The Joined Hands Artists Collective — a group of women who create art across diverse media — is starting off the new year with an exhibit at Center on the Hill (8855 Germantown Ave.) from Jan. 9 to Jan. 29. With works in photography, painting, sculpture, fiber, ceramics, printmaking, and mixed media, the exhibition offers something for everyone.

According to Rebecca Hoenig, an artist in the collective, there is no set theme for the show, but there is cohesion among some of the works.

The artwork “will all hang together, pun intended, even though our work is very diverse,” Hoenig told the Local.

Founded in 2012, the Joined Hands Artists Collective meets monthly to discuss their works–in–progress, teach each other new skills, and attend events. There have been 15 members over the years, with three of the four original members still in the group, including the founder, Elke Hildegard Muller.

According to the Joined Hands Artists Collective’s artists’ statement, the members “strive towards wholeness and inclusiveness that is the sum of our intersections, generating creative dialogue, acceptance, compassion, peace, and love.”

Lynda Grace Black, a Mt. Airy native who now lives in North Philadelphia, joined the collective several years ago and values the group’s welcoming nature.

“It’s been a thrill and a major learning experience to be a part of the group,” Black said. “It’s really open, honest, and loving. Just a very good collective of women who are interested in supporting one another.”

Many of the members live in Northwest Philadelphia, while some come from suburbs such as Lansdowne and West Chester.

“Some of our work … was inspired by things that we’ve seen or experienced in [Northwest Philadelphia],” Black said. “We get to now share with the larger community how the Northwest has blessed us, and that’s really exciting.”

In addition to Hoenig and Black, the artists exhibiting at Center on the Hill in January include Elena M. Aldrete, Gloria Gammage Davis, Roz Dutton, Asake Denise Jones, Gail Lloyd, Ruth A. Seeley, Jesse White, and Maura Williams. Each artist offered two to four pieces to display.

Hoenig’s contribution includes four new watercolor paintings.

“I usually work from life, doing what’s called ‘en plein air’ painting, or painting outside landscapes,” Hoenig explained. “But for this show, I decided to work from photographs. That was kind of a new thing for me to do, not that I hadn’t done it before, but I wanted to challenge myself.”

Among the watercolor pieces are images of butterflies in Morris Arboretum and several works inspired by Prince Edward Island in Canada — a self portrait on the beach and horses running during sunset.

Black said she engages in many types of art, including knitting, crocheting, collage–making, printmaking, and book–making. In this exhibit, she will display monoprints created during a 15–month residency at Pollinator Gallery in West Mt. Airy.

According to Black, the monoprints were selected based on what could hang at Center on the Hill. However, most of her art is fiber-based, including a past series called “Aspirations of the Lost, the Longing, and the Ignored,” which included 70 crocheted vessels hung in trees, memorializing people of color who were murdered by police brutality.

“My work has been a way to touch on people who have experienced tragedy, but also triumph,” Black said. “The worthiness of all of us and our interconnection has been a theme in my work. … That’s why fiber has been such a big part of my artistic life. For me, fiber is a metaphor for humanity and that connection.”

Black’s creativity is only one example of the many skilled artists and varied artwork that will be displayed at Center on the Hill during the upcoming exhibition.

“I really admire the group because we’re all older women and we are dedicated to pursuing lives that we enjoy while we are creating our crafts and our art,” Black said.

The Joined Hands Artists Collective exhibition will be at Center on the Hill (8855 Germantown Ave.) from Jan. 9 to Jan. 29. The show will be open to the public Mondays–Thursdays from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. An opening reception will be on Jan. 9 from 3–7 p.m. Learn more at chestnuthillpres.org.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.