Hera Gallery proudly presents a National Juried Exhibition that speaks to our curiosities, the root of all learning, and the current state of censorship in our communities and in our nation as a whole. Juried by Patricia Cazorla, artist, curator, and educator.
Juror Statement
Smoke, ruins, fear, and greed…how could we feel more profoundly lonely?
And yet, serving as a juror for Curiosity Under Fire: Creativity in the Age of Censorship has given me an unexpected sense of hope. This exhibition can be seen as a continuation of Hera’s Democracy Under Siege in 2024, reaffirming the gallery’s 51-year commitment to artists and activism.
I couldn’t escape the discomfort of rejecting some entries—I often felt as though I were censoring the artists myself. With more than 300 applications, I wish we could have included them all. But space is limited, and the arbitrariness of selection—shaped by personal aesthetics and relevance to the theme—meant that twenty artists were given voice, a public space to occupy, to exist…far from the rubble, from the screams, from the terror imprinted on our collective skin.
This edition gathers vigorous brushstrokes that paint women’s narratives too elusive to grasp; scribbled lines that conjure the most unsettling images; a monumental symbol of dehumanizing bureaucracy; humble threads woven into powerful messages; and abstract landscapes that conceal the unthinkable yet undeniable. Hera’s walls will bear witness to humanity itself—the humanity so often silenced, suppressed, or erased.
-Patricia Cazorla
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 11th, 6-8 p.m.
Banned Books Reading Marathon: Saturday, October 11th, 10 a.m.- Sunday, October 12th, 10 a.m.
RISCA Arts and Health Mix and Mingle: Thursday, October 23rd, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Right to Read RI with Padma Venkatraman: Thursday, November 13th, 7:00 p.m.
Virtual Artist Talk: Thursday October 23rd, 7 p.m. on Zoom. Click here to join!
