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PRODID:-//Gadzook Labs//Gadzook University · Princeton University//EN
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BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:acp53451@princeton.campustown
DTSTAMP:20261009T200331Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261114
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261213
SUMMARY:The Experience 
LOCATION:Lower Level Gallery
DESCRIPTION:The Experience\n\nby Martryce Roach\n\nOn View: November 14 – 
 December 12\, 2026\n\nOpening Reception: Saturday\, November 14\, 3-5pm\n
 \nin the Lower Level Gallery\n\nExhibition Statement:\n\nThe Experience c
 onnects right now to the period from 1916 through 1970\, when millions of
  African Americans journeyed North and Midwest from the Jim Crow South\, 
 changing the landscapes of major cities across the country and shaping Am
 erican culture. These paintings and pastel drawings invite viewers to ref
 lect on visual stories that preserve our memories and inform of the colle
 ctive\, lasting impact of the Great Migration.\n\nRoach has created surre
 alistic landscapes that incorporate elements of blues music\, environment
 \, and cultural folklore into her works to portray layers of endurance\, 
 resilience\, and creativity evident throughout the journey of African Ame
 rican people. “This exhibition celebrates how we unite to navigate throug
 h the burdens\, use music to energize ourselves and overcome\, and how we
  can spark change\,” she says.\n\nAlthough many African American families
  can trace their histories back to the Great Migration and the social fab
 ric of this country is largely influenced by it\, the story is not widely
  discussed in the classroom\, Roach observed. She didn’t learn about it a
 s a historical movement until college and later explored a more personal 
 connection. Her great grandmother travelled from Virginia to New York Cit
 y in the 1930s to become a beautician and sent money back home until her 
 grandmother and other family members could join her in the north.\n\nAbou
 t the artist:\n\nRaised in New Brunswick\, Martryce Roach is a self-taugh
 t artist with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health and Africana Studies a
 nd a Master’s Degree in Social Work.  Roach’s style is marked by her mix 
 of history\, musical references and geometric shapes assembled to tell su
 rrealistic stories about human experiences and relationships.  In 2021\, 
 she was named Curator’s Choice by Pro Arts in Jersey City.  In 2022\, she
  was awarded the Mid Atlantic Arts Individual Artist Fellowship Grant thr
 ough the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.  Also in 2022\, she was co
 mmissioned by the Meyerhoff Alumni Association to visually capture the li
 fe story of University of Maryland Baltimore County former President\, Dr
 . Freeman Hrabowski.  In 2023\, Roach completed an artist residency with 
 ArtCrawl Harlem on Governor’s Island\, NY. Her pastel drawing\,”Facing th
 e Future Together\,’’ was licensed by Newark Liberty International Airpor
 t\, where a massive\, mural-sized image of it was displayed digitally in 
 Terminal A from 2022 through 2023. In 2025\, Roach was the Public Art and
  Community Engagement Mural Ambassador for a 240-foot mural installed at 
 Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick and she installe
 d a PSE&G mural honoring the legacy of Lebby Jones on Nye Avenue in Irvin
 gton\, NJ\, as a part of a collective public art project called Legend’s 
 Way.  Her last solo exhibition\, Patterns: People in Transition sold 14 n
 ew pieces in 2025 at Akwaaba Gallery in the northeast.  Several of Roach’
 s works\, including oil paintings and pastel on paper\, have been acquire
 d into permanent museum collection. In 2026\, Roach has completed two new
  public art projects in the State of New Jersey\, and is currently workin
 g on a third which addresses environmental justice and hope for tomorrow.
   Her most recent mural\, Created Equal\, was commissioned by the Arts Co
 uncil of Princeton\, and is currently on display on Spring Street in the 
 city.\n\n“To me\, life is filled with twists\, blocks\, turns and waves. 
 How we swerve through those changes tells a powerful story and makes for 
 a magical visual. Working with cultural experiences as source material\, 
 my practice serves as visual storytelling\, connecting viewers with famil
 iar environments\, shared narratives\, and layered feelings.” – Martryce 
 Roach\n\nMore info: https://artscouncilofprinceton.org/event/the-experien
 ce/
URL:https://princetonu.gadzooklabs.com/e/acp53451
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