There are certain locations around the world that have always attracted artists, and Groton, in the heart of Massachusetts’ Nashoba Valley, is one. The former home of Edmund Tarbell of the Boston School, who fell in love with the landscape; Mary Minifie, who follows in his footsteps; and Paul Matisse, whose Kalliroscope Gallery, in a repurposed old church, is a focal point of Groton’s local art and music scene.
The work of these three and more than 20 other area artists will be on display through October 31 in “Sense of Place,” with a celebratory reception at The Groton Inn this Sunday, September 26, from 2-5 p.m. The Inn is also home to two J. D. Poor murals and a working gallery, the NOA Gallery at The Groton Inn, featuring 60 rotating works by New England artists.
The exhibit was the idea of Bobbie Spiegelman, former President of the Groton History Center, whose goal was “to find the connections between history, place, and art and to capture the talents in our community in the 2020s. The artists — painters, sculptors, woodworkers, poets, photographers — are each creating an original piece that conveys their vision of this environment—natural, cultural, spiritual.” With COVID, the focus for some artists has taken on the overlay of this period in time and their personal pandemic journeys.
The works will be on display at two walkable locations on Main Street: The Groton History Center and The Groton Inn. The exhibit is free and will run during the months of September and October, and an artist reception will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 26. A coffee table book featuring the works on display and stories of the artists’ inspirations will also be for sale and launched at the reception.
The show’s participating artists include Katharine Bell, Peter Benedict, Carol Canner, Ray Clemny, Charles Faucher, Joelle Feldman, Elizabeth Goldring, Linda Hoffman, Kathryn Liebowitz, Ariel Matisse, Paul Matisse, Mary Minifie, John Mitchell, Joni Parker-Roach, Otto Piene, Sally Reed, Harvey Sargisson, Danny Schwartz, Barbara Scofidio, Laurie Smigelski, Edmund Tarbell, Alexia Rosoff Wilber, Scott Wilson, Sharon Wooding and Pamela Worden.
The Groton Inn, the centerpiece of this charming, historic New England town, is offering exhibit-goers the chance to turn the Sense of Place experience into a weekend getaway with a special rate on September 25 and 26. Space is limited.
(“Sense of Place: Reflections on Our Time and Place by 25 Nashoba Valley Artists” continues through October 31 are various locations in and near Groton, Massachusetts, including the Groton Inn, 128 Main St., daily from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; and the Boutwell House, 172 Main St., where the gallery is open Saturday through Monday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Ray Ciemny’s sculpture is on display at the Groton Public Library, 99 Main Street. The library is open Tuesday through Saturday, hours vary. Paul Matisse’s “Olympic Bell” is on display at Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road, Harvard, Massachusetts; hours are Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit grotonhistory.org or call (978) 772-1286.)