Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

There is a very lovely presence that Cheryl Gross brings with her wherever she goes. I had met her for the first time at 107 Bowers Gallery, and then saw her at an art show at City Hall when the artist Hao Feng who was in a group show there had invited me to the opening reception. Cheryl's art is intricate and thoughtful, creating a world within a world that invites us into a journey, but perhaps one of the most interesting things about her is that for all of the time and effort that goes into her own exquisite work, she is always celebrating and encouraging other artists rather than talking about herself. I would not have known that she was in the show at City Hall if Hao hadn't told me - Cheryl was there taking photographs of Hao and her work and other artists, encouraging and celebrating them, and then Hao pointed to Cheryl's work and asked if I had seen it. I had remembered meeting Cheryl at 107 Bowers Gallery, and as we talked I started to learn a bit more about her, including the lovely fact that she teaches, but she didn't really talk about herself much at all, preferring to focus on the other artists who were there. It took several more meetings and conversations, including a wonderful dinner at neighborhood restaurant Hooked JC, to find out that she teaches at Pratt Institute and has had a long history in New York and Los Angeles in the art and design industries, and then finally one day when I went to visit with her at Mana Contemporary where she was in Residency at the Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation (ESKFF) I learned, seemingly almost by accident, that she had written a book. She gave me a copy of it, and though I knew it would be enjoyable, it was so wonderful that it made my day to start reading it and discover the intricate world she has created within it. That day I also saw some of her new work, which is stunning in every way, going beyond the greatness I had already seen and creating a body of work that is so vibrantly interesting, funny and thought provoking that it brought the whole room to light.

Great work can be uplifting in its own way, and there is something that Cheryl Gross does that brings her work to another level. It makes you think, it makes you laugh, and the designs and colors and shapes and shifting shadows she creates are exquisitely beautiful. After visiting with her in her studio space at ESKFF, we walked over to have a late lunch at an Indian restaurant on Newark Avenue. I love Indian food, but although I shop on Newark Avenue I had never eaten in one of the restaurants there. Again in her own carefully thoughtful way she navigated us to a delightful restaurant where we enjoyed some of the most delicious Indian food I've had. As we talked about her teaching work I discovered even more about her beautiful spirit - she doesn't just teach because it's something to do within her field, she truly cares about the students she works with and wants to help and inspire and empower them to grow into the most beautiful and exciting art and design work they can do. To teach is a gift that not everyone has within them - to teach well, and to encourage and inspire and empower, is something divine.

Cheryl Gross In Residency

At The Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation

Mana Contemporary

888 Newark Avenue

Jersey City, New Jersey

http://www.cmgross.com/

http://manacontemporary.com/

http://www.eskff.com/