Welcome Statement, July/August 2010
Even before the calendar hit June 21, much of the
artscope staff had already achieved a summer’s worth
of travel. Naturally, many of these adventures were artrelated
whether they were for business or pleasure.
James Foritano submitted his story on John Storrs’exhibition at the Boston Athenaeum
prior to heading off to China with Maddy, his soon-to-be-wife. They escaped from a planned tour of Shanghai to check
out the city’s galleries; always on the lookout for
something different, Foritano reports he was more
impressed with the contemporary Chinese art on
display at Shanghai Airport than in the galleries.
Meredith Cutler, who’s covered the Providence,
R.I. region for us wonderfully for the past two
years, has been visiting family (and museums) in
Italy. She will return to these pages to cover the
Greater Boston area once she brings her first little
artist into the world.
Our Rhode Island correspondent, Judith Tolnick
Champa, not only reviewed the current show
at Brown University, but also traveled to
Provincetown; our regular P-town beat writer, Taylor
M. Polites, was busy putting the finishing touches
on his first book. Tolnick visited with Joerg Dressler
in advance of his August show at Alden Gallery, and
viewed the Robert M. Fisher career retrospective
at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum.
I got to spend a beautiful May afternoon at the
Smith College Museum of Art, which led to this
issue’s “Through the Lens” feature. In the following
pages, you can find out how Lauren Kaelin’s
“Framed” exhibition used a not-so-traditional
vehicle for conveying image information. Later, a
visit to the Danforth Museum of Art provided me
the opportunity to meet an emerging photographer
for our “cornered” column, and to see one of
the largest group shows (252 artists) I’ve ever
experienced. I also attended SoWa’s First Fridayof the summer, and noted brisk traffic through that
Boston neighborhood’s galleries and studios.
The most continuous frequent flyer miles were
accumulated by publisher Kaveh Mojtabai, who
took his mother to Paris for Mother's Day once our May/June issue
was distributed (or rather, depleted, thanks to our
wildly popular “Who Shot Rock and Roll?” cover). In
Paris, he enjoyed the dynamic conversation between
works of modern masters and contemporary artists;
the newer artists gain inspiration and stature while
the older works achieve new life in new company.
Then on trips right here in Provincetown and
Massachusetts’ Berkshire region, Mojtabai observed
hints of this same cross-fertilization. He felt a great
energy viewing works by Arp, Braque and Picasso
in the unusual setting of the Frelinghuysen Morris
House and Studio in Lenox, Mass. after visiting
folk galleries and emerging artist collaboratives just
down the street.
Mojtabai also made it to the Fourth Annual
Encaustic Painting Conference at the Montserrat
College of Art in Beverly, Mass., where he
attended a panel discussion on “Making a Career in
Encaustics.” The panel offered lessons that could
easily be applied to other artistic disciplines.
Participants agreed that art appreciators purchase
more when they meet the artist in person, whether
at a large gallery show or an open studio. Not only
do collectors and enthusiasts look to purchase more
artwork, but they also report finding inspiration
in their conversations with artists, and applying
that spark to their own creative lives. This sort of
exchange is what makes a life in art rewarding on
the most important levels.
With the summer being prime time for travel, we’ve
once again included two “wanderlust” features to
encourage you to explore the art and culture that
make our New England communities unique. Greg
Morell gives you an enjoyable taste of Portsmouth,
N.H. while James Dyment introduces you to the
region’s festival capital, Lowell, Mass.
In this issue, we welcome Britta Konau to our
pages with her profile of Ingrid Ellison and the
Åarhus Gallery; she’ll be covering Central Maine
for artscope.
Our centerfold contest this time around called
for submissions in the design field. Winner
John Rais delivered one of the most thought
provoking tables we’ve ever seen with “Tonare,”
2009. For the November/December issue, we’re
seeking a broad range of submissions: painting,
drawing or 2-D mixed media. Find full details in
our classified section.
As mentioned earlier, our May/June 2010 issue was
our most popular to date. To make sure you don’t
miss an issue, I’d suggest you get a subscription
— and maybe a few for friends and colleagues
— through our website (artscopemagazine.
com), by calling our office at (617) 639-5771
or by filling out and sending in the form found
in this issue. Also, please visit our website (as
well as the artscope magazine facebook fan
page) regularly through these summer months for
reviews and news on openings and performances.
And if you see something that makes your day in
a gallery or museum, or up on a stage, we’d love
to hear about it.
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