It’s unexpected to visit Fitchburg, about 50 miles from Boston, with a very large Spanish-speaking population, and within its art museum, experiencing a seven-artist exhibition that explores and presents varied views of Africa. Fitchburg Art Museum’s (FAM) partnership with artist collective Where Are All The Black People At (WAATBPA) has opened “Dialogues, Diasporas, and Detours Through Africa,” featuring the work of seven artists, curated by multi-disciplinary artist Dell Marie Hamilton with FAM curator Lauren Szumita. These artists in residence mark FAM’s inaugural Black Artist Residency. Through deep engagement with African art in the museum’s permanent collection, they created new bodies of work inspired by centuries of long-standing discourse between Africa and the United States. Artists each chose an African artwork from the collection as a starting point and through varied … [Read more...] about AN OPEN DIALOGUE AT FAM: WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE AT’S POWERFUL RESIDENCY
Reviews
RELEVANT AND UNIVERSAL: ARTISTS, BORN ELSEWHERE, FIND HOME AT UMASS AMHERST
In a time when mass migration is increasing, and the right to immigrate is dramatically contested, the individual experiences of immigrants are often absent from the discussion. “Artists, Born Elsewhere - Selections from the UMCA’s Permanent Collection” at The UniversityMuseumofContemporaryArt,UMassAmherstillustrates both individual narratives through imagery, and culturally specific expressions of the effects of displacement and relocation which resonate as being universally shared. Drawing from a collection of varied media pieces by artists whose work incubated within such diverse cultural backgrounds as Syria, Diana al-Hadid; Germany, Josef Albers; Viet Nam, An-My Lê; Hungary, André Kertész and Iran, Y.Z. Kami, the exhibition includes portraits, still-lifes, landscapes and abstract, sometimes fantastical prints and drawings. Many of the prints were acquired from Exit Art Gallery … [Read more...] about RELEVANT AND UNIVERSAL: ARTISTS, BORN ELSEWHERE, FIND HOME AT UMASS AMHERST
CULTURAL CATALYSTS AT TUFTS: INDIGENOUS ART AND EQUITY IN THE CONTEMPORARY LANDSCAPE
Since arts organizations began emphasizing equity, diversity, and inclusion, commendable efforts have emerged, resulting in tangible changes, often at the institutional level. These efforts have led to the opening of doors, the dismantling of barriers, and the establishment of genuinely welcoming environments that offer opportunities to ethnic minorities, women, Black artists, and neglected communities, as well as authentic stories about nations. However, a critical question remains: how prepared are these art organizations to fully commit to advancing equity and implementing actions that speak louder than land acknowledgement words? Are measures being taken on national and international levels to move such efforts forward and prevent them from stagnating in the past? Is developing an action plan enough, or is more concrete action required? Recent years witnessed a growing recognition … [Read more...] about CULTURAL CATALYSTS AT TUFTS: INDIGENOUS ART AND EQUITY IN THE CONTEMPORARY LANDSCAPE
UÝRA’S LIVING FOREST: BRAZILIAN ARTIST’S BOLD U.S. DEBUT AT THE CURRIER
Through performance art, photography and film, trans-Indigenous/Brazilian artist UÝRA tries to make sense, and advocate, in a hostile world. UÝRA — who identifies with she/her/they/them pronouns — has created a tight exhibition that focuses on prejudice and oppression, biodiversity and dispossession, ritual, the lasting wounds of colonialism and the goings-on of their young compatriots in the industrial center of Manaus, which sits central in the sprawling state of Amazonas. The threats directed at UÝRA and her ilk are real, the socio-economic status quo seemingly insurmountable. It’s fitting that “The Living Forest: UÝRA,” on view at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire through September 24, is the artist’s first exhibition in the United States. The current similarities between the two countries are unsettling, from our rickety tri-branch federal systems to our … [Read more...] about UÝRA’S LIVING FOREST: BRAZILIAN ARTIST’S BOLD U.S. DEBUT AT THE CURRIER
FIERCE, FRESH AND FURIOUS: MR. HOPPER’S NEIGHBORHOOD STARTS AT CAPE ANN MUSEUM
Surreal, puckish touches everywhere: An unimposing wall of a sea captain’s mansion blares as if with a spotlight for a celebrity to enter or exit; or perhaps an invitation for the honored viewer – yourself – but there is no door, just the leaves of high bushes full of light. Are bushes being honored, while the majestic facade’s portal is ignored? Everyone knows Edward Hopper’s iconic 1942 “Nighthawks,” but are they fully aware of how his touches of individuality in the clothes, the attitude of bodies in themselves and in relation to the other bodies, fills a scene, inert in other hands, with drama. Hopper, shy and reticent as a person, as an artist he loves to steal upon a scene with hidden meanings, open it up for his delectation, then share it with anyone around who cares to peer over his shoulder. All shyness and reticence laid aside, when he takes up his brushes, Hopper becomes an … [Read more...] about FIERCE, FRESH AND FURIOUS: MR. HOPPER’S NEIGHBORHOOD STARTS AT CAPE ANN MUSEUM
A TAPESTRY OF STORIES: JOYCE J. SCOTT’S BEADWORK AT FULLER CRAFT
Joyce J. Scott, recognized as the foremost pioneer and influencer in the realms of beadwork, fine art, craft and social commentary, is being honored through “Messages,” her inaugural New England solo exhibition that is on view through November 5 at Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts. Curated and organized by Jo Anne and Libby Cooper of Mobilia Galleryof Cambridge, this momentous occasion celebrates a storied career replete with accomplishments and sustained dedication spanning decades, all aimed at propelling the arts forward while underscoring the profound significance and aesthetic allure of African American art and its enduring legacies. Scott, a dynamic multimedia artist, commands a nationwide audience with her resonant voice. Her creative journey is indelibly shaped by the profound influence of her mother, Elizabeth Talford Scott — an esteemed fiber artists who served … [Read more...] about A TAPESTRY OF STORIES: JOYCE J. SCOTT’S BEADWORK AT FULLER CRAFT