By HWM
The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) is celebrating the 17th edition of its landmark annual exhibition, “Women in the Heights: Shade,” featuring work by 43 women artists from Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood. Curated since its inception by Andrea Arroyo, the exhibition has long served as a vital platform for women artists in Upper Manhattan, highlighting their creativity, perspective, and community engagement.
Through April 21, visitors can expect a vibrant display of works in a wide range of media, all exploring the theme of shade and its intersections with light and shadow—literal, social, and emotional.
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Shade, as interpreted by the participating artists, carries layered meanings across cultures and communities. It can provide refuge or concealment, protection or defiance, acceptance or rejection. From the colloquial “throwing shade” to the sheltering quality of literal shadows, from racial colorism to tonal range in visual art, the concept speaks to power, presence, and the unseen forces that influence how we navigate the world.
The exhibition poses questions about visibility and perception: How do we negotiate exposure versus cover, clarity versus ambiguity, belonging versus otherness? The artists’ works invite viewers to reflect on these tensions and to consider the ways shade shapes identity, experience, and expression.
Curator Andrea Arroyo notes in a press release, “For 17 years, I have been honored to work with NoMAA and the artists of Upper Manhattan. The works in this exhibition illuminate, challenge, and expand our understanding, offering a space for dialogue, exploration, and the transformative power of art. The artists explore these in-between spaces, inviting us to reflect and find possibility even in shadow.”
The roster of artists is as diverse as it is accomplished, including Yael Ben-Zion, Gina K Callaghan, Arcadia Caraballo, Gwendolen Cates, Karin Dando-Haenisch, Rose Deler, Carol Diamond, Dale Emmart-Lieberman, Kat Gooch-Breault, Wilhemina Grant-Cooper, Jyoti Gupta, Alison Hamilton, Avery Hines-Mudry, Kathy Houle, Carolina Jimenez, Flor Khan, Chae Kihn, Andrea Kornbluth, Christy Martinez, Francesca Messina, Margo Moore, Rosa Naparstek, Mesoma Hammida Onyeagba, Paula Maria Persiani, Bonnie Jean Phillips, Leah Poller, Elizabeth Lorris Ritter, Yumi Rodriguez, Darcy Rogers, Susan Rubin, Anne Saint-Pierre, Diana Schmertz, Maria Schoenhammer, Uniqua Simmons, Elizabeth Starčević, Janet Stewart, Kathleen Sweeney, Tania Taubes, Rafaelina Tineo, April Kristine Tsosie, Yona Verwer, and Linda Vigdor.
With “Women in the Heights: Shade,” NoMAA continues to foster artistic exploration, dialogue, and empowerment, demonstrating that even in shadow, creativity and community shine brightly.
Image provided by Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance
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