As a child, if someone asked you, “What makes someone a hero?” the answer might have seemed simple. Heroes wore capes, possessed extraordinary powers, and arrived just in time to save the day.
Comic books and movies gave generations of kids larger-than-life characters who showed them what courage, strength, and possibility could look like. Growing up changes our definition. Heroes become the firefighter who runs toward danger, the veteran who sacrifices for a stranger, the neighbor who recognizes someone needs help, or perhaps even the person looking back at us in the mirror.
That idea is at the heart of “Others Before Self,” opening Sept. 12 at GRIT Gallery in Newburgh. Running through Jan. 4, 2027, the exhibition brings together large-scale fine art, collectible sketch-card artwork, graphic storytelling, interactive videos, and free workshops to explore the “heroes of our communities and heroes of our hearts.”
For curator and GRIT artist David Lionheart, superheroes aren’t simply pop-culture nostalgia. They helped shape his own understanding of what was possible.
“As a child, if I could be that hero, I could change my current situation,” Lionheart shared.
Superheroes offered a temporary oasis where anything could happen. That childhood experience informs an exhibition that places fictional superheroes alongside real people who choose to serve others. Lionheart hopes familiar characters draw visitors through the door, but what happens next is more important: recognizing their own ability to make a difference.
“Personal bravery is different for everyone,” he said. “You never know when you are going to need that in your life.”
His hope is that visitors leave empowered by the realization that they already have the ability, at their own level, to positively impact their community.
Visitors will encounter that message in different forms. The Main Gallery pairs Lionheart’s large-scale mixed-media paintings with work by Denver artist Stephen Leopold, combining familiar superhero imagery with portraits of community heroes.
Nineteen-year-old Marcus Owens brings another dimension with his award-winning graphic novel Slave Cemetery. Lionheart was struck by Owens’ ability to use the comic format to draw people into an important historical conversation. Comics, he notes, don’t have to be about “bam, pow, zap.” The medium itself can raise awareness, and in this case, the creator becomes a kind of hero.
In the Center Gallery, more than 100 original works by over 40 sketch-card artists offer an up-close look at the tiny original paintings and illustrations behind trading cards for Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and other familiar brands.
The community can celebrate the exhibition at an opening reception Sept. 19 from 1–5 p.m., featuring the New York School of Music performing songs inspired by the theme of “hero.”
But “Others Before Self” isn’t only about looking. Free sketch-card workshops throughout the fall invite children and adults to put pencil to paper themselves. Participants will create their own cards, while complimentary comics and superhero cards will be available for young visitors.
That participatory experience gets to the meaning behind the exhibition’s title. For Lionheart, “Others Before Self” is both a thank-you to people who already show up for others and a reminder that all of us can do the same.
“A hero comes in many forms,” he said.
Sometimes, heroism simply requires the ability to listen, recognize what someone needs, and choose to do something about it. The superheroes may get us through the gallery door. The real challenge is deciding what we can do once we walk back out.
If you go
What: “Others Before Self”
When: 1-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Workshop dates:
Where: GRIT Gallery, 115 Broadway, Newburgh, NY
More information: Workshop dates are free to attend and open to all ages. Contact 845-565-0700, Melissa@UpstateMusicMedia.com, grit-works.com.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: What makes a hero? Newburgh art exhibit has an answer
Reporting by Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Special to the Poughkeepsie Journal / Poughkeepsie Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Special to the Poughkeepsie Journal | USA TODAY Network
