Artworks Trenton will host the upcoming exhibition, Clifford Ward: I’ll Make Me a World, Prologue, from Feb. 1 through April 12.
The exhibit will feature selected works by artist Clifford Ward, known for his innovative explorations of African Diaspora mythology and cultures, and will open with a reception on Feb. 1 from 6 to 9 p.m.
The exhibition, curated by Addison Vincent, artistic director of Artworks Trenton, highlights Ward’s artistic journey through the lens of Afrofuturism.
It will serve as a preview to a larger exhibition at Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton. The full exhibit at GFS, curated by Noah Smalls, will be displayed from May 18 to Jan. 11, 2026, in the Museum Building, where Ward’s work will be presented in a broader context.
“We are excited to present Clifford Ward’s exhibition. His talent for engaging and inspiring audiences perfectly complements our mission to nurture creativity and artistic expression within the community,” Vincent said. “Furthermore, his work embodies the ideals of Black History Month, extending its significance beyond just February.”
Ward had a number of other careers before pursuing his art full-time. He was pre-med for three years, then switched majors and received a degree in speech communications from Rider University.
His first job was in advertising. Then he worked for a textbook publisher, and later moved to a smaller start-up publishing company in Philadelphia.
When the company he worked for went out of business, Ward channeled his energy into creating art, which had always been an outlet for him. He began working at the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture after first serving as an apprentice in 1997-1998.
Ward was given a one-person exhibition at the Extension Gallery at the Johnson Atelier in 2000.
He has participated in group exhibitions with the Artists League of Mt. Airy and the Philadelphia Sculptors at various venues, and has shown regionally at Gloucester County College, Temple University, Trenton City Museum, and the Rittenhouse Square Fine Arts Annuals, for example.
In 2012, he also recently curated an exhibition of work in the Grounds For Sculpture education gallery from the Center for Creative Arts in Merion, PA, where Ward also teaches.
Ward’s works draw inspiration from the mythologies and cultures of the African Diaspora, as well as Australian Aborigines, Native American, and Māori people. His art spans multiple mediums, including bronze, iron, aluminum, and mixed media materials like steel, plaster bandages, and cowrie shells.
“My sculptures either remain in their mixed media form or they are cast in bronze, iron or aluminum,” Ward said. “I like to explore my love of geometry, cubism, mythology, anthropomorphism, textures and Egyptian/Nubian art and symbols.”
The collaboration between Artworks Trenton and GFS reflects the organizations’ shared commitment to expanding audiences and fostering community engagement through art.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Artworks Trenton,” said Kathleen Greene, chief audience officer at GFS. “It provides both of our organizations the opportunity to celebrate Ward’s extraordinary work while deepening our connectivity and growing our mutual audiences within the local community.”
The exhibition at Artworks Trenton will include a variety of Ward’s works from the past decade. Events such as an artist talk and community programs are planned throughout the exhibition period.
For more information, visit artworkstrenton.org or groundsforsculpture.org.
The GFS exhibition Clifford Ward: I’ll Make Me a World is supported by Julie and Michael Nachamkin, NRG Energy, the Atlantic Foundation, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.
