The materials messaging in “Social Fabric: Textiles and Contemporary Issues,” on view through June 11 in the Cushing and Morris Galleries at the Newport Art Museum, is certainly of the moment and contextualized by the inclusion of excerpts from the National Aids Quilt and work from Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party,” her 1970s landmark installation that remains just as significant today as an activist’s expression of contemporary art. Many of the artists included in this show have used the soft hominess of quilt-making to address society’s ills. In chief curator Francine Weiss’ and co-curator Megan Horn’s carefully chosen artist list for this exhibition, they’ve built an interesting and insightful conversation about gender, sexual bias, equality, racism and incarceration. Recently, after visiting the show on two occasions, Artscope Magazine’s Suzanne Volmer exchanged questions about … [Read more...] about A CONTEMPORARY FOCUS
Artscope Issues
A REFLECTION OF THE TIMES
The much-anticipated Members’ Exhibition, on view at Attleboro Arts Museum through January 27, is an annual event that provides an opportunity for members of all ages and artistic backgrounds to exhibit up to three artworks with guaranteed inclusion. Always an interesting percolation of ideas and trends, the current iteration of the survey includes 411 artworks by 201 artists. 2023 happens to be Attleboro Arts Museum’s 100th Anniversary and the Members’ Exhibition is certainly a signature event to begin an auspicious year. Zachary M. White, executive director of Gallery X in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was the awards juror for the show. His choices followed the museum’s template of Best Abstract ($100), Best Representational ($100), six Juror’s Awards ($50 each), four Blick Materials Awards ($50 value each) and 12 Merit Awards (certificates). Reinforcing these honors, in her remarks … [Read more...] about A REFLECTION OF THE TIMES
HEIGHTENED SENSE OF COMMUNITY
In a year that we reached for normal — new normal, old normal, what exactly is normal, anyways — the show introducing the Copley Society of Art’s latest members won’t necessarily take you anywhere new, but they’ll take you back to the places you’ve missed visiting over the past three years. “This group of artists represents people coming from a variety of backgrounds that share a united focus of representing their everyday surroundings,” said gallery coordinator Paige Roehrig. “Whether it be through figurative or still-life, artists are pulling from familiarity to showcase their unique artistic vision. “One thing that they all have in common is that they are all professionally ambitious - becoming an accepted member of the Copley Society of Art provides an important credential and a rewarding achievement for them to celebrate while also providing a heightened sense of … [Read more...] about HEIGHTENED SENSE OF COMMUNITY
AN AFFIRMATION OF LIFE
The experience of the annual Juried Exhibition at the Catamount Arts Center begins about an hour before you get there. Sure, you could take the highway for most of the route, but you would miss out on immersion into the desolate beauty of this northern life. If you opt for the back roads, unplug from your devices, and listen only to the white noise of your radiator fan, you’ll find yourself surrendering to the pleasures of quiet contemplation. You will be guided by the meandering curves of the road that offer up snow-encased hills and valleys, the occasional red barn leaning into the wind, signs of agrarian routine on winter’s hiatus, an old farmhouse with a 1950s fridge and life’s detritus relegated to the front porch and, of course, a satellite dish arching toward news of the outside world. Winter in this part of the country is harsh and living here requires a good bit of coping … [Read more...] about AN AFFIRMATION OF LIFE
BELOVED PORTRAITS
As I was about to interview Andrea (Andi) Sawyer, Provincetown artist, about her dozen oil on canvas, 18 by 24-inch paintings memorializing beloved portraiture artist Ilona Royce Smithkin (who passed away in 2021 at the age of 101) in her Provincetown atelier, I saw a sweatshirt logo, “Be Who You Want to Be,” and then read a line about one’s presentation of self as “the curated performance of identity.” “That fits Ilona perfectly!” Sawyer said with a smile. Both bits seem to fit Sawyer and Smithkin, alike. Both are late bloomers with unique styles. Sawyer was a wife, mother of four and career woman who designed kitchens and sold real estate for many years until her four kids were grown, before returning to art. “I always loved to make stuff — as a weaver, spinner, sewer and knitter.” Growing up in Maine (born in her aunt’s farmhouse) and from generations of Mainers on her … [Read more...] about BELOVED PORTRAITS
SMALL FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY
All the senses will trigger memory, but for many people, a visual image opens a locked door to personal history, often forgotten or detached from the routines and obligations of daily living. Gail Winbury’s extensive body of work currently at the Southern Vermont Arts Center is a powerhouse exhibit that explores the joys and struggles that we all experience as we add layer upon layer of history to the being that transitions from childhood to adulthood to old age. The show, “The Girl Who Drew Memories,” invites the viewers to probe their own personal histories by interacting with the paintings, poetry and objects on display. Winbury was inspired by a close, immersive look into the details — the small fragments of memory — that have guided the events and choices of a narrative that is unique to her own life and yet capable of unlocking the repositories of the mind in her viewers. The … [Read more...] about SMALL FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY