Maria Dimanshtein and Gallery 214 at Northern Illinois University will present “What A Long Night It Has Been,” an exhibition of artwork by 21 artists working in a variety of media.

The artists who are based in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New York address issues of broken relationships, loss, fear of death, suffering of the body and the meaning or meaninglessness of life.

Contrary to our wishes or intentions, sometimes we find ourselves in a place of turmoil. Overwhelming and prolonged presence of dark emotions can make us lose a sense of self, become disoriented, disconnected from the rest of the world. While we are within that experience it might be hard to imagine feeling differently. Therefore a time like this can be like a never-ending night.