RBC student Madeleine Carpenter, center, with artists Cristian Mera and Pamela Corrales. (Click to enlarge.)

Press release

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Red Bank Catholic senior Madeleine Carpenter has curated an Ecuadorian art exhibit to be featured at Red Bank Frameworks Gallery, at 135 Monmouth Street in Red Bank.

From the exhibition: ‘Explosicón fantástica del Cotopaxi,’ by Luis Alvear. (Click to enlarge.)

The idea of an exhibit came to Carpenter, of Monmouth Beach, after a visit to Ecuador last summer. She grew up surrounded by her Ecuadorian grandmother’s art collection, often wondering what many of the pieces signified. In Ecuador, she was able to research and meet with several artists, and discovered what an incredible collection of pieces her grandmother has brought to New Jersey over the last 50 plus years.

“Growing up surrounded by these pieces in my grandma’s home, I never understood what they really were. They mostly just scared me or were in the background. However, going to Ecuador and speaking with these artists, I learned their significance. They are powerful expressions of a country’s historical oppression, geographic importance, and a look into day-to-day life. For me personally, they were the same paintings on the walls of my mom’s childhood home. Learning about them helps me connect to my family’s heritage,” states Carpenter.

The title of the exhibit, “Con Ojos Propios” (“Through our Own Eyes”) stemmed from an interview Carpenter did in July, 2022 with Pablo Cabrera, an important Ecuadorian artist and professor to a thriving young artist community. Cabrera expresses the importance of the country’s art community to break free from the tradition of following European influences, and encourages Ecuadorian artists to create their own aesthetic using their own perspective and experiences.

The exhibit will include various paintings, sculptures, ceramics and tapestries, most of which are from Carpenter’s grandmother’s personal collection. Carpenter’s grandmother, Berthalina Vincent Moore, who migrated to the United States in the 1960’s, has amassed a collection of pieces from some of Ecuador’s most prestigious artists, including Oswaldo Guayasamin, Eduardo Kingman, Gonzalo Crow, Jose Unda and Pablo Cabrera.

Additionally, Carpenter invited several young, up-and-coming artists to display some of their pieces, to showcase the next generation of talent in Ecuador. Select pieces will be available for sale. Artists such as Cristian Mera, Pamela Corrales and Luis Alvear, who painted the title piece for the exhibit, were excited for the opportunity.

“While I have a very diverse group of friends, no one I grew up with was Ecuadorian,” Carpenter said. “I wanted to curate this exhibit to show my friends and the community the richness of the beautiful pieces that I grew up with. I see no better way to help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month than by showcasing the work of these amazing artists.”

Carpenter is inviting Spanish classes from RBC to visit the exhibit, and hopes other schools will take advantage of this opportunity for students to learn from this important historical treasure. Teachers are encouraged to reach out for a guided tour of the exhibit for their students during school hours by emailing maddiemcarpenter@gmail.com

The opening reception, open to the public, takes place Friday, September 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. 9 p.m. The exhibit will run through October 27, thanks to the support of Frameworks owner Stephen McMillion. No R.S.V.P is necessary for the opening reception. Ecuadorian food and drinks will be served at the reception, compliments of FUZE eatery in Eatontown.

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15 and celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

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