artscope magazine: July/August 2010 Welcome Statement: Brian Goslow, managing editor cornered: a conversation with an art museum attendee featured artist - INGRID ELLISON: painting beyond nature through the lens - FRAMING THE CURATORIAL MIND: SURPRISING PAIRINGS FROM THE SMITH COLLEGE COLLECTION museum spotlight - CHASING THE IDEAL: CORNISH COLONY MUSEUM PRESERVES a Lesser-Known Legacy JOHN STORRS - machine-age modernist THE COLORS OF WHITE: PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEBBY KRIM IT TAKES A VILLAGE - TWO YOUNG VERMONTERS ARE PROOF POSITIVE Art Needs Community and Community Needs Art WIDE-ANGLE PAINTING, Joerg Dressler in Provincetown by way of these eyes - the sublime, exotic and familiar MENTOR | PUPIL | PUSH | PULL INDUSTRIAL INSPIRATION MINGLES WITH MAINE'S NATURAL MUSE A LABYRINTH LINE EXISTENCE - Amber Maida VOICEOVER: narrative in sculpture IN DELICATE BALANACE - GEORGE SHERWOOD A MIX OF MARRIAGES - couples exhibition features a wealth of talent and variety wanderlust - PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE: NO BETTER HARBOR wanderlust - A WEEKEND IN LOWELL, CITY OF CULTURE theater - LIVING THE COMMUNAL FAIRYTALE: DOUBLE EDGE THEATRE industry focus- portrait of the artists' mother: SUZANNE SCHULTZ AND THE ART OF REPRESENTATION Capsule Previews

Open Studio vs. Working Studio By LACEY DALEY - Friday, July 9, 2010           BOSTON — Most people have viewed a finished piece of art in a gallery, shop or on a living room wall. But how many have had the occasion to see how and under what conditions it takes to get there? My guess is not many, especially for those like myself who are relatively new to the visual arts scene.   As artscope’s summer intern, I had no idea what to expect when I set out for SoWa’s First Friday Open Studios on July 2. I thought open studios simply meant artists opened their doors. Much to my surprise, most of the studios that were open concealed all evidence and paraphernalia of the art work. All that remained were shining floors, high heels, wine and priced artwork.   The artists were friendly and the work was astonishing, but nothing quite fit the picture in my head. The first "working" studio that I hunted down drew me in with a waft of wet paint. I knocked on the half open door of Elena     Photo of Thayer Street in SoWa district     Francesca duPlessis just in case she wasn't open, but her friend Brad assured me she was. Her 500 square foot studio consisted of art in every form. There were finished pieces, unfinished pieces, a piece she was currently working on, paint on the floor, paint on the desk, even paint covering her apron. She was so consumed in her work that I think she might have ignored me if I hadn’t started a conversation.   duPlessis is one of the oldest tenants at 450 Harrison Avenue. She has always participated in Open Studios because she “appreciates the feedback,” but agrees that things are changing. A studio to her is a personal space, a sanctuary where work can be done. Although she is a fan of the event, she doesn’t sacrifice any time and paints while she mingles. Without knowing it, she was slowly making the picture in my head come to life.   Other artists helped to pump life into my open studio vision as well. Stephen Silver pulled me into SilverWoods Studio with his broadcasting of the Red Sox game. Despite the finished look to the front of the studio, I noticed a cubby in the back containing easels, paint-splattered appliances and several copies of artscope — all pluses in my book. It was nice to see some of his character seeping from this back corner and making itself suddenly evident to me in his work on the wall.   Linda Cordner’s studio was another I frequented a few times, and it wasn’t the music or refreshments that kept me coming back. It was her array of encaustic tools that were laid out in a very orderly and aesthetically pleasing manner, which just begged me to ask about them. “I can’t work unless I’m organized,” is what she told me, implying that perhaps her studio always looks this way. I took note of this and approached her wax paintings from a different angle. It was then that I was able to see the thought behind her layers and the strategy behind her indents.   I appreciated the time and conversations I spent with all the artists at SoWa, but I learned more from the “working” studios. Being immersed in the studio environment made the art become much more personal and gave me more perspective. It helped me to see both the artist and the work from a new and heightened level.