HCAD Gallery Presents 'Troy West: The Architecture and Art of Belonging'

The J. Robert and Barbara A. Hillier College of Architecture and Design (HCAD) Gallery has opened “Troy West: The Architecture and Art of Belonging,” an exhibition that showcases the drawings, sculptures and architectural projects of the late Troy West, RA.

Born in Pittsburgh, West began practicing architecture and art in the late 1950’s, with a specialty in community design advocacy. He moved to Newark, New Jersey in 1973 to become one of the founding faculty at the NJIT School of Architecture. 

Through his work, gallery visitors will see major Newark landmarks, self-portraits and sculptures made from reclaimed metal and wood.. 

Matthew Gosser, HCAD Gallery curator and professor, took West’s courses and became a close friend to him and his family. He owes to West his love of sustainability and ecology and “how you build with environment in mind,” he mentioned. 

Gosser remembers taking two of his studios, both of which were Newark-based. “They’d be like some abandoned building down the street and he’d ask, ‘Why is this abandoned? What can we do with it?’ And have the students figure out different things to do with it.”

With his courses and his work in the exhibition, the aspect of community-involvement resonates, but Gosser also hopes that the exhibition will help students find a calling, as West was a multifaceted artist. 

“Everything can be about art, you know? That chair is art, your clothes are art, the fabric that make up the clothes—that’s art too,” added Gosser. “So I think he was kind of from that school of thought, where you don't just pick one career, you pick a calling, which is maybe being a designer, and then whatever that means, however that kind of blooms. We try to teach our students that, as well.”

In attendance at the opening reception were West’s family members, former colleagues and students. 

“In a way, this is a memorial service for my father, as well as an exhibition,” said Anker Carl West, his son. “It's a chance to see how the work continues on into the future, and who knows, maybe we might even be able to build some of these projects at some point.”

The exhibit is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closes Saturday, April 22. For more information, contact Matthew Gosser at mlg2@njit.edu.