Panel Will Feature Women Artists From Newark

An Ironbound art gallery is hosting a panel discussion next week focusing on women artists from Newark.

“Searching for What’s Real” is sponsored by the nonprofit ARTS ETC and Catfish Friday Women’s Art Collective. The event is funded by grants from the state Council for the Humanities and the Essex County Division of Cultural Affairs.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held July 13 at the Firehouse Gallery, 56 Prospect St., from 6 to 9 pm.

The discussion, which will include local artists Gladys Grauer, Eleta Caldwell, Bisa Washington and Yoland Skeete, will be led by Nell Painter, a Princeton University professor.

The event marks the launch of a digital archive of the Catfish Friday Women’s Art Collective, a program of ARTS ETC. that will feature interviews with women artists from the city.

“Through the archive we want to broaden the picture of who is making art in the 21st century, what are their stories and what is their connection with the global art community,” ARTS ETC said in a statement. “Many times the stories of women artists revolve around social justice issues such as gender, racial and sexual discrimination and domestic responsibility. Yet, we find that the stories of women highlight the tenacity of the human spirit to excel beyond their personal and social challenges.”