In conjunction with the current exhibition, Artistas de Latinoamérica Sueños y Posibilidades at NJCU Galleries, this panel will feature four artists  — Jacqueline Herranz-Brooks, Tenjin Ikeda, Felix Morelo, and Katherine Miranda — who will discuss their works and practice as they relate to political perspectives. With curator Atim Annette Oton's moderation, they will examine how socioeconomic/political contexts behind their work 

About the Curator

Atim Annette Oton is the Curator and Director of Calabar Gallery which represents and exhibits underserved artists locally and globally: African, African American, and Caribbean artists, with the mission of providing a place for community, exhibition, creative initiatives and projects that instigate dialogue, build communities, bolster local and global economies, and further social. A Nigerian-born, American and British educated designer turned art curator focused on highlighting contemporary African Artists and African Diaspora artists, Atim’s work is inspired and influenced by black and global African culture and the complexities of the African experience made visible through dynamic work representing art, culture and society.

About the Artists

Jacqueline Herranz Brooks is a queer writer and educator from Havana, whose creative journey has been shaped by her rich heritage and personal experiences. Currently residing in New York, Jacqueline seamlessly weaves her identity into her work, utilizing the medium of photography and text to craft fictional stories. With a profound understanding of the complexities of decolonization and survival, Herranz Brooks delves deep into her Cuban roots, exploring the history and struggles of her native land. 

Tenjin Ikeda is an Afro-Puerto Rican artist born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. At a very young age learned the importance of tradition and heritage from his mother. He taught himself how to draw at an early age and he was hooked, he has been seriously making art for 30-plus years using the various mediums of painting, sculpture, and printmaking. He attended the School of Visual Arts in New York first focusing on graphic design and ultimately Fine Arts where he felt more freedom to express himself. It was at the Art Students League that he discovered printmaking, which has been his focus for the past 20-plus years. “It is my desire to continue to visibly show the richness of my ancestry to the world.” 

Katherine Miranda (they/he) is a Latinx, non-binary artist born, raised, and based in the Bronx. Drawing from their Mexican, Puerto Rican, and American heritage, they use discarded objects to create work that acts as a reflection, an investigation, and an homage to their history and ancestry. Miranda is currently a 2023 Create Change Fellow with The Laundromat Project as well as an Artist-in-Residence at Governors Island with BronxArtSpace from August 1st to October 31st. They have been awarded several other fellowships including the Artist in the Marketplace Fellowship with The Bronx Museum of the Arts (2022) and the New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowship with Wave Hill Gardens (2021) where they held their first solo show, I Answer Back. 

Felix Morelo is a Colombian/American artist based in New York City. He is a painter, sculptor, printmaker, bookmaker, performance and street artist. Morelo studied Painting at Parsons School of Design and drawing at The Art Students' League in New York City. His artwork has been shown locally in New York City at Lehman College, Blackburn Printshop, BRIC Rotunda Gallery, Howl Happening, and AAA3A Gallery to name a few. He is represented by Artist Abbey Gallery in Truth or Consequence, New Mexico, and Mique Gallery in Tokyo Japan. 

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This is a hybrid event, so please join us either in-person or via Zoom

Topic: Panel Discussion: Latin American Art and Politics
Time: Sep 26, 2023 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 962 4228 4547
Passcode: 30773752

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The exhibition is split between two galleries: The Visual Arts Gallery, located on the ground floor of the Visual Arts Building, at 100 Culver Avenue, Jersey City; and The Lemmerman Gallery, located in room 323 of Hepburn Hall, the gothic-style building facing the main gate at 2039 Kennedy Blvd.  

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and other times can be requested by contacting gallery@njcu.edu or @njcugalleries on Instagram.

Other participating artists for this exhibit are Ray Arcadio, Alexandra Alvarez, Natali Bravo-Barbee, Vanezza Cruz, Giannina Gutierrez, Sonia Lerebours, Kandy G. Lopez, Maria Lupiañez, Cesar Melgar, Josué Morales Urbina, Dayani Muñoz, Estrella Muñoz, Sylvia Padilla, Ann Tirado, Melissa Ulto, and João (Juno) Zago.

This exhibition is part of the NJCU Hispanic Heritage Month and is supported by the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies.