By Meghan Richter The lobby of a mall is one of the last places you would expect to see fine art. However, in Berlin, Vermont, an exhibition of “Big Art” at the Berlin Mall challenges you to reimagine your expectations. Now through mid-to-late-October, the mall’s front windows will feature blown-up images of works by Jayne Shoup, David Smith, Steven P. Goodman and 13 other artists. The installation of these pieces was subsidized entirely by Heidenberg Properties Group, the mall’s owners, in order to stir up more attendance. There is also an opportunity for children and parents to visit the Berlin Mall and make “Little Art.” It’s another way that the local community can be involved as the space converts from an entirely commercial space to becoming more like a town center. The “Big Art” pieces are visible both from the front of the mall, and from within, as the sun penetrates the … [Read more...] about Art in Unexpected Places: Community Building in Barre and Berlin, Vermont
Visual Arts
Far from Foolish: Family Fun at the Festival of Fools
By Meghan Richter Image: "Festival Host BCA's Current Exhibition: Thu Kim Vu's Fixed/Fluxed" Driving through the green mountains of Vermont is always a treat, especially in the summer when the city of Burlington is vibrant with engaging activity. This past weekend’s temperatures were about 75 degrees on average, sunny and breezy — the perfect escape from the sweltering heat of Boston. I arrived in Burlington in time for the Festival of Fools, a yearly event that is produced by Burlington City Arts. The streets were decorated with multi- colored balls that were strung together in a circus- tent formation over the intersecting streets on Church. Up and down the street, and on the green at the corner of Church and Main streets, there were varied performances ranging from dance to live music and comedy acts. Street performers traveled from all over the northeast to share their … [Read more...] about Far from Foolish: Family Fun at the Festival of Fools
CORNERED: Jon Goldman of the Village Portrait Project
By Brian Goslow In 2012, Jon Goldman began work on the “Village Portrait Project” with the end goal of digitally painting portraits of the 780 Wood’s Hole residents registered in the 2010 United States Census; he’s currently nearing portrait number 200. A portion of the series can be seen in the “At the Crossroads: Six Narratives at the Intersection of Identity and Community” exhibition that’s on view through August 28 at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane, Dennis, Massachusetts. Artscope managing editor Brian Goslow “cornered” Goldman via email in June in gathering material for his preview of the exhibition; his story can be seen in our July/August 2016 issue. Here’s their email exchange, in full: WHY HAS THIS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR YOU? “Community” is an abstraction which can become animate when you engage with an environment outside of your studio. I am … [Read more...] about CORNERED: Jon Goldman of the Village Portrait Project
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: AZITA MORADKHANI
By Joshua Ascherman At first glance, Azita Moradkhani’s wall sculptures look like cut-out sections from mannequins. The white fragments of female bodies that were on display in “Victorious Secrets,” Moradkhani’s recent show at Gallery Kayafas in the South End of Boston, are bedecked with Moradkhani’s meticulous colored pencil drawings, applied to look like intimate apparel. However, these mannequins are eerily accurate. In fact, they aren’t mannequins at all — they’re casts from the body of the artist. Moradkhani’s daring gesture of self-display follows logically from the concerns of her work: “Victorious Secrets,” which puns obviously on the name of the lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret, is about privacy, affronts to privacy and the relationship between the private and the political. The fusion of lingerie with images from the news is one alley by which Moradkhani accesses this … [Read more...] about ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: AZITA MORADKHANI
ENDLESS INSPIRATION ON MAINE’S SEACOAST
By Meghan Richter Surrounded by the tremendous, lush greenery of its forests, that alternated with the boundless coastal views as the salted breezes permeated through the windows of my car as I drove through the state of Maine, I found myself engulfed by the passion and inspiration of many of its artists. From realists to modernists, these artists flourish in a bountiful cultural scene, up and down the Maine seacoast. With the newly opened Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) and Farnsworth Museum nearby, Main Street Rockland hosts a series of galleries, including Dowling Walsh and Carver Hill Gallery, where the local artists’ works provide a unique take on what it means to be an artist in Maine. One of 25 galleries in downtown Rockland, Landing Gallery, was filled with local seascapes and of colorful renderings of fields and forests. In contrast, Asymmetrick Gallery, … [Read more...] about ENDLESS INSPIRATION ON MAINE’S SEACOAST
TRURO CENTER FOR THE ARTS AT CASTLE HILL’S SUMMER BASH JULY 23; HONOREE JUDY CICERO DISCUSSES
By Harriet Bee Truro, MA - The Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill is celebrating its 45th year at the annual Castle Hill Summer Bash on Saturday July 23, and will also be honoring longtime friend and supporter Judy Cicero. The outdoor party will feature great food, martinis and cosmopolitans by Ray Elman, and dancing to the music of the Chandler Travis Philharmonic, as well as the tribute to well-known Provincetown resident Cicero. Cicero first came to the tip of the cape as a ten-year-old when her parents began their ownership of Cabot’s, the fudge and candy emporium on the corner of Commercial and Ryder streets, where they remained for many years during the summer months. Much later, as an adult, a teacher, an art collector and antiques dealer, she moved to the Outer Cape in 1972 where she has remained ever since. Over the years, Cicero has actively served on many of … [Read more...] about TRURO CENTER FOR THE ARTS AT CASTLE HILL’S SUMMER BASH JULY 23; HONOREE JUDY CICERO DISCUSSES