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Artist's Statement
Opening Reception Please join us on Friday June 14, 2013 (6 p.m.– 8 p.m.) to celebrate this new exhibition in the ArtWalk at Hartford Public Library, located in the heart of the city at 500 Main Street. Also live jazz performance by Taino Pacheco.
ArtWalk at Hartford Public Library offers one of the largest and most stunning exhibition spaces in greater Hartford and the opportunity for visitors to view art in a magnificent setting in their own community. The state-of-the art gallery rises above Main Street along a glass wall that floods the space with ambient light during the day and appears to glow as a jewel box at night. Exhibitions offer an array of art experiences that reflect a variety of media, styles, and cultures in the art world, providing diverse viewing experiences, and allowing for many tastes. Because of the unusual cable system in place, one of the most unique aspects of the ArtWalk is that any wall and lighting configuration or arrangement can change with the nature of every new exhibition. The ArtWalk is made possible through the generosity of donors, especially the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. |
Renowned American painter and mixed-media artist JoeSam’s “Art for the Rest of Us” includes paintings and mixed-media artworks that have been exhibited around the country, particularly in California, where the artist lived before moving to Hartford and establishing a home and studio. “My work reflects the fact that I am a Black artist,” JoeSam says. “My colors, patterns and designs are multi-faceted and combine many parallel elements in a single piece of work, analogous to the way African-derived music combines parallel rhythmic and melodic elements. The content of my work reflects issues and ideas concerning people of color.” Born in Harlem, JoeSam studied child psychology and had a career in social services before devoting himself full time to his art beginning in the late 1970s. His vibrant work is included in many public and private collections, and he has created numerous public art installations. JoeSam also illustrated several books, including The Invisible Hunters/Los Cazadores Invisible, a bilingual children’s book about a tribal group in Central America. He has worked on art projects in Europe and South America, and served as an artist in residence in California. The opening of JoeSam’s exhibition on June 14 has been scheduled to coincide with The Amistad Center’s June 15 gala celebration of Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration of the end of American slavery and a historic date for many African Americans.