TRANSITIONAL ENERGY

Join us to celebrate the opening of a new exhibition in The Herb & Milly Iris Gallery.

IMPORTANT: Due to storm restoration efforts, the main entrance of SOPAC is currently closed and the elevator is currently out of service. Please enter the building through the Cinema Lab movie theater doors and use the stairs to get to the gallery on the second and third floors. 
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TRANSITIONAL ENERGY: Form, Shape, Color

By Curtis Grayson, III
Curated by Jeremy Moss

On Display September 23 – November 21, 2021
Opening Reception Thursday, September 23 from 5-8PM
Walk + Talk with the Artist + Curator Sunday, November 14 at 2PM

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.

Mr. Grayson, born in Montclair, NJ, graduated from the prestigious Arts High School in Newark in 1987. He earned a BA in African Studies in 1993 and then a BA in Fine and Studio Art in 2014 from William Paterson University. His work, significantly influenced by his African American studies, has been exhibited throughout the region and different parts of the country while attracting the interest of noteworthy collectors. Grayson is currently an Art Teacher at Columbia High School in the South Orange/Maplewood School District.

As an artist, Grayson carefully studies how life affects the Africa American community and people, as a whole. He feels that the role of an artist is to be a recorder of time, but it was a need to incorporate the arts on another level that led Grayson to establish his company, Kemetic Expressions, which was created to uplift, educate and change the negative image of the African American experience by celebrating the culture.

His work has been shown at the Denver Black Arts Festival, Black Heritage Arts Festival, Cleveland Fine Art Show, October Gallery – Philadelphia ArtExpo, Art in the Atrium of Morristown, Ellen-Ashley Gallery in Newark, NJ, The Heritage Arts Festival in Atlanta, GA and a host of other galleries and exhibits.

Pictured on this webpage: Purple Haze, 2021

If you are interested in making a purchase, please contact Linda Beard at (973) 382-1035 or lindab@sopacnow.org.