Welcome to our September/October 2016 issue of Artscope.

We went into the production period of this issue encouraged by the number of people telling us they couldn’t wait for our new issue — nor could the people who share their copy – which is the kind of incentive we need to keep plugging on those 14-hour days. As we’ve always seen our magazine as one that grows through the invaluable word of mouth from our readers and advertisers, this is vital feedback for us.

It was rewarding to learn that the Copley Society of Art sold a number of works from the “Ship to Shore” exhibition featured on the cover of our July/August 2016 issue, the Cape Cod Museum of Art nearly doubled its attendance from the previous summer during the Susan Danton-curated “At the Crossroads” exhibition reviewed in that same issue, and the Frank Covino Retrospective at the Festival Gallery at Valley Arts in Waitsfield, Vermont was visited by people from throughout the New England region, thanks in part to its listing in our “Exhibitions” section.

We’re offering our support to a number of shows and events in the months ahead. Artscope is sponsoring the “Find Your Park: National Parks in New England” photography exhibition at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Mass. from September 2 through March 19, 2017 and “Unbound: Tim Rollins and K.O.S.,” opening September 16 at the Portland Museum of Art; Taryn Plumb talked to Maine-native Rollins about his mural-heavy exhibition and three-decade career working with at-risk youth (K.O.S. stands for Kids of Survival).

We’re also sponsoring Maine Craft Weekend, a statewide tour of Maine’s craft studios, breweries and businesses on October 1 and 2; “Global Mashup: A roundtable conversation on aesthetics” hosted by Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein on October 2 at 2 p.m. at Boston Sculptors Gallery; the Museum of Russian Icons 10th Anniversary Party on October 15 in Clinton, Mass. and the 2016 Arlington International Film Festival, taking place from October 27 through 30 at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Mass. These are great events that deserve your attendance.

Earlier this year, Boston-area photographer Adam Baratz pitched us an interview he had conducted with United South End Artists (USAE) co-chair Hope Ricciardi; we held onto it till this issue so that its publication as a “Cornered” feature would coincide with the organization’s 30th Annual Open Studio Weekend that takes place on September 24 and 25. It’s an amazing opportunity to see work by, and talk with, a large number of the region’s top artists.

It’s complemented by a package of stories on three shows and galleries you can visit in Boston’s SoWa District: Suzanne Volmer has been watching the Providence-based husband and wife team of Ting Liu and Zihao Chen; during August’s First Friday, their T+H Gallery, which opened in the third portion of the 450-460 Harrison Ave. complex a year ago, was filled with vibrant activity. Volmer reviews their current show, a visually stimulating installation by Alicia Eggert.

Kristin Wissler has reviewed the Safarani Sisters’ June MFA Thesis exhibition at Northeastern University for our artscopemagazine.com zine; in this issue, she talks with Farzaneh and Bahareh Safarani about their early-fall exhibition at Adelson Galleries Boston. Staying in the South End, Joshua Ascherman previews Lisa Reindorf’s October show at Galatea Fine Art, “Building into Water” (plus he reviews “First Light: A Decade of Collecting at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston”).

Harvard University student Ascherman and Lesley University attendee Wissler spent the summer with us as part of Artscope’s intern program; they were joined by Meghan Richter (another Lesley student whose contributions this summer allowed us to provide expanded coverage of exhibitions and events in Connecticut, Maine and Vermont on the Artscope zine). Early in their internships, I asked them to provide feedback on our July/August issue in terms of which stories made them want to visit a show and which ones didn’t keep their attention. Their comments are invaluable in assisting us in our mission to appeal to readers young and old, professional or just starting out in a career in the arts.

We’ve constructed our intern program as a hands-on experience and encourage its participants to share equally in discussions about what makes its way into our next issue. As they’re fully invested in the arts through their education, it allows us to get — and provide — coverage of artists who appeal to a variety of tastes. If you’re attending a Boston-area college or university and are looking for an internship in writing, publishing, sales or social media during the year ahead, call us at (617) 639-5771.

The Bennington Museum, in recent years, has reinvented itself with a strong schedule of exhibitions, blending works from its collection and well-established artists while providing a spotlight for regional artists in which they receive their first museum showing; this offers a boon to both artists and corresponding events and happenings. Marguerite Serkin provides a look at “Milton Avery’s Vermont” and “Duane Michals: Photographs from the Floating World.” The institution’s efforts serve as a strong blueprint for others looking to expand their audience base.

Elizabeth Michelman has been pitching a feature on Michele Ratté’s gold-infused sculptures and prints for over a year now (indeed, I’ve been holding onto the outline for a potential piece from last summer); her two fall shows – at the Aidron Duckworth Museum in Meriden, N.H. and Mitchell-Giddings Fine Arts in Brattleboro, VT. – can be seen in conjunction with a fall foliage weekend drive. Greg Morell has passionately written about preservation efforts throughout New England since our earliest issues, beginning with a feature on saving the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Mass. Earlier this summer, he visited the refurbished Washington Street Mills in Dover, New Hampshire, home of the RiverSea Gallery and ArtDover-NH, whose efforts to rejuvenate a former factory building are enthusiastically reported in this issue. As sometimes happens, we’ve overpacked this issue with stories and didn’t have space for Capsule Previews of exhibitions taking place over the next two months; you can find them at artscopemagazine.com in our zine section, along with the extra reviews and interviews.