Gallery at 14 Maple's powerful exhibit, COMPASSION: Is it the Radicalism of Our Time?

On September 20, 2018, nearly 80 guests attended Morris Arts’ free opening reception for the Gallery at 14 Maple’s twentieth exhibit entitled COMPASSION: Is It the Radicalism of Our Time? The Exhibition Committee of Morris Arts, guest curator Adrienne Wheeler and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation selected works created by 15 outstanding artists (paintings, mixed media, prints, photographs, sculpture, collage, and digital art) for display at the Gallery, a distinctive space located on the 3^rd floor of the LEED certified “green” building at 14 Maple Ave., Morristown.

The exhibit features works by a highly diverse and distinguished group of artists, many of whom have had dual careers as curators, art directors, gallery founders and academic scholars. These include Anonda Bell (Montclair), Terry Boddie (Orange), Lisa Conrad (Newark), Cicely Cottingham (West Orange), Victor Davson (West Orange) Dominique Duroseau (Newark), Adebunmi Gbadebo (Newark), Dong Kyu Kim (Fort Lee), Steve McKenzie (Annandale), PaulA Neves (Newark), Nell Painter (Newark), Kay Reese (Irvington), Onnie Strother (East Orange), Amanda Thackray (Newark) and Nathan Williams (Brooklyn, NY). Their artworks encompass highly varied perspectives on the exhibit’s central theme, Compassion, examining the multitude of interpretations of its role and place in modern life.

Click HERE to see the Catalogue for the exhibit.

: Dong Kyu Kim’s handmade needlework, The Most Famous Stars and Stripes #2

: Cicely Cottingham’s acrylic on tracing vellum, Flag for HRC (To all the people you can)

: Adebunmi Gbadebo’s human hair work, Am I Still Dreadful?

: Anonda Bell’s cut paper, paint , ink, Media Mothers

: Kay Reese’s photo based wall sculpture, Food for Some

: Kay Reese’s photo based print wall sculpture, Food for All

: Nathan William’s mixed media collage, Flying (up); She Witness and She Work; She (up) Rise and (up) Lift..She (up)

: Nell Painter’s ink on paper/Yupo, Annee Infame 6

: Onnie Strother’s photo etching and Tore printing, Lift Up Holy Hands #1

: Victor Davson’s oil and wax, Bad Cow Comin’ (It Never Ceases to be a Crisis)

: Terry Boddie’s cyanotype, Import Export

: Stephen McKenzie’s screenprint, More Americans have died…

Guest Curator Adrienne Wheeler adds the following insight about the exhibit: “Is compassion the radicalism of our time, as the Dalai Lama asserts? If so, what is the manifestation of this empathy? The objective of this exhibition is not to offer moral critique, but rather to focus on the capacity for art to expose the existence of this phenomenon in the artist’s practice.”

Here are some PHOTOS from the Opening Reception:

: Nathan Williams, Lisa Conrad, Amanda Thackray, Adrienne Wheeler, Kay Reese, Stephen McKenzie, PaulA Neves, Adebunmi Gbadebo

: Adebunmi Gbadebo with her work, Am I Still Dreadful?

: Victor Davson with his work, Bad Cow Comin’

: Cicely Cottingham with her works

: Stephen McKenzie with his work, More Americans Have Died

: Kay Reese with her work Food for Some

: Adebunmi Gbadebo with visitor and Dr. Virginia Butera

: Nathan Williams with his work Flying (up); She Witness and She Work….

: Dong Kyu Kim with his work, The Most Famous Stars and Strips #2

: Lisa Conrad with her work Home Is

: Amanda Thackray with her work Porifera

: PaulA Neves with her work Eleuthra

: Onnie Strother with his work Lift Up Holy Hands #1

: Curator Adrienne Wheeler with Dr. Virginia Butera and artist Dong Kyu Kim

: Artist Nathan Williams and crowds at the reception

: Adebunmi Gbadebo talks with Eva Meller

: Victor Davson talking with Adrienne Wheeler and Nathan Williams

: Arits Kay Reese talking with visitors

: Onnie Strother talks with Adebunmi Gbadebo

: Lumane Luma with Curator Adrienne Wheeler and artists Victor Davson and Cicely Cottingham

Morris Arts gratefully acknowledges support for this exhibit, with partnership from

and additional support from

The exhibit is open to the public Monday-Friday from 10am to 4pm and by appointment, and will remain on display until February 14, 2019. Visit www.morrisarts.org or call (973) 285-5115 for additional information, including the exhibit catalogue which contains details and sale prices for all works. The Gallery at 14 Maple is a barrier-free facility. Individuals needing special accommodation should contact Carlos Sotelo at (973) 285-5115, x 17 or csotelo@morrisarts.org.