Exhibits & Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montclair, NJ (April 2026) – Studio Montclair (SMI) is delighted to present“For gotten Things Forgotten Times,” a survey of photographs by Newark visual artist and educator Onnie Strother. The show will run from April 16 through June 20 at SMI’s Academy Square Gallery, 33 Plymouth Street, Montclair, NJ. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 16 from 6:00-8:00pm.

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The exhibit comprises three series of photos depicting the vanishing worlds of Strother’s childhood in 1950s Newark as well as other venues that suffered a similar decline. These documentary-style photos—a testimony to both change and the dignity of everyday work—provide a visual record of times past that were characterized by a sense of community and personal responsibility. According to Strother, “My practice as an artist and teacher has always been rooted in the past. Each of my three series is a study of transition: a visual record of worlds in the act of passing away. I work documentary-style, attentive to place and to the gestures of labor, looking for the moments when objects and people reveal larger stories about value, endurance, and loss. The photographs are not nostalgic fantasies; they are testimonies to change and to the dignity of everyday work.”

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“Last of the Hawks” is a series of photographs of newspaper vendors who sold the Sunday Star-Ledger on the streets of Newark, able to earn a living wage from their work. “Tire Series,” a metaphor for the universal journey of transition and transformation, comprises images of tires in shops that repair and recycle used tires. “Steel Stacks” depicts the decaying Bethlehem

Steel complex in Pennsylvania, a monument to industrial decline and the communities reshaped by it. Says Strother, “Across these series I am drawn to thresholds—corners, shop floors, factory stacks—places where labor, material, and time intersect. My work is a record of transition bearing witness: to the people and processes that sustained communities, to acknowledge what has been lost, and to consider what endures. The photographs are small acts of preservation, asking viewers to look closely

at the ordinary work that once sustained our world.”

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The exhibit expands SMI’s commitment this year to displaying art that reflects the concepts of freedom and democracy. While the America of today appears to be teetering on the edge of a precipice, these photographs portray our country and its people through an insightful lens of loss and renewal that perhaps offers hope for a better future.

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In September, SMI will continue its exploration of freedom and democracy with its “We the People” exhibition.

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About the Artist:

Onnie Strother has been deeply committed to the visual arts for over five decades, touching the lives of thousands through his artwork, teaching, curating, and community involvement. He is a former art and art history teacher with degrees in fine art, art education, and administration and supervision. Strother grew up in Newark where he began attending art classes at the Newark Museum at the age of nine. He later attended the School of Visual Arts in NY on scholarship followed by an art education degree from Rutgers University. He taught at Columbia High School in Maplewood, NJ for 24 years, eventually becoming the art Department chair. Upon retiring from teaching, he has focused on curating and creating his own artwork using the mediums of linocut and monoprint printmaking,photography, and mixed media. He also teaches printmaking at the WAE Center in Livingston, NJ, a facility for the developmentally disabled. Strother’s work is largely informed by the media, popular music, and political and social issues. Additionally, he has received grants from The National Endowment for the Humanities and The Geraldine R. Dodge

Foundation. He is also an acclaimed historian and lecturer of art history and Black history.

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Listing Information for the Exhibition:

Exhibition Dates: April 16 to June 19, 2026

Gallery: SMI’s Academy Square Gallery, 33 Plymouth Street, Montclair, NJ

Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday, 7am-7pm; Saturday, Sunday, 7am-4pm.

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 16 from 6:00-8:00pm

Studio Montclair Contact Info: smi@studiomontclair.org, 862-500-1447

About Studio Montclair:

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Studio Montclair is a nonprofit organization of exhibiting professional artists and others interested in the visual arts. Its mission is to promote culture and education in the visual arts and encourage emerging artists. Founded in 1997, the organization includes over 450 members including artists from around the United States, as well as Europe and Asia. For more information, contact smi@studiomontclair.org, or call 862-500-1447.