NEWARK, NJ—"Long Live Jerry Gant" was the chant on Nov. 19, 2018, when the Newark artist was put to rest. Indeed, mourners who swarmed Jerry Gant's casket bid farewell in a very Gant way—by signing it with graffiti tags.

Prolific: Repeat that word to yourself as you gaze at some of Gant's creations at the recently opened exhibit at the Paul Robeson Galleries at Express Newark.

Indeed, Newark is still bereft without his buoyant presence—he created art in Newark, about Newark, for over four decades until his untimely death on Nov. 11, 2018, at age 56.

If you are not familiar with the artist, Jerry Gant was a multi-disciplined visual artist, teacher, mentor, and activist. In the '80s, at the start of his career, you could find him in New York City tagging buildings along with the likes of Jean Michael Basquiat. Over the years, he created work that reflected many of the particulars of his own life as a Black male growing up in Newark and was motivated by a profound and genuine desire to truly know and understand the human condition. For Jerry, life and art were inextricably linked.

Newark's Paul Robeson Galleries, located in the Hahne building on Halsey Street, has made Bulletproof Ambition its first large gallery show since the pandemic blew the lights out on all cultural events in the city.

  "Jerry Gant was a phenomenal force in the city of Newark - his passion for the arts (visual, performing, music, literary) knew no bounds.  He cannot be commended enough for his capacity to connect people, to encourage them to create, to foster a passion for self-expression and to persist, despite all the hurdles along the way."
Anonda Bell, Curator - Paul Robeson Galleries

The exhibit title, Bulletproof Ambition, is from a phrase coined by Jerry in the nineties, describing the roots of his own impenetrable drive and passion in pursuit of his art. This celebration of Jerry Gant’s life and art runs through November 13.

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Details

Where:   Paul Robeson Galleries, 
Express Newark 2nd floor of the Hahne Building, Newark, NJ
Hours:  12pm – 4pm Monday-Friday thru November 13, 2021.

For more information about Express Newark and the Paul Robeson Galleries, visit their website.