1/17/2026 - 4/18/2026

“In a time of many suns” recognizes the complexities of this moment we are living in and reminds us of the beauty that exists alongside it. Through works that pique curiosity and inspire awe, the show invites you to imagine that if multiple light and life-giving planets are possible, so too are new worlds and new futures. Artists show us that we have the power to write, draw, and sculpt the world we want to live in into existence. May this show serve as a talisman; may you live your spell.

—Monica Lynn Manoski, Essex Art Center Executive Director + Exhibition Curator​

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«En tiempos de muchos soles» reconoce la complejidad del momento que vivimos y nos recuerda la belleza que todavía existe. A través de obras que despiertan curiosidad e inspiran admiración, la exposición invita a imaginar que si son posibles múltiples planetas llenos de luz y vida, también lo son nuevos mundos y nuevos futuros. Las artistas nos demuestran que tenemos el poder de escribir, dibujar y esculpir el mundo en el que queremos vivir. Que esta exposición sea un talismán y que vivas tu propia magia.

—Monica Lynn Manoski, Directora Ejecutiva de Essex Art Center + Curadora de la exposición

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ARTIST BIOS

adrienne maree brown (she/they) is a writer and activist. Her writing explores themes of connection, community, and healing. Her work sits at the intersection of social justice and science fiction, acknowledging the transformative potential of both. As the author of the influential works "Emergent Strategy" and "Pleasure Activism," brown emphasizes the importance of collective action and imagination in creating a more just world.​

Karina Puente (she/her) creates paintings, drawings, and contemporary "papel picado" textile installations. Guided by the legacy of her great-grandmother, a seamstress for Indigenous communities, Karina’s work explores identity, reflecting her vibrant Latina heritage and her connection to the Santa Ynez Valley in California, where she was raised. Each piece is a whisper of intuition and an expression of the divine.

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Adria Arch (she/her) has a deeply physical practice where the studio becomes her playground—part dance floor, part wrestling mat, part science lab. Her work, channeling the Pattern and Decoration Movement, asserts sensual, decorative, and traditionally feminine aesthetics that become an act of resistance against systems that seek to control and diminish women's voices.

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Kate Holcomb Hale (she/her) crafts objects that embody care, loss, and resilience. Her collapsing ladders and knotted handrails reveal the fragility of our society’s support systems. Through sewing, she makes rigid materials pliable, and her color palette, which is inspired by bruising, suggests both grief and healing. Her installations encourage empathy, prompting viewers to move through spaces with greater sensitivity.

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COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Within the exhibition, visitors will find a space to sit and respond to the prompt: Write the world you want to live in into existence. At this “creation station,” the community is invited to respond expansively through writing, drawing, and sewing. Visitors are welcome to leave their contributions in the space to be displayed.

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Manoski hopes the exhibition fosters connection, imagination, and healing. She will offer free Reiki treatments one Friday a month: January 30, February 27, and March 27. Advance registration is requested at the gallery.