Others Before Self

Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Executive Director, Arts Mid-Hudson

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 September 12 at GRIT Gallery in Newburgh. Running through January 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’ 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 September 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:
Others Before Self
GRIT Gallery 115 Broadway, Newburgh, NY
Open weekends 1-5 pm
Workshop Dates: Free to attend, open to all ages.
● September 12, 2026: 11am-1pm
● September 19, 2026: 1-3pm (and NY School of Music performance)
● October 24, 2026: 1-3pm
● November 14, 2026: 1-3pm
● December 12, 2026: 1-3pm
Contact: 845-565-0700
Melissa@UpstateMusicMedia.com
grit-works.com