JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER
Dear Readers,
I have reached that stage in life where purging is a necessity, lightening the load of accumulated treasures and trash. It’s been harder to discern which is which. I’ve come to the realization that a storage locker is a crazy concept and a waste of money. It’s a time machine whose time is up.
I have unearthed so much of the forgotten past, going through many file boxes filled with magazine articles I wrote or that were written about me. There are files from museum and gallery exhibits; private and public art commissions; and custom commercial commissions for corporations and stars over these last three weeks. I was shocked by the fearlessness of my youth, and awed by the famous individuals I encountered, spending time in their offices or homes with their families.
I’m also shocked and awed by the complicated paperwork attached to those private, corporate, and public commissions.
A very dear friend who worked for the government, Regina Dick-Endrizzi, was invaluable, helping me navigate the forms and mountains of paperwork. I was blessed with support from artist friends who served on selection committees. In the photo is the result after being nominated by the late Radcliffe Bailey, a native of Atlanta.
These are two of my “AFRICAN TEXTILES I–V,” 1999: four glass panels with gold, silver, and copper leaf (primarily Ndebele patterns) etched on the back. Completed in 1999, they reside in the T Terminal of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It was, and remains, the busiest airport in the United States.
Blessings.
Cheryl
“HOME HERE”
Group Exhibit
Curated by
LUCY ROVETTO
NJCU VISUAL ARTS GALLERY
Opening reception: February 5, 4 – 7 p.m.
February 5, 2026 – March 5, 2026
Appropriation Bag - The Plight of the Black Woman
I’m excited to share that I am participating in HOME HERE, a site-specific installation curated by Lucy Rovetto (BFA ’91), featuring the work of 11 women artists living in Jersey City. My contribution is from my Appropriation Bag sculpture series. This is one of the largest I have created. It can make a great conversation piece, as well as a side table. I use shopping bags a functional promotional vehicle to display confrontation, decontextualize past and contemporary history, politics, and more.
The exhibition explores themes of history and memory through a continuous, flowing installation where works overlap and interact. The show also honors the legacy of Ward Mount, former chair of the Art Department at NJCU, with historical context provided by researcher Martin Pierce. It’s an inspiring dialogue between past and present, place and belonging.
“CONTEMPORARY
VOLUMES”
Group Exhibit
Curated by
BRYANT SMALL
MORRIS MUSEUM
Oct. 24, 2025-Mar. 18, 2026
(Left to right, top to bottom): Male/Masculine I; The Arts I; Representation I; Balanced I; Breathers I; Nourish I (all created as prints, 2020)
It is always an honor and a blessing when a curator visits my studio and selects works for display in a museum exhibit. I love that a large, multiracial audience of all ages can be exposed to my work as a contemporary female artist of African American heritage. My “Kaleidoscopes” are prints derived, via a software program, from my “Glyphs on the Pages of a 1957 Encyclopedia” series. I hope you will enjoy this article and, even more, that you view this exhibit in person, filled with marvelous approaches to a topic by a diverse group of creatives. If you would like to add them to your collection or gift them, visit my website: www.cherylrriley.com.
You can choose to acquire your own kaleidoscope or have one shipped directly as a holiday, birthday, or housewarming gift to your recipient using this link.
Please be aware: Place your orders by 12 noon on Monday, November 24 to ensure they are shipped on Tuesday, November 25. Orders placed for Black Friday will begin shipping on Tuesday, December 2.
CHERYL’S ARTIST PICK OF THE MONTH
LUAM MELAKE
This is the second time I have showcased my friend and fellow MAD Museum board member, Luam. She is an exceptional human being and an artist of immense depth of vision and materials. I admit I may also be drawn to her because her work is primarily furniture. She takes the medium to new and unexpected heights making a support that is also a bookcase and incorporating unusual, common, or discarded objects into works of glamorous awe. What appears to be a hard surface is actually a soft, cushioned seat. She is current, yet inspired by, and rooted in the past. Color, detail, craftsmanship, technique, multimedia materials, history, time, waste, and the precious collide in wondrous displays of time, science, and play.
Sandcastle Nesting Set 2025, Red marble sand, wood marquetry, aluminum, moldings, wool felt, malachite, cristobalite, abalone shell, gold mica, red jasper, garnet, blue goldstone, lapis lazuli, pyrite, urethane rubber and resin, dyes, polyurethane foam, plywood, Chair/Coffee Table: 18.75 x 35.25 x 22.5 inches, Small Table: 15.75 H x 15.75 x 16.125 inches, Photos by Logan Jackson
If you are in the New York area, don’t miss this opportunity to examine her work in person at R & Company on 64 White Street. While there, wander into the other gallery spaces to see works by other creatives in their stable that will blow your mind.
STUDIO SALE
Photo by Cheryl R. Riley
Birthdays happen every day, and the holiday gift-giving season is just around the corner. Why not surprise your family, friends, colleagues or even yourself, with a truly one-of-a-kind gift?
I often get so immersed in collecting that I end up with more treasures than I’ll ever use. Email or call me to schedule a visit to my studio in Jersey City’s Powerhouse Arts District at a day and time that works for both of us.
You’ll find a curated selection of gems, including sample boards, books (some autographed), works on paper, drawings, unique objects, and sculptural forms, priced from $20–$2,500. Zelle, Venmo, and cash accepted.