From the Morris County Commissioners:
Morris County Jumps “Into the Light” for Juneteenth
Virtual Exhibit of African American Art Sponsored with “Art in the Atrium”
New Jersey’s first Juneteenth observation is being celebrated by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners and Art in the Atrium (ATA) with a virtual exhibit and sale of African American art entitled “Into the Light,” which goes live Saturday, June 19, 2021
“Into the Light” is the title of the Juneteenth celebratory exhibit as well as the title of the signature piece on display there – a colorful representation of an African American woman as Lady Liberty. It was created by multi-media artist Rosalind Nzinga Nichol, who is featured in the exhibit and explained that the title of her work and the virtual art exhibit emerged simultaneously.
“It’s not about liberty. It’s about having more clarity of vision,” said Nichol. “It was important to us to not keep taking things back to the 60s, keep taking things back to liberty or the end of slavery. It’s like, we’ve moved on, way on beyond that. We had to put it into the context of today, and that is where the title ‘Into the Light’ came from.”
The exhibit is FREE and may be viewed at artintheatrium.org beginning 3 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at the same time Art in the Atrium will be hosting a kick-off program outside the Artist Baker on Cattano Avenue in Morristown. Watch it on Zoom Here.
“Juneteenth is truly an important event in American history. We are celebrating June 19, 1865, two months after the Civil War ended, when Union General Gordon Granger delivered the news to enslaved communities in Texas that they were now free,” said Morris County Commissioner John Krickus.
Video: A preview of “Into the Light”:
“This was two years after Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that all those who were held as slaves were forever free. So please join us in viewing “Into the Light,” and the Morris County Board of Commissioners and Art in the Atrium as we celebrate the first Juneteenth in New Jersey.”
President Joe Biden signed a bill on Thursday declaring June 19 to be Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal holiday. Juneteenth was initially celebrated only in the South, primarily in Texas, by freed slaves beginning June 19, 1866. New Jersey first celebrated it as a state holiday this year.
Into the Light, which will run virtually through Oct. 22, 2021,is being co-sponsored by Art in the Atrium, which also is sponsoring a physical exhibit at the Morris Museum called: The Social Fabric: Black Artistry in Fiber Arts, An Exhibition in Homage to Viki Craig.
“Art in the Atrium was founded 29 years ago by Victoria Craig and Charles Craig, my parents. … It’s a nonprofit, volunteer organization with a mission to educate and exhibit African American fine art right here in lovely Morristown, New Jersey,” said Lauren LeBeaux Craig, Executive Director of ATA.
“Art in the Atrium is thrilled to open our virtual art exhibit, Into the Light, to coincide with the celebration of Juneteenth. We are proud to be a part of Morris County’s rich Black history and legacy and we are grateful to the Morris County Commissioners for recognizing our contribution to the community.”
Art in the Atrium was born in the atrium of the Morris County Administration Building on Court Street, Morristown, where four floors of African American art exhibits have been offered over the years.
It is the largest exhibit of its kind in New Jersey, and past exhibits have featured such artists as David Driskell, Willie Cole, Deborah Willis, Benny Andrews, Elizabeth Catlett, Bisa Butler, Janet Taylor Pickett and Faith Ringgold. In 2001 and again in 2016, ATA was named “Arts Organization of the Year” by Morris Arts.
ATA offered its first virtual exhibit and sale last year during the pandemic, but Morris County plans to reopen the atrium to art exhibits in 2022.
