Human Rights Institute Gallery
Spring 2026 Exhibit
Hub City: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of History, Art, and Identity by Jaymes Jorsling
January 26 - March 27, 2026
Hub City is a multidisciplinary project that brings together visual art, theater, and music to examine America’s racial traumas through the lenses of family legacy, spirituality, and historical reckoning. Centered on the often-overlooked history of slavery and freedom in New Brunswick, the exhibition reimagines the city as a historic “hub” of both bondage and liberation.
Through layered paintings, symbolic textures, and narrative-driven imagery, the work explores themes of ancestry, autonomy, and resilience. Hub City confronts difficult historical truths while also celebrating Black family joy, survival, and continuity. By weaving personal memory with collective history, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the enduring impact of the past and the power of art as a space for healing, dialogue, and remembrance.
Hub City was created while Jaymes Jorsling was in residence with Calabar Gallery at coLAB Arts in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Instructors can schedule class tours of the HRI Gallery during gallery hours, Monday - Friday: 10AM - 4PM. To schedule a tour of the gallery, please email galleries@kean.edu and humanrights@kean.edu. Instructors can also include a tour of the Holocaust Resource Center with a tour of the gallery. To schedule a tour of the HRC, please email hrc@kean.edu.