INTERVIEW DEAN NANCY BAUER, SCHOOL OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS AT TUFTS by Laura Shabott I walk into the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts on the day of its alumni reception for the annual SMFA Art Sale fundraiser. The energy in the school is palpable; this is one of the busiest days of the year for the 147-year-old institution. I am greeted warmly by Clare Saunders, assistant to the dean. There are racks and walls filled with art as we climb the stairs to the administrative offices. As an alumna of the SMFA (diploma 1995), I can sense the change in the very fiber of the school; it is welcoming and cared for, the result of a merger with Tufts University in 2016 with Dr. Nancy Bauer as dean. That she took the time for me on this particular day was a testament to her dedication to artists. Bauer glows from accomplishing more than most: dean, academic dean, Ph.D. in … [Read more...] about CORNERED: SMFA AT TUFTS DEAN NANCY BAUER
Current Issue
WELCOME FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
Brian Goslow, Managing Editor bgoslow@artscopemagazine.com Welcome to our first issue of 2018. We start the new year with an issue filled with artwork and exhibitions covering many of the timely issues on our readers’ minds through reviews of shows that were hanging as we went to press; we couldn’t have done it without the help of curators, gallery directors and artists who shared their work with our writers so we could preview as-yet-unopened shows. We address the environment and global warming through reviews of “We Might Climb a Tree, at Least,” a group exhibition celebrating the writings of Henry David Thoreau at Maine Museum of Photographic Arts (by Taryn Plumb); “James Chisholm: Reflections: Ocean Waves, Inland Streams” at Endicott College (by James Foritano); and the artistry of Clifford W. Ashley in “Thou Shalt Knot” at New Bedford Whaling Museum by Don Wilkinson, which … [Read more...] about WELCOME FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
Stashenko at COSO: A Counterpoint to Negativity
KRISTEN STASHENKO: SPACES THROUGH DECEMBER 24 HOLIDAY SMALL WORKS NOVEMBER 9 THROUGH DECEMBER 24 COPLEY SOCIETY OF ART 158 NEWBURY STREET BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS By Lisa Mikulski The Copley Society of Art is offering two shows this holiday season for art lovers in the Boston area. Now show- ing through December 24 is Kristin Stashenko’s solo show, “Spaces.” Beginning November 9, the gallery will also present their annual holiday exhibition, “Small Works.” An award-winning artist and CoSo member, Stashenko provides for us works of dreamy lavenders and blues with her explorations of interior spaces and how those spaces may affect our sense of comfort and belonging. It is the artist’s hope that these depictions will “provide a counterpoint to the cur- rent negativity in the world,” and that they are “spaces that are easy to live in and to be happy,” … [Read more...] about Stashenko at COSO: A Counterpoint to Negativity
Paradise Found: Print and Palette at Fruitlands
TYPE FRUITLANDS MUSEUM 102 PROSPECT HILL ROAD HARVARD, MASSACHUSETTS PORTRAITS & PENMANSHIP: THE APPLETONS IN THEIR OWN WORDS THROUGH MARCH 28, 2018 A NEW VIEW: LANDSCAPES FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION THROUGH NOVEMBER 4, 2018 By James Foritano When we first parked and stepped out on grounds overlooking the Nashua River Valley, I felt a lot like skipping. Whether it was the beauty of the panoramic view, the leisurely 40-minute drive from Boston, or the fact that we had simply pulled up and parked — a maneuver that at locales any closer to Boston always occasions a great deal of trepidation — I felt we had arrived. Clara Endicott Sears arrived here in 1910 with not only a double-barreled Puritan heritage, but also, evidently, a great deal of personal “moxie.” After establishing herself in a mansion that she christened “The Pergolas” at the top of … [Read more...] about Paradise Found: Print and Palette at Fruitlands
Expect the Unexpected: Alri Members’ Show
TYPE ART LEAGUE OF RHODE ISLAND: 18TH ANNUAL ELECTED MEMBERS ART EXHIBITION BRISTOL ART MUSEUM 10 WARDWELL STREET BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND By J. Fatima Martins A landscape of calm, with bursts of intellectualism and touches of emotive storm, is what you’ll find at Bristol Art Museum (BAM) in the 18th Annual Elected Members Art Exhibition organized by the Art League Rhode Island (ALRI). The overall tone of the exhibition is comfort, beauty, and subtle quiet acts of rebellion. There are elegance and charm as well as mystery and engagement. What I liked most about this exhibition is that it pulled me out of my general feeling of cynicism. Art, in a beautiful light-filled gallery space, such as the one offered at BAM, gives us an opportunity for intermission and relief away from the harm we receive daily from the world around us. There are many amusing and skilled … [Read more...] about Expect the Unexpected: Alri Members’ Show
Framingham’s Renaissance Man: Sorin Bica Dreams Big
TYPE CYNTHIA ATWOOD: ALPHABET OF WEAPONS THOMPSON GALLERY CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL OF WESTON 45 GEORGIAN ROAD WESTON, MASSACHUSETTS By Brian Goslow As visibility for an artwork goes, Sorin Bica’s mural alongside the MBTA Commuter Rail stop at the junction of Routes 126 and 135 in Framingham, Massachusetts is about as good as it gets. The Downtown (or Front Door) Framingham Mural Project artwork was painted over a total of two months, start- ing in August 2015 and seeing completion in the spring of 2016. It’s an enticing spot for your eyes and draws you to the surrounding busi- nesses and architecture. “It’s always bright because of the colors,” Bica said. “There are lights above it, so you can see it at night.” As part of his agreement to paint the mural, Bica agreed to return to restore the work should it be damaged. He’s had no problem with that requirement. … [Read more...] about Framingham’s Renaissance Man: Sorin Bica Dreams Big