METUCHEN — Nails in the Wall, the Gallery at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, is presenting “The Immigration Issue: Then & Now” through May 31.
Encompassing various media and styles by artists from all over the country, the show explores the social issue through art.
“I believe visitors to this exhibit will find themselves entering the gallery and catching their breath,” Gallery Director Linda Vonderschmidt LaStella said. “These are works that truly touch the heart.”
Spearheading the 150th anniversary celebration of the founding of St. Luke’s, the exhibit calls on the public to acknowledge that the United States has always been, and continues to be, a nation of immigrants, according to organizers.
Included in the exhibit is a series of sculptures by New Jersey artist Robert Lach. His “Nestboxes” make use of antique suitcases and nest-like elements.
Like Lach’s sculptures, West Virginia artist Victoria Pendragon’s collage connects to the immigrant experience, as does the work of New Jersey artist Thelma Fried, Florida artist Beau Wild and Allison Merriweather, who makes her home in Houston, Texas, Vonderschmidt LaStella said.
The largest element in the show is a 10-foot long print entitled “Family Homestead” by Chicago artist Audrius V. Plioplys. Created from a photo of the Plioplys family farmhouses in Lithuania, the work tells weaves in a weblike fashion the story of his family’s escape from persecution.
Like Plioplys, a number of artists created work that connects directly with their families’ experiences of immigration, such as New Jersey artists Lydia Congiu, Cornelia Dohse- Peck, Ellis Eisner, Lisa Westheimer, Roberta Rose and New Mexico artist Diego Rios. In addition, the exhibit includes work by New Jersey artist Lauren Curtis, Florida artist Jeannie Stone, and Maryland artists Eric March and John Lowie.
Refreshments at the reception will be provided by the Metuchen Inn, with live music by Mary Jo Vontury and Dwinel Smith adding to the celebratory experience.
The gallery, at 17 Oak Ave., Metuchen, is open daily. For more information, visit www.stlukesmetuchen.org/nails-in-thewall. php.