“We’ll see.”
That’s how several of the artists featured in this issue of Artscope Magazine responded to the question of what’s next in their careers and work projects. It’s a reflection of how life has been, not only around the arts community, but our country and world, a time of uncertainty, aware of the challenges that lay ahead.
In putting together this issue, I looked for exhibitions in which artists put their feelings into their work, not only how this helped them deal with these uncertain times, but if it resulted in any art that we’ll return to the rest of our lives.
The seeming need for greater community and social interaction has resulted in a few developments in how galleries present their work. In reviewing the Art League of Rhode Island’s “Truth Unveiled: Art as Reality, Illusion, and Insight” exhibition in Pawtucket, Suzanne Volmer points out that the organization was following a new pattern for galleries to host both opening and closing receptions for their shows with added events in-between.
That included an ALRI-hosted Zoom gathering with the show’s jurors and participating artists discussing their jurying process and the subsequent curation of the exhibition. I’ve been part of a few discussions like this and found that everyone involved — artists, directors, galleries, museums, public relations people and art lovers alike — gained information that would prove helpful in future endeavors.
Over the past sometimes tumultuous decade, millions of people have taken to the streets to share their thoughts on what’s become a growing number of issues — be they political, social or cultural. I’ve been disappointed in the lack of great artwork to come out of these events — something that lasted like Lorraine Schneider’s “War is not healthy for children and other living things” 1967 print that was made in response to the Vietnam War. Thus, I was thrilled to receive Michael West’s submission of a story documenting the creation of the “Liberty & Justice for All: Artists Act to Protect Freedom of Expression” project brought to fruition in exhibition form this November at Galatea Fine Art — and to see the quality of the submissions they received for it.
The following month, Galatea will host “Minimal Aspect,” a show spotlighting the solo and collaborative efforts of Matthew Simons and Lynne Adams, whose use of otherwise discarded items is, Ami Bennitt writes, “inspirational.”
Our cover features a striking photograph by C. Rose Smith, a young queer, Black photographer who has been interrogating the legacy of slavery and patriarchy through their brilliantly constructed images set in plantation homes and northern textile mills.
“Their work has a quality that stands out from much of contemporary photography,” said J.M. Belmont, who covered Smith’s show, “A Silent Rage” at Brandeis University’s Kniznick Gallery. “Poignant and modern, Smith’s photos relay a massive amount of history, while never sacrificing artistic vision.”
Their work prompted an extensive discussion among our editorial team, which only reflects the quality of these images.” We also hope that the backdrop of Lawrence, Massachusetts’ Washington Mills helps bring a touch of New England down to sunny Miami Beach and the Miami Beach Convention Center where this issue will be available in the Magazines Sector at Art Basel Miami Beach from December 5 through 7.
Along those same lines, “Hew Locke: Passages,” at the Yale Center of British Art, is a 30-year survey of the British Guyanese artist’s career that Lexi Gondek reports, “interrogates authority and legacy” in a way that couldn’t be timelier.
Over the past six months, several of our writers have asked to profile Boston area artist DaNice D. Marshall, who, Claudia Fiks notes in this issue, has overcome personal challenges by becoming a painter and finding a “new language” that began with abstracts, rhythmic movements that echoed the pulse of memory and emotion. I trust you’ll fall in love with Marshall’s work the same way many others have.
Frequent Artscope contributor Laura Shabott’s “You Only Get One Body” exhibition on view through January 25 at the Cape Cod Museum of Art stands as a celebration and tribute to the longtime Provincetown resident’s contribution to the area as an artist, teacher, writer and person. Lee Roscoe, a longtime friend, shares the story so far, and the future promised by Shabott’s CCMOA exhibition.
Throughout our history, Fountain Street Gallery has been a constant in these pages, first when they were based in Framingham, then Boston’s SoWa District. After a short absence, they have returned in both online and exhibition format at the Morini Gallery at Mass Arts Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Sawyer
Smook-Pollitt’s review of the current “REMIX: Selected Works from the Artist Members of the Fountain Street Gallery” provides valuable insight into not only the work in the show, but how he, as a reviewer, found what he experienced viewing the full show online greatly differed from that in person. It’s an important thing to consider in these sometimes all or nothing times.
Smook-Pollitt is the editor of our Artscope Magazine’s email blast! that supplements our magazine coverage by delivering mini-Artscopes to your inbox every two weeks. You can sign up to receive them, free of charge, at artscopemagazine.com.
Two other group shows of note covered in this issue are “The Long View, Women Artists in the Studio,” show celebrating longtime Boston creators at Suffolk University Gallery that is reviewed by Isabel Barbi, and the “2025 Fuller Craft Museum Members’ Biennial: Town and Country” exhibition of which Beth Neville uses to explore how our interaction with crafts, both in the museum and home, have changed in recent years.
It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to present an art wanderlust travel piece that hopefully encourages our readers to travel to, and immerse themselves in, a new city or town, not only stopping at art-related venues, but other nearby businesses that make the location special. Carolyn Wirth gives you several reasons to devote part of your holiday season to visiting Concord, Massachusetts.
Having had her own work on display there earlier this year, Heather Stivison reviews the “Into the Abstract: Paul Gruhler and Neha Vedpathak” exhibition at the Southern Vermont Arts Center. Marjorie Kaye showcases the wife-and-husband-team of multimedia artist Nina Rossi and printmaker William Hays from Turner Falls, Massachusetts, whose work can be found at galleries throughout the New England region.
Linda Sutherland attended the opening reception for Rose Umerlik’s “Remember, the world is beautiful …” exhibition at 3 Walker Contemporary in Kittery, Maine and I suspect you’ll find Umerlik’s wonderful abstract expressive paintings a welcome relief.
I first got to know Gary Duehr as a writer in this magazine’s early days; the photographs featured in his “People, Places, Things” exhibition this November at Bromfield Gallery this November capture the same 20-year time period of our existence and reflect the changing times and process in which images are shared.
Our new look and design is the hard work of Vanessa Boucher, who already had the task of putting together the hundreds of images and thousands of words that make up each issue of Artscope Magazine; those efforts are combined with ongoing fine-tuning of our website and the updating of the digital version of each of our issues for easy online access and preparing us for the future.
You can help us in that task by giving a friend, family member or even yourself a one-year subscription to Artscope, either in online form or print with online access, as a holiday gift offering.
As always, your continued support and patronage of our advertisers is the greatest gift of all.