The Trenton City Museum begins February with two exhibitions highlighting Trenton artists present and past. A free reception takes place Saturday, February 2, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The former is “Stand Up Men.” It features the work of three Trenton artists: Will “Kasso” Condry, a noted State Street muralist and one of the founders of the city’s Sage Coalition; Habiyb Shu’Aib, an active photographer exhibiting at Casa Cultura, Capital Health, and Mercer County Community College’s James Kerney Gallery in downtown Trenton; and Autin Dean Wright, an internationally represented sculptor and staff member at the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture. Curators call the exhibition “a celebration of Trenton’s African-American male artists and their use of canvas, photography, and sculpture to convey the pathos of what it means to exist as a man within the realm of Trenton’s Black culture and beyond.”
“Marge: A Preview,” the companion show, commemorates of the late longtime Trenton artist Marge Chavooshian. A prolific and award-winning watercolorist, Chavooshian was an important and visible member of the Trenton arts community for more than 50 years and leaves behind numerous images of Trenton and the region. The exhibition features never-shown works (some of which will be on sale) and serves as a preview for a retrospective in 2020. Both exhibitions are on view through March 3.
Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion, Cadwalader Park. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Free. 609-989-3632 or www.ellarslie.org.
‘Common Threads 7: Sanctuary,” on view at the BSB Gallery through Saturday, February 23, is touted as “a celebration of the rich tapestry of immigration and the American story” and focuses on foreign-born artists who chose to be Americans and settle in the Trenton area. Participating artists are Daniele Ballerini, Alia Bensliman, Chee Bravo, Daniela Brozkova, Brigitte A. Calderon, Amy Louise Lee, Vinita Mathur, Kata Mejia, Abelardo Montano, and Abbas Wiswall. They will share their stories and views during a panel discussion on Tuesday, February 9, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Common Threads was created by curator C.a. Shofed in 2013 to showcase the work of Trenton-area artists and artists influenced and inspired by the Trenton art scene.
BSB Gallery, 143 East State Street. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. www.bsbgallery.com.
Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC’s) James Kerney Campus Gallery (JKCG) presents “Iron and Water,” an exhibit that features the photography of C.a. Shofed. The show runs through Thursday, February 21. Shofed’s art has featured in Philadelphia, New York, San Diego, and Europe. He is the originator and curator of the annual show “Common Threads and curator at Trenton’s newest gallery, the BSB.
James Kerney Campus Gallery, Trenton Hall, 137 North Broad Street. Mondays, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. www.mccc.edu/JKCgallery.
