(New Orleans, Louisiana) FERRARA SHOWMAN GALLERY is proud to present Offerings, the first solo exhibition in twenty-three years of New Orleans-based artist and gallery co-owner, Jonathan Ferrara. For his gallery return, Ferrara unveils over thirty new wall-mounted sculptures – returning to and reclaiming his artist-self and creative process. This suite of sculpture was catalyzed by his installation Offering, which was debuted in the exhibition This City Holds Us -Twenty Years After Hurricane Katrina at Fidelity Bank White Linen Night 2025.  Subsequently, the artist experimented with the arrangement of multiple sets of the individual hands, at various scales, articulating patterns and orientations which convey message and meaning. These compositions symbolize and embody the various modes of human connection. Ferrara’s intention is that of a universal relatability, presenting the viewer with the freedom to contemplate and interpret the works whilst seeing themselves within it. These works are his Offerings.

The exhibition will be on view 27 May through 11 July 2026 with a collector preview on Thursday 4 June from 5:30 – 7:30pm and a public opening reception on 6 June from 5-8 PM as part of the Arts District New Orleans’ First Saturday Gallery Openings.

Ferrara discusses the inspiration for his latest body of work . . .

This new body of work is an extension of my installation from “This City Holds Us (2025)” entitled “Offering”.  It consisted of thirty-five life-size sets of my hands extending from the gallery wall in a grid measuring ten by six feet.  That piece began my work with creating sculpture from a unique process that I developed with the new medium of 3D printing.  I cast my hands in plaster and then collaborated with the 3D printing lab at Tulane’s School of Architecture to render them in polylactate.  Once printed, I take these hands and put them through a process in my studio with epoxy, paint, and varnish that transforms them, en masse,  back to the texture of actual hands with various finishes that replicate diverse media from ceramic to glass to stainless steel. The versatility of this material and process allows me to be dynamic in the production of sculpture as the creative process unfolds.

Various concepts and themes run through the work in the exhibition depending on orientation within the work.

“Dissemination”: the flow of information in an outward motion from the center, from large to small and vice versa. Knowledge is spread from one source to the masses. Voices become louder as they grow in number.

“Worship”: where the hands move from smaller to larger as to emulate the movement inward where the group’s energy is moving towards a focal point, a common goal, desire, or belief.

“Community and Protection”: where the larger hands (people) are protecting the growth and development of their community, their family, their people.  

"Meditation" and "Contemplation":  the active process of reflection, consideration and imagination with a focus inward. 

All of these are messages I am trying to convey via the arrangement and orientation of the individual sets of hands. Most of the works are monochromatic in nature with gold, black, copper and chrome.  This is meant for the viewer to focus on the form and the content without any distraction of color. 

Punctuating the exhibition is an installation of 20+ works entitled “In Bloom”.  This suite of colorful works embraces the concepts of the aforementioned artworks while utilizing visual references to flowers such as a Japanese Magnolia, a Chocolate Tuber, a Ring of Fire Sunflower, or a Pink Zinnia.  Blooming flowers are nature’s dissemination, just as there is a protection system as they begin to bloom. The larger flower works are joined by smaller individual “buds” that reference the act of protection as the flowers begin the process of blooming. Often, we look for the human form in nature, in clouds, in trees, and many other visuals from nature and I find it interesting to be able to utilize the human form to create works that can emulate nature. 

The shape and form of the hands are important.  They are a universal symbol of an offering - a gesture of peace, vulnerability, sharing, and receiving. These hands gesture to the viewer, inviting them into the idea that is presented, welcoming them to be a part of the work and to see themselves in the messages offered. Conceptually, my work has often involved the use of multiples.  I find an inherent power and emphasis in repetition - rows, grids, stacking, and sets have appealed to me visually. Composed of 12 – 75  hands each, they are printed at various scales  and  arranged to create movement and undulation within the piece. To be able create these works in unison, I developed specific technical processes to be able to work on multiple hands at once achieving the result of one piece made from numerous sets of hands.

Jasper Johns once said “I don’t know what kind of artist I am” which reflected his reluctance to categorize his practice, emphasizing process over labels amid his explorations in various media. I feel the same about my practice as it encompasses so many different areas. My artwork has a wide breath.  In my 35-year career, I have created paintings, sculpture, installation art, and photography alongside curatorial and entrepreneurial projects. I am a painter, sculptor, photographer, author, gallery owner, curator, cultural producer, and poet. I consider all of these to be my artwork.