“Here/Now” is an annual art exhibition held at the Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts. It has come back to display students’ artwork in a flourish of color. An art exhibit is never about technical skill or visual appeal alone, and this year students at William Paterson have once again granted us a deeply personal insight into their creative minds.
The exhibit features a vast array of styles and media, and a common thread runs through several artworks: a focus on identity, emotional vulnerability and the complexity of traversing life in the present moment. Together, these pieces offer an interesting perspective on the mindset of the 2026 student body, an ever-evolving group of like-minded students set on navigating the world.
Art is often open to interpretation, shaped as much by the viewer as it is by the artist. As I walked through the “Here/Now” exhibit, I found myself focusing on the feeling of each piece more than putting them in a constricting box. Many of the artworks I encountered tied back to the theme of identity, often presented as something layered or uncertain.
In Briana Gularte’s “What am I Wearing?”, the image of a faceless woman sifting through a shelf stocked with masks with varying emotional states makes itself known, a visual representation of shifting identities. Rather than suggesting a single, fixed self, Gularte gave me the impression that identity could be something worn, changed or even set aside at will.
Similarly, Kate Maitland’s “A Look Inside Me” appears to explore the idea of identity as something built through various influences, depicting the subject’s innards revealed as a collage-like interior of all the things that make the artist the artist: memory, media and personal experience. To me, these works reflect the feeling of still trying to figure out who you are rather than having a clean-cut answer.
That sense of uncertainty emerged in other works as well, especially in ones that felt more emotionally exposed and raw. Jolie Conerly’s “A Night at the Overlook” offers a slightly more melancholic perspective on the modern-day student, utilizing a dim nighttime setting and the image of a hand reaching out into blurred space. The scene feels distant but personal, almost like a moment of isolation that many students might identify with at times. While people can view differing meanings, the piece emmited an air of vulnerability and disconnection, emotions that may seem especially relevant to students navigating a fast-paced and oftentimes overwhelming environment.
Themes of nostalgia were also prevalent in the exhibit and made especially notable by Kate Maitland’s “Fuzzy Memories,” the acrylic on the canvas depicting a pile of stuffed animals. The scene depicted is blatantly relatable, one of childhood comfort and warmth and can easily invoke a sense of adolescent reminiscing as we continue to grow older. In my mind, a painting like this can also tie back to how we saw ourselves then versus now, specifically highlighting the complexities of growing up and taking on a new identity.
Rather than offering clear conclusions, the “Here/Now” exhibition has yet again given the William Paterson University student body the chance to reflect on what it means to be a student right now. In my mind, this is the crux of art’s power, and the beauty of leaving it up for interpretation allows the viewer to identify more closely with a piece.
The themes I noted during my time at the exhibit such as identity, vulnerability and nostalgia may not define every single artwork in the gallery but stand out as part of a much larger pattern. This year’s exhibit was filled to the brim with talent. No doubt, future galleries will match that.
The “Here/Now” art exhibit is running until May 8 and is open for viewing on Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and by appointment. It is absolutely a worthwhile visit!
