Chronicles of Grace: Exploring the Aging Body

Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) is pleased to present its upcoming exhibition, Chronicles of Grace: Exploring the Aging Body, a group exhibition featuring intergenerational artists whose work offers an intimate and multifaceted investigation of the aging process, curated by Lizzy Alejandro. The exhibition will run from March 28- April 25, 2026 . An opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 28th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. In a culture obsessed with youth, the natural process of growing older is often perceived negatively, commonly associated with deficiency and inadequacy . Terms such as 'anti-aging', attempts to hide traces of aging, reinforcing the harmful narrative that aging is something one should conceal instead of embrace. Such rhetoric contributes to a cultural attitude that diminishes the value and beauty of the aging body, leading to a lack of representation and visibility for older individuals in media and art. This bias becomes increasingly visible in public discourse, where aging women are disproportionately scrutinized. Public figures like Pamela Anderson were recently deemed âfrumpyâ at the 2025 Met Gala. At a 2023 public event attended by both Sarah Jessica Parker and Andy Cohen, Parker was told to âget Botox,â while Cohen, a man of similar age, received no criticism. These examples illustrate how ageism is rooted in misogyny and reveals a cultural prejudice that judges women harshly for growing older while celebrating or ignoring the same in men. Featuring artists Aiki, Darlene Aschbacher , Sandra Ayala , Vanezza Cruz , Jill Danenberg , Jessica Lagunas , Juanita Lanzo , Lauréne Praget , Arlene Rush , and Sima Schloss , Chronicles of Grace confronts this cultural disparity head-on, offering a reimagined and celebratory view of aging as an integral and beautiful part of the human experience. This exhibition honors and exalts the aging process as one marked by dignity, agency, and beauty. Through an array of mediums such as photography, painting, mixed media, and installation, the featured artistsâranging from ages 40 to 85, represent diverse cultural backgrounds and identitiesâ explore the complexities of aging, addressing topics such as menopause, greying, mortality, and the physical, mental, and emotional changes that accompany age. Chronicles of Grace invites viewers to witness aging not as a process of loss, but as a privilege and journey rich with life, experience, and grace.