“OPENING LIKE A PARASOL”: This painting by Jessica Mensch is featured in “Here and Now,” the new fall exhibition at the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedmister. It will be on view September 11 through December 11. A virtual opening reception will be held via Zoom on Friday, September 11 from 6-7 p.m.

The Center for Contemporary Art (The Center) in Bedminster has announced its new fall exhibition, “Here and Now,” on view from September 11 through December 11^.. To celebrate The Center’s 50^th anniversary this fall, curators John Yau and Wes Sherman spent over a year assembling the work of 19 contemporary artists. 

The artists featured in the exhibition are Chakaia Booker, Willie Cole, Chie Fueki, Evan Halter, Takuji Hamanaka, Barry Hazard, Suzanne Joelson, Judy Koo, Talia Levitt, Jessica Mensch, Phillip McConnell, Ilse Murdock, Nadia Haji Omar, William A. Ortega, Joyce Robins, Stephanie H. Shih, Francesca Strada, Tejaswini. and Peter Williams. 

Co-curator Sherman said, “‘Here and Now,’ implies an awareness of the present, much like the name of this institution, The Center of Contemporary Art, there is a mindfulness of being contemporary. This awareness is a continuum of ideas, practices, and events that reflect what The Center for Contemporary Art has stood for these past 50 years. To paraphrase Isaac Newton, to see further we must stand on the shoulders of giants. This exhibition can only exist because of what has come before and celebrates the diverse community of artists and art that is here and now.” Sherman is a teaching artist at The Center and chair of The Center’s Exhibitions Committee. 

In selecting the work that is on view, co-curator Yau explains, “I wanted to have no preconceptions as to what would be in the exhibition. I would not make the decision. The work would make the final choices for me. It would make a strong impact, make me look again, become in some way unforgettable. It would push me into new places and offer me different and fresh perspectives.” Yau is an award-winning poet and art critic, co-editor of the online magazine, Hyperallergic Weekend, and professor of critical studies at Mason Gross School of the Arts (Rutgers University).

The exhibition is on view Mondays-Thursdays at The Center’s Bedminster location and Fridays and Saturdays by appointment only. Visitors must follow posted COVID-19 protocols. A virtual opening reception will be held via Zoom on Friday, September 11 from 6-7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The reception will include talks from the curators and a preview of the exhibition. RSVP to Leigh Zona at lzona@ccabedminster.org to attend. (Note: Opening reception Zoom link will be sent out the evening of September 10.)