Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art

The story

Its name is an Australian Aboriginal word for dreamtime, chosen to suggest timelessness and open possibilities — an ambitious idea for a gallery in Newark, New Jersey. Founded in 1983, Aljira made space for both established and under-represented artists, and in 1993 was chosen to organize the U.S. representation at the IV Bienal Internacional de Pintura in Cuenca, Ecuador. Its Emerge program trained artists for the marketplace, expanding from painting into sculpture, installation, and video. New Jersey designated it a Major Arts Organization. It closed in 2018 amid financing difficulties.