February 23, 2010 | Bronx Community College
Bronx, NY – Ceramist Mara Gross will present a solo exhibition marking the 30th anniversary of the National Women’s History Project. The exhibit, entitled WOMEN: AT THE TABLE, OFF THE WALL, EVERY DAY, opens March 2nd and runs through April 21st at the Hall of Fame Gallery in Bliss Hall on the campus of Bronx Community College, 2155 University Avenue (at West 181st Street and University Avenue). For directions, please visit http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/directions/directions.htm. By car, drive in through the Hall of Fame Terrace entrance; or walk onto the campus from the University Avenue stairway at West 181st Street.
An opening reception and discussion by the artist will be held on Wednesday, March 10th, from 12:00-2:00 p.m. A second reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, March 13th, from 1- 5 p.m. All gallery events are open to the public.
Gross, who works with clay, specializes in Majolica, a type of ceramic dating back from Renaissance Italy. Majolica is usually decorated with bright colors on a white background. Other work in the show is surfaced with acrylic paints, ink and crayon and includes mixed media. In addition, there will be some works on paper.
The central artwork in the upcoming exhibition is a full year calendar made entirely of ceramic tiles. At the center of each tile and each day is a joyous female figure.
Gross connects the calendar with the struggles women have faced including her own. She was diagnosed in 2006 with breast cancer. Although the artwork represents a 2006 calendar, there is nothing in it which explicitly depicts any element of the disease. Gross emphasizes, “this is not a piece about ‘oh poor me.’
“Calendars have universal representation or, simply, every person relates to a calendar in his or her own way,” states Gross.
The piece is partially drawn from the Jewish tradition. The expression, “Let us make every day count” is derived from the celebration of the Jewish holiday Shavuot, which comes 40 days after the celebration of Passover. For more information on the artist please visit www.maragrossceramics.com.
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Founded in 1957, Bronx Community College (BCC), the oldest of City University of New York’s six community colleges, serves as the engine for academic and economic mobility for motivated students from diverse backgrounds and preparations. More than 11,000 students from over 109 nations are enrolled in 30 associate degree and certificate programs including Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Computer Graphics, Nuclear Medicine, and Business Administration, Digital Arts, Computer Information Systems, Education Associate, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology, Electronic Engineering Technology, Liberal Arts, Marketing, Accounting, Human Services, Media Technology and Paralegal Studies. BCC’s 43-acre campus, high above the Harlem River, features architectural masterpieces of Stanford White and Marcel Breuer, as well as the Hall of Fame of Great Americans, the nation’s first hall of fame. BCC President Carolyn G. Williams is in her 13th year of leadership service to the College, which is located on a 43-acre campus at 2155 University Avenue at West 181st Street , formerly New York University’s uptown campus until 1973.
The College is home to initiatives not commonly associated with two-year institutions, such as the Center for Sustainable Energy, which promotes the use of renewable and efficient energy technologies in urban communities. The National Center for Educational Alliances (NCEA) is currently collaborating with South African Further Education and Training Colleges and universities to create linkages between these institutions. NCEA also coordinates the College’s international initiatives and the annual International Education Week.