"Only Child" Artist Talk and Gallery Tour takes place October 23

On Friday, Sept. 27th, 2024, The Gloucester County Cultural and Heritage Commission at Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) hosted its Fall Gallery Opening: Only Child by RCSJ student and staff member, De’von Downes. The exhibition's presentation took place in the College Center Mezzanine from 6 pm to 9 pm.

The exhibition Only Child focuses on the concept “in living memory,” learning to love outside the bounds in what has been taught. It necessitates honoring communities, families, and ancestors by honoring oneself. Artwork included in this exhibition varied in different mediums, ranging from watercolor to mixed media. The gallery also featured many decorative art pieces corresponding to the exhibition’s aesthetic.

Downes works as the Cultural Assistant at the Gloucester County Cultural and Heritage Commission. They are also a current student at RCSJ and will be graduating in December 2024. Sharing the message within their artwork, Downes stated, “The show is supposed to be about thinking about yourself.”

Though much of the artwork pulls inspiration from Downes’s life and perspective, those in attendance were encouraged to be introspective regarding their own experiences. Downes added, “It’s called Only Child because you may have a twin-brother, sister, or sibling, but you can’t share their brain. Your thoughts will always be your thoughts. Only you can hear them and process those feelings or ideas.”

Downes has previously created community artworks such as murals located in Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark, Englewood, Atlantic City, and Washington D.C. “I would like to keep doing the murals,” Downes shared, expressing how they value community artwork, “It can be something to represent and show up for the people there...”

Gloucester County Cultural and Heritage Commission Administrator, Erika Gardner, selected Downes’s work to be featured as the Fall 2024 Gallery Exhibition because of its connection to the community. “In taking over the gallery space, I wanted to encourage more diverse voices...” she stated, “...With De’von’s show I feel like – because of their age and where they stand as a person – this has been the show that I’ve noticed the most kids stopping and looking at the art.”

Gardner has been the Gallery Director since 2019. She has utilized this role to cultivate more attention on the arts and feature artists that represent the community, primarily the student body. She went on to say, “Building that appreciation for the artwork and having that connection to the community – it's really special.”

For those who wish to experience a connection to Only Child for themselves, please join the special Artist Talk and Gallery Tour on Wednesday, Oct. 23rd, 2024, at 12:30 pm in the RCSJ Gloucester Campus College Center, or visit the gallery from now until November 22nd. For more information about the exhibition, contact Erika Gardner at egardner@rcsj.edu