Daniela Rivera explores labor, landscape and identity in her exhibition “Labored Landscapes (where hand meets ground)” at the Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM), and with this exploration, Rivera presents the interconnectedness apparent in labor, laborer and what she designates as the labored surface — either the physical ground that is toiled, or the ground or surface of a painting. Born in Santiago, Chile, Rivera moved to the Boston area in 2002, received her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, Boston, in 2006, and has been associate professor of studio art at Wellesley College for the past 11 years. Her native Chile provides the context for works that are both highly conceptual, visually commanding and intellectually provocative. Organized by FAM curator Lisa Crossman with Terrana Curatorial Fellow Marjorie Rawle, the exhibition is comprised of three … [Read more...] about DISORIENTATED VIEWS: DANIELA RIVERA’S LABORED LANDSCAPES
Visual Arts
Painting the Moment: Cape Ann Plein Air 2019
Cape Ann is a place where families wander through artisan shops and galleries as they enjoy a fresh lobster roll or ice cream, while gazing out at the Atlantic rolling in and out of the shore, boats teetering with the breeze. Cooler temperatures and the changing leaves yield new happenings in this coastal community such as the Cape Ann Plein Air festival from October 6-14, drawing audiences from all over the country to observe over 40 juried American artists painting the picturesque surroundings. Like Winslow Homer who traveled here to capture reflections of light and the magnitude of nature in the 19th century, oil, acrylic, and watercolorists gather today to capture a similar essence. Celebrating its fourth year, painters can submit up to 5 works to be judged by devoted plein air artist, Kenn Backhaus and Cape Ann Plein Air will award around $22,000 worth of prizes to winners, … [Read more...] about Painting the Moment: Cape Ann Plein Air 2019
A Wanderlust Journey Through Eccentric Putnam, Connecticut
As I drove into Putnam, Connecticut in my 1972 Volkswagen Bus, brisk air drifted through my window and crimson gold leaves crunched under the tires. A scenic drive through winding farm roads led me here and Cargill Falls with its cascading river water welcomed me into town. About an hour drive from Boston, shop windows along Main Street were decorated with stacked pumpkins and copper objects and gears in celebration of Putnam’s October 4 Steampunk Festival. Galleries, antique shops and street art give this town an artsy, yet vintage flair, and autumn is the perfect time to explore it. To begin the journey with a coffee, espresso, latte or hot cider from Woodstock Orchards, head to Victoria Station Café located at 91 Main Street. Its draped curtains and spiral staircase give a classic feel to this family-owned establishment and the full skeleton at the bar adds Halloween eeriness. In … [Read more...] about A Wanderlust Journey Through Eccentric Putnam, Connecticut
Northwestern University in Qatar’s Media Majlis
Media Majlis, the first media museum in the Arab world, is named after the traditional majlis, the Arab gathering place where information was shared and spread. Located in Doha’s Education City, the museum, part of Northwestern University in Qatar, is one of the world’s most technologically advanced schools of media. The building designed by the renowned architect Antoine Predock highlights digital technology with state-of-the-art media. Its exterior features two curvilinear spaces. The large screen permanently affixed to the wall is in the form of a saif tic, the shape of a curved sword particular to the Arab world that is used in wayfinding. The museum, dedicated to media, journalism and communication, seeks to provide multiple views on given subjects, allowing the public to find their own ways of exploring the topics and providing a pulpit for polyphonic discussion in our … [Read more...] about Northwestern University in Qatar’s Media Majlis
THE BOSTON LYRIC OPERA PRESENTS PAGLIACCI
Once again, the Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) has made a brilliant virtue of its present homeless state by choosing an unorthodox and roomy site in which they can design a stage that is more an invitation than the old-style elevated barrier. This stage was the DCR Memorial Steriti Skating Rink located on Commercial Street, just a short walk from North Station. We took advantage of the Green Line’s public transportation then climbed upstairs to enjoy an illuminated urban experience on Commercial Street as it circles a North End dotted with restaurants. Since we longed for the full immersive experience, we ignored the restaurants and headed for the advertised food trucks. I grabbed a heap of Indian food, then followed the signs to the back of the skating rink where we positioned ourselves on a picnic bench overlooking the Charles River as it flows towards the locks that lead into Boston … [Read more...] about THE BOSTON LYRIC OPERA PRESENTS PAGLIACCI
SEASIDE ART: EAST BOSTON: PRESENT TENSE AT CLIPART
Looking out onto the water where sailboats glide towards the Boston skyline, lies ClipArt Gallery, tucked away in the new luxury Clippership apartments and condos of East Boston. Its debut exhibit, “East Boston: Present Tense,” curated by Marjorie Kaye, the founder of Galatea Fine Art in Boston, showcases juried work from East Boston artists in a small space, where “a variety of different mediums are represented.” Currently open exclusively to residents and viewable by the public on Saturdays, ClipArt Gallery invites guests to escape into the art, away from the bustling city in the distance. A patchwork of collaged earthy oranges, greens and blues coalesce in Dominick Takis’s “Picasso’s Byzantined Brains,” the first artwork to greet viewers. The 40” x 40” work is a maze for the eyes as they get lost in the rough textures, colored tiles and cut-outs of faces, inspired by Picasso’s Cubism … [Read more...] about SEASIDE ART: EAST BOSTON: PRESENT TENSE AT CLIPART