Release Date: January 15,2025
Artist Janoi Daley Selected for BIPOC+ Exhibition at Summit Artspace
Akron, OHIO (Jan. 14, 2025) — Painter Janoi Daley was recently selected by jurors Amber N. Ford and Nick Lee for Summit Artspace’s 4th annual solo exhibition for BIPOC+ (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists. Daley's exhibition, New Chapter, will be on view from April 11 through June 14 in Summit Artspace’s Horizon Gallery.
Janoi Daley is a Jamaican-American contemporary artist who recently completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Creative Writing at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her work dances between the figurative and abstract, weaving together vibrant colors that pulse with life, love, and the complexities of Blackness. Through oil and acrylic, she creates immersive worlds where Black bodies exist in their fullness—free from the burdens imposed by societal expectations.
Amber N. Ford states that what drew her to Daley’s paintings “was the clear skill and cohesion of her work.” Ford goes on to say, “Her subjects stare back at you, painted with dark, but also bold and bright colors that pull you in even through the computer screen. The work is strong and deserves to be showcased and supported, plain and simple.”
New Chapter is a poetic and provocative exploration of identity, culture, and transformation. Through Afro-Surrealist aesthetics, it challenges perceptions and invites viewers into spaces of beauty, tension, and liberation. Each piece is a step into a realm where the boundaries between the real and imagined dissolve. The exhibition “is an immersive exploration of an imagined world beyond our own, inviting viewers into a pulsating, fluorescent realm that defies time and space,” the artist explains. “The work explores themes of identity and cultural dislocation, combining narratives of migration, colonialism, survival, and the joy found within those intricacies. Each painting exists as a suspended moment in a parallel world—untethered yet deeply connected to the viewer’s reality.”
"During these uncertain times, Janoi Daley’s work brings needed light and color to us,” notes juror Nick Lee. “Daley’s paintings not only grab the viewer’s attention but rather demand it with her vivid imagery. We are proud to select Janoi Daley as the fourth artist for the BIPOC+ exhibition!”
Daley has been a recipient of the Cleveland Institute of Art Gund Family Scholarship, the Joseph McCullough ’48 Award, The Creativity Works program, and the CIA Presidential Traveling Scholarship. Daley was the chair of the Student Independent Exhibition ‘78 at CIA where the committee hosted 4 contemporary artists to jury the show. She was featured in Canvas Magazine “Who’s Next?” article in winter 2024.
To learn more about Daley and her work please visit www.janoiwrldwide.com. Follow her on social media at @Jan0iwrldwide.
Summit Artspace is committed to exploring the many ways in which local BIPOC+ artists reflect and influence our communities through their art. Each year, the selected artist receives a $1,000 stipend to support the creation of a solo exhibition at Summit Artspace. The annual exhibition is one way Summit Artspace seeks to actively undo systems of oppression and domination present in the art world. The show and stipend for the selected artist is supported in part by Akron Community Foundation’s Vernon D. Odom Fund, Peg’s Foundation, and the Lehner Family Fund.
About Summit Artspace: Summit Artspace is a nonprofit arts organization connecting artists and artist-serving organizations to the resources they need to thrive professionally, creatively, and financially. It provides artist studios, exhibitions, and programs in Summit County and serves as a vital place for the public to engage with the creative community. Summit Artspace is located at 140 East Market Street in Akron, Ohio. Public hours are Fridays from noon - 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Summit Artspace is supported by The County of Summit, Ohio Arts Council, GAR Foundation, Akron Community Foundation, ArtsNow/ArtsForward, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Burton D. Morgan Foundation, Peg’s Foundation, Lehner Family Foundation and The Mary S. and David C. Corbin Foundation. For more information, visit the Summit Artspace website or call (330) 376-8480.