The VAM Art Gallery in Metuchen just opened its second exhibition, “Resurgence 2012” (up through March 17), featuring the work of 15 artists from four continents. VAM has international ties to five galleries in Asia and Australia, and the owners, Mamta and Vanay Nair, organized their first show in 2007 in Trivandrum, India.
Among the artists in “Resurgence” are Ad Arma, who won the “Dutch Artist of the Year” award in 2008, and Hikaru Yumura, who has twice won the Henry Moore Award. In addition to Arma and Hikaru, “Resurgence” includes work by Jiro Inagaki, Murali Cheeroth, N.N. Rimzon, Martin Reyna, Pradeep Puthoor (winner of a Jackson Pollock fellowship), Ashok Kumar Gopalan (also a Pollock Fellow), Rita Kaplan, T.M. Aziz, Mathai Tom, Mukesh Sharma, Pratul Dash, Birenda Pani and Rani Rekha.
VAM Art is at 15 Station Place, Metuchen. Free. For information about hours and directions, call (855) 826-4278 or visit www.vamartinc.com.
Black History Month at Maplewood center
Through Feb. 26, Ethiopian-born artist Tesfaye Tessema blends his African roots with his African-American branches for his exhibit, “Cultural Connections: The Art of Tesfaye Tessema.” Tessema, who has lived in Harlem for the past 30 years, is showing his series of paintings centered on the Afro hair pick, which he takes as a symbol of African life on this side of the Atlantic.
On Feb. 12, from 3 to 5 p.m., Rahidah Ismaili Abubaker, a poet and one-time gallery owner in Manhattan, will conduct a workshop exploring Tessema’s themes of cross-fertilized cultures; she will read her poem, inspired by the series, and open a discussion for both children and adults about the influence African immigrants have had on America’s general culture.
The 1978 Arts Center is at 1978 Springfield Ave., Maplewood. Regular hours are 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and by appointment. Visit 1978artscenter.org for more information.
‘New Life’ in Montclair
As long as we’re bringing the globe to New Jersey, we should mention the new show at the 73 See Gallery in Montclair, which brings together “Bone Artist” Tia Jannah, Joseph Bottari, Husayn Abu Bakr, Ronit Levin Delgado (an Israeli Fulbright scholar) and Aneta Wegrzyn (a Polish Fulbright scholar) in a group show titled “New Life: 5 Emerging Artists” Saturday to Feb. 29.
Contemporary shows like this one go a long way toward making the point that all national cultures are dissolving into one global culture — and Montclair is a surprisingly good place to watch that happen.
An opening reception will be held Saturday, from 3 to 6 p.m. The 73 See Gallery & Design Studio is at 73 Pine St., Montclair. Regular hours are Sundays, and Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Free. For more information, call (973) 746-8737 or visit 73seegallery.com.
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