Montclair Art Museum Will Reopen With New Exhibits This Weekend

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Art Museum is getting ready to reopen its galleries with new exhibits on Friday, Feb. 9 after a temporary closure.

All galleries at the museum have been closed since Jan. 22 for installations and preparation work. But now, new posters are up for several new exhibits that will be on display this winter and spring.

They include:

• "Century: 100 Years of Black Art at MAM"
• "Family, Community, Belonging: Works from the Collection"
• "Siona Benjamin: Lilith in the New World"
• "Debra Cartwright: Inaugural AACC Founders Fellow Exhibition"
• "Joel Meyerowitz: Photographs from Cape Cod (1976-1987)"
• "George Inness: Visionary Landscapes"

One of those exhibits – “Family, Community, Belonging: Works from the Collection” – will be among the works that visitors can check out Friday. According to a news release from the museum:

“This unique collection-based exhibition delves into the ever-evolving notions of family and community, and explores themes of belonging, diversity, and inclusion through a diverse array of artworks. Featuring a selection of historic, modern, and contemporary works, the exhibition aims to showcase the rich tapestry of American culture, emphasizing the individual and collective experiences shared across lines of race, gender, ethnicity, religion and geography.”

The works range from nineteenth-century portraits of European American mothers with children – providing a glimpse into the essence of family life during that era – to Elizabeth Catlett’s portrayal of an African American grandmother and grandson from the 1980s and Afro-Indigenous artist Natia Lemay’s “Four Generations” (2023), featuring herself as a little girl at her grandmother’s house.

Artists from various Indigenous/Native American communities are also featured in the exhibit, including Melanie Yazzi (Diné) and Mario Martinez (Pascua Yaqui), whose works represent generational narratives and familial bonds.

“We hope this exhibition becomes a safe space for dialogue and reflection,” said Gail Stavitsky, chief curator of the exhibit.

“While families may be experiencing divisions in today's world, we aim to showcase the diverse ways individuals and communities define and come together, contributing to a more just and equitable society,” Stavitsky said.

“Family, Community, Belonging: Works from the Collection” will be on display until January 2026. Learn about this and other exhibits at the Montclair Art Museum here.

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