WEST ORANGE, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the West Orange Arts Council. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.
The West Orange Arts Council (WOAC) presents "Get Up! Stand Up!," an exhibit championing human rights, freedom, equality and expression. An artist reception will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the West Orange Arts Center gallery, 551 Valley Road. The gallery will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. through Dec. 18, 2026.
"Get Up! Stand Up!" features original works by artists Simone Anthony-Brown, Peter Astor, Cathleen McCoy Bristol, Mary Byrnes, Collette Conners, Joan Carter, Jerry Gant (1961-2018), Kathleen Heron, Carol T. Jenkins, Theodore Jenkins, Jody Leight, Joanne Leone, Maria Savidis Markatos, Hugh Mahon, Patricia Mitrano, Mansa Mussa, Frank Nicoletti, Suliman Onque, Yvonne Onque, Olive Ross, Ameerah Shabazz, Onnie Strother, Denise Toney, Marcella Booker Tannis, and Asher Williams. Through a range of artistic perspectives, the exhibit invites visitors to reflect on the struggles, progress and ongoing challenges that shape our communities and the world.
The exhibit is curated by Carol T. Jenkins and Joanne Leone, both lifelong advocates of the arts, whose friendship began in high school and that has spanned six decades. Together, they bring a lifetime of perspective to an exhibit that speaks to the importance of recognizing history and understanding its relevance to the present. "Art communicates across cultures and generations, often expressing what words cannot," said Jenkins, a WOAC Board Member. "Images have a universal language that connects us through shared experiences."
For Leone and Jenkins, the exhibit is particularly timely. Having witnessed decades of social and cultural change, they recognize that progress does not mean the struggles of the past are behind us. "Artists have the opportunity to give voice to important stories that encourage reflection and support the preservation of humanity," said Leone.
The exhibit also highlights the importance of sustaining a vibrant arts community in West Orange. "Our town is rich in artistic talent, and the arts need more than appreciation—they need advocates," said Patricia Mitrano, WOAC Chair. "We need community members willing to get involved, open doors, and help connect us with the resources and influence to keep the arts thriving."
As the WOAC navigates a changing financial landscape and explores new partnerships and opportunities for the future, community involvement will be essential to keeping arts and cultural programming accessible and thriving in West Orange.
"Get Up! Stand Up!" invites residents to experience the exhibit, engage with the artists' messages and consider how they can help strengthen the future of the arts in their community.
For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please EMAIL US or call 973-306-4664.
The West Orange Arts Council's mission is to cultivate, inspire, and support the arts in West Orange. Area artists and community leaders remain the core of this all-volunteer organization that operates the West Orange Arts Center Gallery and Gift Shop at 551 Valley Road, West Orange, NJ.
This program is made possible partly by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and administered by the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs and the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund.
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