1923-2019
Gladys Grauer was a Newark artist called “Newark’s matriarch of the arts”, who launched the Aard Studio Gallery in Newark in 1971, on Bergen Street. She also was a commercial art teacher in the Vo-Tech schools for 15 years. Her work has been displayed locally and nationally.
Gladys also ran for office with the Socialist Workers Party in 1960. She said, “Only a Congress composed of Negro and labor representatives will be able to enforce full equality for the Negro people. The Civil Rights bill passed by congress is only another in a series of frauds perpetrated on the Negro population.” She also said foreign economic aid should be given on the “basis of human need and not as a political weapon”.
Gladys met her husband, a white Jewish man, through protests. They worked together on issues like school desegregation and a community dental center.
Regarding founding an art gallery she said, “I thought there should be a gallery in the neighborhood so people could be exposed to art without having to go downtown to the museum.”
Gladys was a founding member of Black Woman in Visual Perspective, New Jersey Chapter of the National Conference of Artists, and the Newark Arts Council. She received many awards for her work including from the Women’s Caucus for Art in 2019.
“Art is my life,” she said “It’s the way I express my feelings, my emotions, my anger, my joy.”
Bibliography
Bailey, Edna “Artists’ paintings depiction…” Star Ledger Jan 13, 1986
Babbage, Joan “Inner City Art Gallery Hosts Black artists in annual exhibition” Star Ledger Apr 4, 1974
Watkins, Eileen “Incense covers a gallery’s real reason to exist” Star Ledger Dec 8, 1974
Watkins, Eileen “Black women artists talk of inspiration and struggle” Star Ledger Mar 11, 1976
“Equality Effort Topic” Newark News May 27, 1960
“Senate Candidates Reply to League” Star Ledger Oct 20, 1960
“Declares Rights Bill is Fraud on Negro” Newark News Apr 27, 1960
Newark Library Digital Collections 1
Biography at Affero Art Gallery
Extensive Star Ledger coverage
NJ’s ‘matriarch of the arts’ dies at 96 – NJ.com
Photo by Colleen Gutwein, 2014.