitting, and stitching, creating works that speak to the interconnectedness of our lives and communities. Rachel Kanter’s artwork draws from traditional women’s handwork and her Jewish heritage. She enlarges the concept of the wimple from a binder of the Torah to a binder of community, maker, and land. Kirk Maynard’s Periphery Series speaks to how clothing is bound with identity and how a simple hoodie has become loaded with meaning.

Collage is another prominent medium in this exhibit. Artists use it to piece together images, objects, and texts that reflect their communities and histories. This method offers a metaphor for understanding family, community, and migration. For Daniel Scott, collage and mixed media are a necessity. Inspired by a trip to Cuba, her ancestral homeland, Scott left behind painting. “No single medium alone would ever again be enough…” We see this method at work in her artwork, Tomas.

Ian King’s work asks, “Am I getting better?” resonating deeply with the idea the self in relationship to identity and the body. Inspired by outsider art, King, a transgender male, explores themes of health, identity, and the body. His art challenges us to consider how we view ourselves and how we are perceived by others, highlighting the tension between community and self. Through this work and exhibit, we are reminded that art is not just a reflection of our world but a tool for shaping a more inclusive and understanding society.