Archives
About the Archives
These archives preserve past exhibitions presented in the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery. They make these exhibitions widely available, allowing everyone to continue celebrating these wonderful artists and their work while acting as a resource to retrospectively examine the artistic diversity and historical perspective of the Gallery. It also allows us to virtually highlight the Herb + Iris Gallery’s mission of bringing contemporary art to a broader audience.
BETWEEN PLACES
Brian Wall
On Display: March 19, 2026 – May 3, 2026 | Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC
Opening Reception: March 19, 2026 at 6 PM
There are artists who paint what they see. And then there are artists like Brian Wall, who paint how they move through the world.
Between Places spans multiple years of work created across Colorado, Costa Rica, North Carolina, and New Jersey. The exhibition traces Wall’s evolution as a self-taught artist balancing instinct with intention.
His earliest ink drawings pulse with intuitive energy—architectural, mechanical, intricate, and fearless. Over time, that spontaneity sharpened rather than softened. The work remains dynamic, but increasingly grounded in craft and deliberation. That tension between impulse and control drives the exhibition.
Each place leaves its imprint. In Colorado, bold color and abstraction surge with momentum. In Costa Rica, forms open and organic shapes emerge, reflecting immersion in nature and growing environmental awareness. In North Carolina, planning deepens and themes of connection and isolation surface. In New Jersey, compositions become denser and more industrial, with restrained color and compressed space suggesting velocity and pressure.
“In Brian’s work, you can actually see the shift,” notes curator Jeremy Moss. “The early pieces feel like pure momentum, this incredible intuitive engine. As the years unfold, that energy doesn’t fade; it becomes focused. The spontaneity is still there, but now it’s supported by craft and deliberation.”
Wall’s work has often been compared to M.C. Escher for its shifting geometry and layered perspective. Structures bend and loop; abstraction reveals narrative upon closer look.
“Brian challenges you to look twice,” Moss reflects. “The first glance is impact. The second glance is discovery. And somewhere between those two moments, you realize the painting has changed, or maybe you have.”
Spanning decades and landscapes, Between Places reads like a map of belonging—an exploration of how movement shapes both artist and art.
Lost and Found (and Lost Again)
On Display: November 13, 2025 – January 18, 2026 | Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC
Opening Reception: November 13, 2025 at 6 PM
In Lost and Found (and Lost Again), artists Jake Guttormsson and Rob Weiss explore what it means to reassemble the pieces of memory, of self, of the worlds we build and leave behind. The exhibition is both playful and searching, mixing humor with melancholy, and fantasy with familiarity. It celebrates the act of creating something new from what’s been forgotten, discarded, or overlooked.
Jake Guttormsson works in papier-mâché, using everyday remnants of newspapers, cardboard, old bills, and bits of string, to conjure handcrafted figures from an invented mythology he calls Fang Creek. His characters, part spirit and part storyteller, inhabit a post-apocalyptic landscape that feels oddly human. Each form begins as a conversation between artist and material, evolving through trial, accident, and intuition. Guttormsson’s process transforms the humble and handmade into relics of another world, objects that feel both ancient and alive.
Rob Weiss approaches that same sense of rediscovery through paint, collage, and pop imagery. Drawing from cult films, science fiction, and mid-century design, his works remix the visual language of nostalgia into something more charged and self-aware. Figures seem caught between identities; icons blur into abstraction. His surfaces hum with color and irony, yet beneath them runs a deep curiosity about how culture, memory, and emotion intersect.
Curator Jeremy Moss brings these two artists together not for contrast, but for conversation. Guttormsson’s tactile storytelling and Weiss’s graphic wit both challenge what it means to “find” meaning in a world saturated with images and fragments. Each artist, in his own way, builds a space where imagination becomes a form of recovery, a way to see the lost parts of ourselves with fresh eyes.
In the end, Lost and Found (and Lost Again) reminds us that discovery isn’t a destination, it’s a cycle. What we find, we inevitably lose again, only to rediscover it later, transformed by time, touch, and the quiet persistence of art.
Unveiled25
On Display: September 11 – November 2, 2025 | Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC
Opening Reception: September 11, 2025 at 6 PM
Where art and community meet…join us for an exclusive preview of the SOMA Studio Tour!
Unveiled 25 will be on display at the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC from September 11 through November 2. The exhibition marks the fourth collaboration with the SOMA Studio Tour and features work by nearly 70 artists from South Orange and Maplewood. An opening reception will take place on Thursday, September 11, from 6–8 PM.
The opening is more than just a preview—it’s a celebration. Neighbors, friends, and art lovers come together after summer to reconnect, discover bold cityscapes, luminous abstracts, playful collages, and everything in between. “The preview is where the magic begins,” said curator Jeremy Moss. “It’s the perfect place to meet new artists, see a cross-section of the work that will be revealed in full during the Tour weekend, and get swept up in the energy of our community’s creative spirit.”
This spirit carries into the SOMA Studio Tour, a free event open to all on November 1 and 2, 2025. For the first time, SOPAC will also be hosting approximately 15 artists in The Loft at SOPAC on Saturday, November 1. By offering both this gallery preview and an in-house Tour venue, SOPAC invites audiences to experience the richness of local creativity in multiple ways, whether discovering a new favorite piece early in the gallery or venturing into the studios and spaces that define this annual community-wide celebration.
Columbia High School AP Art Showcase 2025
On Display: March 19 – April 26, 2025 | Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC
Opening Reception: March 19, 2025 at 6 PM
The Columbia High School (CHS) Advanced Placement (AP) Art Showcase returns to the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) for another year of artistic excellence. From March 19 to April 26, 2025, the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery will feature a dynamic collection of work created by CHS’s talented AP Art students, offering them the opportunity to present their creativity and craftsmanship in a professional gallery setting.
Guided by the dedicated mentorship of CHS Visual Arts Teacher Alexandra Cappucci, these young artists have spent the year exploring diverse mediums—from painting and sculpture to digital media—pushing the boundaries of their artistic expression. Their work reflects not only technical skill but also bold creative risk-taking and personal storytelling, capturing the depth and breadth of their artistic journeys.
This collaboration between SOPAC and Columbia High School continues to thrive, having grown beyond the walls of the gallery. Students had the unique opportunity to engage with visiting artists Angel Duran and Yigsy Magaly, whose recent SOPAC exhibition inspired hands-on workshops, further enriching their creative development. Additionally, SOPAC’s Arts in Education programs remain committed to supporting young artists by providing professional exposure and immersive learning experiences.
Join us for the Opening Reception on Wednesday, March 19, from 6 to 8 PM, as we celebrate the next generation of artists and their extraordinary achievements.
Abstraction of the Human Mind
On Display: December 12 – March 2nd
Opening Reception: December 12 at 6PM
Abstraction of the Human Mind offers a thought-provoking exploration of human emotion through the distinctive styles of artists Yigsy Magaly and Angel Duran. Yigsy’s work invites viewers to connect with figures using body language and subtle gestures. In contrast, Duran’s pieces highlight the emotional distance between individuals in vast, impersonal spaces. Together, their works encourage us to consider the quiet moments of reflection we often overlook and how the complexities of modern life exist in a constant, beautiful abstraction.
Yigsy Magaly Bio
Yigsy Magaly is a Salvadorian-American artist born in El Salvador and raised in New Jersey. Initially drawn to photorealistic portraiture, Yigsy has evolved her style, embracing minimalistic aesthetics to challenge artistic norms.
In her series of paintings featuring abstract figures called “Blanxs,” she deliberately omits facial expressions. This intentional choice allows the lines and colors to convey emotional depth, enabling viewers to connect profoundly with the artwork. Yigsy places a careful focus on the expressive potential of lines and colors, recognizing them as pivotal elements in conveying emotions. This approach accentuates the significance of body language and the nuanced interplay of lines and colors, presenting a distinctive and immersive experience for the audience.
Her work practice involves using paint markers instead of traditional brushes. She creates a captivating 3D effect by extending her art beyond the canvas, painting the sides of her canvases, and inviting viewers into her carefully crafted imaginary world.
A graduate of Mason Gross School of the Arts, Yigsy’s innovative approach to visual storytelling invites viewers to connect with their emotions through the delicate interplay of lines and colors.
Angel Duran Bio
Fundamentally, the works of Angel Duran (b. 1996 New Jersey, USA) serve as an exploration of the relationship between painting and photography. Thematically, they inquire into urbanization’s role in social fragmentation and the disintegration of human interactions. By often depicting isolated figures roaming through empty and artificially-lit cityscapes, he hopes to highlight how—instead of forming intrapersonal relationships—metropolitan areas can help foster the feeling of isolation. But also, he hopes to form a communal experience built upon our shared moments of isolation.
A frequent technique Angel Duran incorporates into his paintings is the bokeh effect found in photography. Bokeh is defined as the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image; however, his intention is not to simply paint blurry photographs, but rather, to address a hierarchy through blurring. For example—while still able to use figures as his prime subject matter— the blurring of the image allows him to investigate artificial light as its own subject matter. Everything becomes equally important and equally insignificant.
Angel currently works and resides in New Jersey.
UNVEILED24: SOMA Studio Tour Artists
On Display: September 26 – November 10, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 26 at 6PM
The captivating preview exhibition of the 21st Annual SOMA Studio Tour, UNVEILED24, goes on view in the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC beginning September 26. The carefully curated exhibition of works is the third tandem exhibition with the Tour and celebrates the talented artists within the SOMA community. This preview showcases select artists participating in the upcoming two-day November 2-3 event from South Orange and Maplewood art studios. The Tour is a unique experience when the local arts scene opens its doors for a fabulous weekend of access to the behind-the-scenes look at artists’ creative spaces. RSVP to attend the Reception on September 26, meet local artists, and view their original works!
The exhibition “is a community-building event that allows gallery patrons to discover, or re-discover, the artists who are also their neighbors,” says Jeremy Moss, the exhibition curator. It offers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of creativity and highlights the unique styles and creative processes that define the SOMA community’s vibrant arts scene. Visitors will experience an eclectic mix of diverse and intriguing artwork, each telling a unique story, reflecting the personal journeys and inspirations of the artists. Visitors will also have the opportunity to engage with the creators, gain insights into inspirations and techniques, and appreciate the intricate details that make each piece extraordinary while also having the opportunity to purchase original works.
“I am excited to curate the third annual Studio Tour SOMA exhibition at the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC,” says Moss. “Working with many talented local artists is always a pleasure. Again, this year’s exhibit is filled with a wide range of vibrant, thought-provoking, whimsical, and fabulous works! I hope you enjoy visiting UNVEILED24 and celebrating a little slice of the artistic endeavors within South Orange and Maplewood.”
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
SOPAC’s Arts Education programs are supported in part by New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Orange Orphan Society, Citizens Charitable Foundation, George A. Ohl, Jr. Charitable Trust, Hearst Foundations, Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, and PSEG Foundation.
Columbia High School 2024 AP Art Showcase
On Display: April 11, 2024 – May 4, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 11 at 6:30PM
Columbia High School’s AP Art Class brings their 2024 final showcase to SOPAC after they outgrew CHS’s Domareki Art Gallery.
Their devoted art teacher, Alexandra Cappucci, spearheaded the move to SOPAC after she was brought on in October 2022. Due to the delayed start and scheduling conflicts, the students were unable to have a proper showcase in 2023. However, this year, Cappucci decided to change that and give the students a new showground to showcase their art.
“We have amazing students who are going to some of the best art colleges in the country. This year, we have students accepted into Parsons, Pratt, MICA, SCAD, SVA, and more acceptances are coming in every day. These students are the future artists of America, and this showcase is a celebration of them and all of their work,” Cappucci said.
Under Cappucci’s guidance, the students enjoy a student-centric classroom environment that nurtures a sense of belonging and creative freedom. The program flourished, with students excelling and garnering accolades, including perfect AP scores. Thanks to Cappucci’s leadership, students were empowered to take creative risks and explore their passions, resulting in an incredible display of talent and dedication.
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
SOPAC’s Arts Education programs are supported in part by New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Orange Orphan Society, Citizens Charitable Foundation, George A. Ohl, Jr. Charitable Trust, Hearst Foundations, Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, and PSEG Foundation.
Special thanks to Rick Hauser, owner of The Framing Mill in Maplewood, NJ for generously donating materials for the display of student work.
Contemporary African Spirituality: Connections to New Jersey
On Display: February 8, 2024 – April 7, 2024
Opening Reception:Thursday, February 8 from 6 to 8:30PM
Contemporary African Spirituality in Art explores cultural practices that have been mixed, juxtaposed, and collided with ideas, themes, materials, and techniques, both African and Modern, by African and African diaspora artists in New Jersey and surrounding areas. Curated by Atim Annette Oton, it examines the transformation of spirituality from the lens of visual artists.
The exhibit was co-sponsored by The Walsh Gallery at Seton Hall University.
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
About Guest Curator Atim Annette Oton
Atim Annette Oton is a Nigerian-born, American and British-educated designer turned curator. She founded and is curator of the Harlem-based Calabar Gallery, which showcases contemporary African Artists and African Diaspora artists globally.
She has been the African Art Curator for Amref Health Africa ArtBall for the past 4 years, which honored artists Wangechi Munu, El Anatsui, Toyin Ojih Odutola, and Zanele Muholi. Oton has also served as curator for the Jersey City Theater Center and as Curator for Community Engagement at the Bronx: Africa exhibition at Longwood Gallery.
As a Huffington Post Black Voices Blogger, Oton created the series, The Pulse of Africa, where she wrote about global Africans working in Africa and across the diaspora and presented an inside view on Africa’s progress, issues on arts and culture, technology and opportunities.
Oton served as the Associate Chair of Product Design at the Parsons School of Design in New York City and founded Blacklines Magainze, a quarterly publication celebrating Black designers.
She studied architecture at the City College of New York and at the Architectural Association Graduate School in London, England.
ARTFUL LIVING: The Painters of Maker + Muse
On Display November 30, 2023 – January 21, 2024
Opening Reception November 30 from 6 to 8:30PM
ARTFUL LIVING: The Painters of Maker + Muse seamlessly blends the world of visual art with the realms of home and everyday living. Presented by the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC, this unique showcase is expertly curated by Brian Dittmar, an award-winning interior designer and the visionary behind Maker + Muse, a lifestyle boutique in Maplewood. Dittmar’s discerning eye for aesthetics and passion for art have resulted in an unparalleled fusion of creativity and functionality.
Featuring the work of the five local artists represented by Maker + Muse, this exhibit will challenge the notion that art is exclusive to galleries and museums. Instead, it asserts that art has a rightful place in our homes and supplies inspiration for curating your own personal art collection. The artworks on display span various mediums and themes within the abstract style, catering to every taste and preference.
Visitors can explore Lisa Pressman‘s latest series, which incorporates a variety of mediums and grounds and is then dug into with razor blades and clay tools to create an evocative form and pattern. They can marvel at Aida Jones‘ layered abstract paintings that mix bold, bright, modern colors with smooth and rough textured shapes. Or find intrigue in the energetic works by Aimee Mower-Lally, featuring geometric shapes and dynamic colors. Dorothy Ganek‘s complex compositions of recognizable objects with sweeping abstract movement are also on display, as well as Betsy Meyer-Donadio‘s mixed-media collages, which feature multiple layers of vintage paper, fabric, acrylic paint, and plaster.
Musical trio Blue Sphere will accompany the opening reception, bringing together some of the finest musicians in North Jersey, playing music people love to hear: a mix of Jazz, Pop, and standards from the American Songbook. Featuring pianist and vocalist Bill Tally and trombonist Ben Williams (both from Maplewood), and bassist John Lenis, this is a truly local group, offering exciting interpretations of some of the world’s best music.
ARTFUL LIVING offers something for everyone, regardless of their artistic inclinations. Without a doubt, this assemblage will inspire new ways to embrace the concept of ‘living with art.’
FULL CIRCLE
On Display September 14 – November 19, 2023
Opening Reception September 14 from 5 to 8PM
FULL CIRCLE, by Ben Niles, is a mesmerizing exhibition that captures the convergence of graphic design and painting. Niles comes from a lineage of talented artists who, much like himself, transitioned from graphic design to fine art. Niles was fortunate to study both art forms in Italy. It was during this time that he immersed himself in the rich artistic tradition that would greatly influence his artistic sensibilities.
The artworks showcased in this collection are a remarkable fusion of acrylic, ink, and graphite, skillfully intertwined with the technique of screen printing. Through this collection, Niles invites viewers to embrace and celebrate the beauty of creativity, as well as the interconnectedness of diverse art forms. The boundless possibilities that arise when art forms intertwine and are showcased in every stroke and layer.
FULL CIRCLE serves as a poignant tribute to Niles’ family’s artistic legacy, as well as his own personal artistic journey. This spellbinding merger of graphic design and painting represents the culmination of his education and experiences, bringing together the skills and inspirations he acquired throughout his career. FULL CIRCLE is a testament to the power of artistic exploration and the profound impact it can have on both the artist and the viewer.
To explore more of Ben Niles’ work, please go to his website: www.nilesfineart.com.
PAPAVER
On Display March 9 – May 7, 2023
Opening Reception March 9 from 5-8PM
PAPAVER (Poppy) features 24 exceptionally up-close photographs of the delicate poppy flower by photographer Stuart Tyson, an avid gardener and South Orange resident of 23 years. Of the many flowers and plants that inhabit his yard, the poppy is among the most stunning and interesting forms, but its time is fleeting. “The poppy offers a captivating, albeit brief, window of transformation,” says Tyson. “From its emergence as a furry bud through its unfolding like a butterfly’s wing to its inevitable withering and shedding petals to leave behind its most characteristic seed pod.”
“His poppy photographs are breathtakingly beautiful,” says Jeremy Moss, the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery curator. “Knowing Stuart’s love of the outdoors and his passion for gardening, I knew I needed to showcase his intimate flora photographs.”
The scientific name for poppies, PAPAVER endeavors to preserve a poppy’s brief time in bloom. Tyson’s photographs highlight nature’s impeccable details—tissue paper-like petals, hairy stems, and yellow pollen-dusted stamens. The photographs provide an astonishingly intricate examination of the flowers’ journey. Tyson explains, “I have strived to describe the sinuous revelations of form that poppies make through their short but spectacular lives. Each and every stage of the poppy’s life cycle is a marvel to record.”
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
Pictured above: Poppy-24
SLADE: A Family Affair
On Display January 26-March 5, 2023
Pictured: Cyrus Blue by Kelvin Slade and Dancin in the Moonlight by Corrine Slade
It is often said that art inspires more art. That is certainly true for Kelvin and Corrine Salde, the father-and-daughter artists featured in SLADE: A Family Affair. Kelvin, who takes photographs of Jazz performers, has an underlying love for the musical genre, and Corrine taps into her admiration for Jazz when creating comforting abstract environments in her oil paintings. In celebration of Black History Month, this exhibition portrays the influence that Black music, particularly Jazz, has had on the artists.
While the Gallery has previously presented an exhibition from sister artists, this is the first time the works of a father and daughter will be displayed side by side. “The exhibit will be unique, thought-provoking, and a wonderful juxtaposition of the mediums of paint and photography,” says Jeremy Moss, curator for The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery. While Kelvin’s photographs are often black-and-white, Corrine’s paintings incorporate the entire color wheel. While Jazz has been a springboard for Corrine’s art, the genre is the backbone of Kelvin’s work.
Through his camera lens, Kelvin seeks to “capture just a smidgen” of the meaning behind the music by “humbly preserving a moment of it,” he says. “My response to this refined art is art in and of itself: photography.”
Kelvin’s passion for Jazz rubbed off on Corrine over time.
As a child, Corrine thought Jazz was a “cacophonous racket.” In retrospect, the genre molded her artistic practice. “It was roaring, piercing, crooning, sweltering, jutting, and consoling,” she says. “Vibrations of catharsis and spirit. It was all the things that make an ideal painting. Jazz encompasses everything through sound that I seek to do visually.”
Their shared affection for Jazz is a key aspect of Kelvin and Corrine’s relationship.
“With each year that passes, I feel more of a kinship with the music,” says Corrine. “I wouldn’t be the artist or person I am if my dad didn’t know the wonders of Jazz.”
OVATION: Artists of the Studio Tour
On Display November 10-January 15
Pictured: Our Forged Identity by Samar Hussaini
This year, the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery extends the annual, local studio tour with an encore exhibition in OVATION: Artists of the Studio Tour. A community abundant in arts genres, there’s always a little slice of culture to experience. One such event is the South Orange Maplewood Artists Studio Tour, when, for one fabulous weekend, the local arts scene throws its doors wide open allowing visitors to access the behind-the-scenes look at artists’ private creative spaces. The Tour celebrates the many artists among us, and the exhibition allows us to revisit those artists and bring local art to all.
Artists:
Luis Alves, Elisabeth Antoine, Carol Cassel Baker, Jennifer Crohn, Cat Delett, Jocelyn Fine, Matilda Forsberg, Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon, Adam Gustavson, Rosemary Guttormsson, Denise Hardie, Samar Hussaini, Aida Jones, Lisa Lackey, Jenn Malone, Julia Maloof Verderosa, Jeremy Moss, Aimee Mower Lally, Liz Munro, Robert Nealon, Erin Rogers Pickering, Maria Savidis Markatos, Michele Tara Soncini, Alicia Starr, Iram Yeates and more…
Rhapsody in Color: Aida Jones Abstract Paintings
On Display September 15-November 6
Rhapsody in Color: Aida Jones Abstract Paintings is a new series of vivid, energetic abstract paintings from Maplewood-based artist Aida Jones with bold, bright, modern colors mixing straight-edged, smooth surfaces with curved, textured shapes and scribbled lines resulting in wonderful opposing tensions.
“In this new series, Jones embraces color like never before using bold and bright, dark and light hues to play against one another,” says curator, Jeremy Moss. “Add to this Jones’ excellent use of color, texture and negative space, along with thoughtful attention to abstract detail and you have a thing of beauty. The exquisite execution of her pieces invariably reveals something new each time you look at them.”
As Jones puts it, “the most satisfying part of abstract art is that we all see the same things differently. My hope is that you enter the painting and go where it wants to take you.”
Jones studied at NY’s Art Students League and the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City. Jones is also an experienced teacher of adult painting and drawing classes. She worked as Artistic Director for the Monroe Center for the Arts, in Hoboken, NJ for eight years. She has acted as curator, board member, art director and consultant on many arts programs in the state of New Jersey. Her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows throughout New York and New Jersey and has sold to various private collections.
REVEALED: Intimate Renderings of the Grand Canyon
By Marité Vidales
Curated by Jeremy Moss
On Display March 10-May 1
Imagine holding the vastness of the 277-mile Grand Canyon in your hand. That is precisely what internationally renowned artist Marité Vidales has achieved in her exhibition, REVEALED: Intimate Renderings of the Grand Canyon, on display from March 10-May 1 in The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC.
In May 2021, Vidales spent several days on the southern rim of Grand Canyon National Park observing the colors, textures and patterns of the landscape. After being awestruck by the immensity of the canyon, and upon picking up a piece of pine bark, she realized that the patterns on the inside of the bark emulate the topography of the canyon.
“The canyon’s natural beauty is right there on the back of the bark,” says Vidales. “It’s as if the trees have sketched the canyon for only themselves to see. All I need to do is to remember and paint.”
Each of the 46 intimate and paradoxical works, some as small as 6 inches, are painted pine barks set in tonal shadow frames, activating questions about landscape, environment and her own media.
By rendering her memories and impressions of the national park on painted barks, Vidales creates a dialogue between the natural patterns found inside pieces of bark and the vistas of the Grand Canyon.
“I was immediately entranced by the complexity of the layers, the use of colors and textures to convey the contours and the sheer beauty of each piece,” says Jeremy Moss, curator of The Herb & Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC.
Vidales is a Costa Rican-born Washington, D.C.-based painter with a career that spans over 30 years. She received her BFA from the School of Fine Arts at the Universidad de Costa Rica in 1987 and completed Graphic Design studies at the Universidad de Centro America in 1983. She has exhibited widely in the United States, Germany, Peru and Costa Rica. She maintains an active studio practice in the Shaw neighborhood in Washington, DC and teaches art at two non-profit senior centers in the city. Her painting styles range from figuration to geometric abstraction. She develops thematic series of work based on her life experiences and social concerns.
The opening reception for REVEALED: Intimate Renderings of the Grand Canyon will be held in the Iris Gallery on Thursday, March 10 from 5-8PM and is the kick-off to an entire evening of interrelated events as SOPAC honors Women’s History Month. Following the opening reception, SOPAC is hosting an inspiring performance by the Resistance Revival Chorus at 7:30PM. As an added bonus, prior to the concert, ticket holders are invited to a panel discussion with community leaders at 6:30PM about the role of music and women’s voices in activism.
LIGHT [+SOUND]
By Patrick Hilaire
Curated by Jeremy Moss
On Display February 1 – 28
The exhibition Light [+Sound] by long-time Maplewood resident, Patrick Hilaire exemplifies the deep-rooted love of Jazz music and photography that plotted his path through life. Growing up, Hilaire shadowed his brother as he developed film and printed black-and-white images in their parents’ basement while Jazz from WRVR, a NY Jazz radio station, played into the wee hours. Even now, “great Jazz photography, especially album art photographed by the masters remains a constant inspiration,” says Hilaire. “My life’s work has focused on capturing this relationship between images and sound.”
The exhibition showcases 25 stunning black-and-white portraits of Jazz musicians. “Every portrait in this exhibition tells its own story,” says curator, Jeremy Moss. The Haitian-born self-taught photographer’s ability to capture compelling musical moments by renowned artists has brought Hilaire widespread acclaim. “Musical events are the intersection where the rhythm of the performer and photographer get to meet,” says Hilaire. “It’s really moments that I try to capture, and those moments only happen once.”
Hilaire has exhibited at several galleries and was featured at the South-by-South Orange Festival (later renamed the SouthNEXT festival). He has shot performances at the John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival, the South Mountain International Blues Festival, performers from SOPAC’s Jazz & Blues in the Loft series and Giants of Jazz, as well as the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Band at the Blue Note in New York City.
L’DOR V’DOR: CARRYING THE TORCH
By Jeremy Iris-Williams
Curated by Jeremy Moss
On Display December 4-January 30
The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC celebrates its 10th anniversary with a special fundraiser and exhibition. “L’Dor V’Dor: Carrying the Torch” by Jeremy Iris-Williams (Herb and Milly’s grandson) is the first metal art exhibition by this emerging artist.
L’dor V’dor is a Hebrew expression meaning “from generation to generation.” This phrase encapsulates the notion of honoring one’s predecessors by passing on wisdom, traditions and stories.
The Iris family perfectly embodies the significance of this expression.
Milly established the Iris Gallery in 2011 to honor her late husband, Herb. Once Milly passed in 2014, the couple’s daughters, Roreé and Kerry, honored their parents through continued support of the Iris Gallery. Now, Roreé’s son Jeremy is exhibiting in the art Gallery.
“Jeremy Iris-Williams is a torch bearer, both figuratively and literally,” says Iris Gallery curator Jeremy Moss. “He continues the creative lineage of his Nona, Milly Iris, who inspired him to become the artist he is today.”
Milly was a pioneer of the American crafts movement, opening a one-of-a-kind crafts gallery, Whichcraft Studio, in South Orange in 1970. Later, Milly served on the first SOPAC Board of Governors, which was responsible for cultivating the vision for SOPAC. A steadfast believer in “living with art,” Milly passed that passion for creativity on to her grandson, Jeremy. She fostered his curiosity in the arts and encouraged him to pursue his talents. She encouraged him, challenged him, and most importantly, believed in him.
Ten years ago, in celebration of Milly’s 80th birthday, Jeremy unveiled his first sculpture— a large, striking wooden piece—at SOPAC. Six years later, Jeremy enrolled in the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. His application concluded with a heartfelt dedication “…in honor of Nona, who made me believe I could be an artist.”
In college, Jeremy quickly discovered a talent and affinity for metal sculpture and immersed himself in welding and metal fabrication. Most of Jeremy’s work is abstract and unpredictable. He is interested in using metal in unexpected ways.
“I see a sheet of steel as my blank canvas,” says Jeremy Iris-Williams. “There are no rules or restrictions. I have full freedom to think and create. With my metalworking, the possibilities are endless.”
About two dozen of his pieces will be on view in “L’Dor V’Dor: Carrying the Torch.” These works were created in the artist’s Kensington, Philadelphia studio over the last year and a half.
“I would describe them as ‘metal origami’ with a twist,” says curator Jeremy Moss. “Whether they be decorative or functional, his sculptures are fascinating, thought provoking and elegant.”
Milly fueled her grandson’s creative flame and Jeremy is proud to “carry the torch.” His return to The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery honors his Nona and recognizes the ways in which art binds people together. May their intergenerational bond and dedication to the arts inspire a creative spark in other’s lives.
TRANSITIONAL ENERGY: Form, Shape, Color
By Curtis Grayson, III
Curated by Jeremy Moss
On Display September 23 – November 21, 2021
The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery is thrilled to be exhibiting works by Curtis Grayson, III as the opening exhibit of a new season. As Curator, I am delighted that patrons will be able, once again, to see an in-person exhibit, which promises to entice, engage and enthrall.
Grayson’s TRANSITIONAL ENERGY: Form, Shape, Color is sure to delight. One is immediately aware of the fearlessness in Grayson’s work. Creating on paper, canvas and wood, the use of vibrant colors, bold brush strokes and patterns grab your attention, but it’s the rich textures of handmade papers, silver gilt and fabrics, that really draw you into the detail of each piece. Together the mixed mediums display an energy and emotion that are captivating, making this body of work a unique experience.
Pictured above: Purple Haze, 2021
2020 ZEKE AWARD Exhibitions
Presented by the Social Documentary Network (SDN)
Curated by Glenn Ruga
On Display March 15 – May 7, 2021
Virtual Panel Discussion Thursday, April 15 from 7-8PM EST
Enjoy a unique experience outside of the walls of the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery, any time of day. Curated for SOPAC by Jeremy Moss, this exhibition is presented in the windows of SOPAC.
Glenn Ruga, West Orange native and the Executive Editor of ZEKE Magazine, is the founder and director of the Social Documentary Network (SDN) and the former publisher and art director of Loupe magazine. Each year, SDN awards the work of two photographers documentary projects from a global community of photographers. ZEKE Award winners are chosen by a panel of expert jurors as the projects that have the highest visual and storytelling components while exploring important global issues.
The 2020 ZEKE Award winners are:
Kristen Emack, from the US, for Cousins, a story about the photographer’s daughter and niece and their intimate and spiritual knowledge that is both ordinary and extraordinary.
Jason Houston, from the US, for Last Wildest Place exploring the Purús/Manu region in southeastern Peru, one of the most remote, inaccessible, and important areas of the Amazon and home to perhaps the highest concentration of isolated “uncontacted” tribes on Earth.
Kristen and Jason’s projects were also exhibited in the SDN/ZEKE exhibition at Photoville in the fall of 2020 in Brooklyn and were also be featured in the fall issue of ZEKE magazine.
View Cousins Online View Last Wildest Place Online
Social Documentary Network
Social Documentary Network (SDN) is a global community of documentary photographers, editors, curators, NGOs, students, journalists, and others who believe in the power of visual storytelling to build understanding and appreciation for the complexities, nuances, wonders, and contradictions that abound in the world today.
Since its founding in 2008, the SDN website has featured more than 3,000 exhibits by more than 2,000 photographers, from all corners of the globe. Today, SDN has grown beyond the boundaries of a computer screen and produces gallery exhibitions, educational programs, calls for entries, and its print magazine, ZEKE: The Magazine of Global Documentary.
ZEKE Magazine is the essence of photography with global impact. The magazine offers the best of global documentary photography in print and electronically, twice a year. Each issue presents outstanding photography from the SDN on topics as diverse as the war in Syria, the European migration crisis, the Bangladesh garment industry, and other issues of global concern.
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INSPIRING MINDS: Art Educators Exhibition
Spring 2020
Curated by Jeremy Moss
Virtual Opening Reception via Zoom
Thursday, April 30. 2020
INSPIRING MINDS, presented in tandem with the student exhibition, is an opportunity for Art Educators to share their individual talents beyond their teaching credentials. Every teacher spends hours demonstrating art techniques, cultivating and displaying the artwork of budding student artists, but this show focuses on the other side of art education: the educator as an artist. This exhibition celebrates current art educators who continue to cherish their own inspirational journey and creative development. These unique and talented artists understand the significance of not only teaching art but creating it as well.
I hope that viewers take away an appreciation of the artistic talent that abounds in our teachers and community. It’s important to recognize that these amazing people are not only teachers. They are practicing artists who share their love of art and their own creative journey with their students every day.
-Jeremy Moss, Curator
Pictured above: Hope by Avril Bogle
THE CURATOR’S LENS
Curated by Jeremy Moss
January 30 – March 22, 2020
Oksana Berzinsh • Kathy Cantwell • Lyman Dally • Cat Delett • Dawn DiCicco • Christina Duarte • Thomas Farawell • Adam Gustavson • Samar Hussaini • Patricia Hutchinson • Aida Jones • Oscar Peterson • Jenny Reinhardt • Michael Steinbrick • Joel Tidey
View the Flickr Gallery for this exhibition
As curator of The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery, I enjoy bringing a wide range of artistic talent to our space, and I relish presenting something new and unique. I am constantly looking to find artists creating in a new medium or who are inspired to go beyond their traditional borders.
As such, it is with extreme pleasure that we present The Curator’s Lens. This group show presents work from artists I have shown with, those I have curated before and those whose work I am lucky enough to enjoy in my personal collection. For this inaugural installation, we are presenting mainly local artists. I’ve been mindful to select newer works that have not yet been widely exhibited and several pieces are being presented publicly for the first time. This showcase has been wonderfully exciting for me to curate and I am confident you will enjoy and be inspired by the diverse and stunning work you see on the walls of the Gallery. -Jeremy Moss
Pictured above: partial image of Almost Before I Ceased To Be Sensible, by Cat Delett
JUST DANCE… Steve Vaccariello
November 14, 2019 – January 19, 2020
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
In JUST DANCE…, Vaccariello’s vivid and sensual portraits capture an unbridled creativity; a guileless exchange of artistic expression between two masters, each on either side of the camera lens. Vaccariello’s direction is simple and straightforward, “Just dance…” Then, on film, he immortalized their liberated collaboration; a visual and a performance artist breaking free to bestow an inspired vision of beauty.
“Photography isn’t what I do,” says Vaccariello, “It’s what I am.”
CONVERGENCE
September 12 – November 3, 2019
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
Barbara Bickart and Colleen Lineberry are exceptionally talented artists who excel in many creative disciplines. They are also sisters. While their lives have taken different paths, there became conscious, subconscious and non-conscious crossing points throughout their adulthood. The ‘convergence’ of these very different paths is at the core of this exhibition. The exhibit also hi-lights their considerable talent and allows you to submerge yourself in their journey. Bickart and Lineberry show mastery of abstraction to convey a narrative about the world around them.
The Visual Passion Duo: The Doors
Mikel Frank and Gerard Amsellem
March 4 – April 28, 2019
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
This exhibition is the culmination of works created by Gerard Amsellem and Mikel Frank since their collaboration began in 2010. The large-scale paintings are done on door panels ranging in size from 18” inches wide to 120” wide and all are the standard height of 80”. Gerard and Mikel enjoy sharing their collaboration with the community and have created many of the works in the exhibition in front of an audience. They both feel that by working together to create a collaborative piece a “third artist” is present, signifying the real magic of collaboration.
The Price of Sugar by Jenny Reinhardt
December 10, 2018 – February 22, 2019
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
In The Price of Sugar, Reinhardt has woven the theme of the bright and seductive appeal of sugar and confectionary, along with its dark side; the addiction, the excess and the disease. Sugar is both sweet and dangerous.
Decades of Dance by Pat Hutchinson
September 10 – November 23, 2018
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
Decades of Dance, from New Jersey artist Patricia Hutchinson is a collection of paintings that capture the grace and beauty of dancers’ bodies in motion. Ms. Hutchinson’s paintings serve as an artist’s observation of the human form suspended in a crystalized moment of action.
Kwalité Paintings by Joe Waks
March 5 – April 27, 2018
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
Joe Waks’ mixed-media paintings underscore his passion for politics and popular culture. Seen through the lens of past icons and emblems of our society, his paintings become an audacious commentary on our consumerist ethos and modern society. Enter Joe’s world for an upside down view of how our culture embraces the marketing messages that infiltrate our minds at every turn.
FORM by Maeva Fouché
December 11, 2017 – February 16, 2018
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
A New Jersey native, born in Newark, Maeva Fouché has always embraced her Haitian-American heritage. It is evident in her work as you view the colors and cultural references. She fell in love with all things art at an early age, leading her on her journey into the art world. Fouché graduated from Kean University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. She has since perfected marrying the design aspect to her influences; geometry, cubism, pop art and music. The effect is a visual stimulation that speaks both emotionally and spiritually.
reflect: NYC by Michael Steinbrick
September 11 – November 24, 2017
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
Steinbrick’s paintings reflect a spiritual experience, a moment when a higher level of consciousness takes over the logical translation of what your eye is seeing. His images tell a story, both obvious and subversive. They capture the beauty in the randomness of the ever-changing advertisements and street traffic below, while the reflections change that narrative.
Changing Landscapes by Mary Jane Van Zeijts
March 6 – April 30, 2017
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
As a lover of nature, Mary Jane Van Zeijts is in search of the perfect light. Her pastel images are both luminescent and moody, a juxtaposition she catches in a seemingly effortless manner. Van Zeijts’ drawings, that contain both impressionistic and abstract elements, have a distinct feel of an oil painting. Her use of color transports you to that exact moment in time.
Inside Looking Out by Dorothy Anderson Wasserman
December 15, 2016 – February 23, 2017
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
The interplay of Wasserman’s inner life and outer reality will take you on a fascinating journey of surrealist visual narratives. Wassermann’s photographs are cut, rearranged and then pieced together in layers of chaos and clarity. She tells a spellbinding story using images from the past, present and an imagined future. Contemporary surrealist collage in its finest form.
POL!TICO: ARTS & The Humanities
September 8 – December 8, 2016
View the Flickr Gallery for this Exhibition
An exhibit that explored the cultural influence of politics and the humanities through the uses of various mediums of visual art. The intersection of art and politics provides an opportunity for exploration of the ideals of truth and transparency vs. censorship and political correctness as the tug-of-war between these ideological pursuits rages on.
POL!T!CO was part of a collaboration showcasing four arts organizations (SOPAC, Arts Unbound, The Baird Center’s Pierro Gallery and Valley Arts Firehouse Gallery) connected by geography, and the desire to create a richer experience for viewers. This four-venue exhibit gives artists a voice in some of the size-able issues that are informing the 2016 November presidential election.
Spirited by Alberte Bernier & Ritch Gaiti
February 8 – April 30, 2016
Spirited was a celebration of the energy, enthusiasm and determination of character, outlook and mood beyond the perceived limitations, and often opposing ideals, of Nature vs. Nurture.
For Haitian-born Alberte Bernier, painting represents a profound source of freedom as well as a desire to convey human emotion and fantasy. Like the human experience which is multi-leveled, what appear to be basic colors in her art are superimposed nuances.
Although born and raised in Brooklyn, Ritch Gaiti became visually attracted to the American west and Native American culture by the warm colors and the spiritual nature of the people and the land. He paints of the people, the land and the spirits and recaptures a feeling of a time and a culture long-gone.
An Artful Life – An Exhibition from
the Private Collection of Herb & Milly Iris
September 1, 2015 – January 15, 2016