On February 11th, the main gallery at the Bronx River Art Center filled quickly as visitors gathered for the opening of the 2021 to 2025 BRIO Retrospective, an exhibition celebrating artists recognized through the Bronx Recognizes Its Own Award.
Presented by the Bronx Council on the Arts, the retrospective brings together ten visual artists who received BRIO Awards between 2021 and 2025. Established in 1989, the BRIO program honors Bronx based artists with unrestricted grants supporting their creative work.
Throughout the evening, artists stood beside their pieces, speaking with visitors about materials, ideas, and the stories behind the work. Guests moved slowly through the gallery, pausing to look closely at paintings, textiles, photographs, and mixed media installations that reflected a wide range of artistic approaches.
Artist E. Lombardo presented a series of etchings inspired by historical bullfighting imagery but reimagined through contemporary environmental concerns. The works contrast spectacle with ecological strain, suggesting how modern culture often overlooks the consequences of its own excess.
Shelley Haven’s pastel landscapes offered a quieter tone. Her drawings of rock formations along the Long Island Sound, developed during the isolation of the pandemic, explore permanence and subtle change within the natural world.
Amy Pryor’s large scale textile pieces reinterpret language and cultural memory. Drawing from quilting traditions, her work incorporates literary and historical references, transforming familiar phrases into layered visual compositions.
Jessica Lagunas, originally from Guatemala, exhibited delicate works created from dyed feathers mounted on handmade paper. In one piece she incorporates strands of her own gray hair, blending personal history with natural materials.
Other artists featured in the exhibition include Juan Butten, Esteban Guerra, Tijay Mohammed, Abigail Montes, Shellyne Rodriguez, and Misra Walker, whose works span painting, photography, installation, and mixed media.
Although only ten artists are represented, the retrospective reflects a broader community of BRIO recipients across the Bronx. The exhibition highlights the diversity of creative voices within the borough and continues a longstanding tradition of recognizing artists who live and work there.
For visitors moving through the gallery that evening, the retrospective offered not only an exhibition but a reminder of the depth and resilience of the Bronx arts community.
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