Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art is an art gallery in downtown Newark, New Jersey, United States. The NJ State Council on the Arts has designated the gallery a Major Arts Organization. The gallery was founded in 1983. In 1993, Aljira was chosen by the Federal Advisory Committee on International Exhibitions to organize the U.S. representation at the IV Bienal Internacional de Pintura in Cuenca, Ecuador.The name "Aljira" is the Australian Aboriginal word for dreamtime, and is intended to suggest timelessness and open possibilities.Aljira displays the work of both established and emerging or under-represented artists. Aljira Emerge is an annual program that is designed to prepare artists for the marketplace.In 2009 the tenth show, E10, featured 22 active artists based in the northeast Un