“Obama: An Intimate Portrait” is a hand-picked collection of 50 photos taken by Dartmouth native and former White House photographer Pete Souza. The exhibit is presented at the New Bedford Art Museum in conjunction with the New Bedford Historical Society. The New York Times captured my first impression of Pete Souza — it was spot on! “Life as a headliner makes him uneasy. For decades, Mr. Souza’s life has been about observation.” I met Mr. Souza during a private preview opening for the donors who made his current exhibit at the New Bedford Art Museum possible. I was on assignment; I was told to interview him. How many of the same boilerplate and cliched questions had he been asked over and over again? I hoped my single question would challenge him a bit. He seemed a bit standoffish at first. “You both had to walk a narrow path, while at the same time each of you had a power that no … [Read more...] about PETE SOUZA: ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS
THE DARKNESS LIFTED: POWERFUL SURVIVORS’ TALE AT ARMENIAN MUSEUM
In 1915, the infant Berj Kailian escaped the Armenian Genocide in World War I while lashed to her mother’s back. Five years after Kailian’s death, the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown presents the exhibition, “In the Shade of Branches,” an occasion for looking at the past through the lens of an artist committed to life moving forward. During the Turkish massacre and deportation of over a million Armenians, Berj Kailian’s mother miraculously survived her husband’s murder and the loss of three older children and crossed in safety to Yerevan with her baby, Berj. After four desperate years working with the Red Cross in the refugee-swollen city, Kailian’s mother finally secured funds from her American brothers to emigrate to Weymouth, Massachusetts. Their path took them across Siberia by rail. From Vladivostok, they were rescued and brought to Japan by the writer Diana Agabeg … [Read more...] about THE DARKNESS LIFTED: POWERFUL SURVIVORS’ TALE AT ARMENIAN MUSEUM
BOTANICAL ABSTRACTION: HUMBERTO RAMIREZ CREATES SPACE AT ARTISTREE
Whether he is painting, teaching, curating or creating a video, multimedia artist Humberto Ramirez is likely to be thinking about social issues and the power of art in shaping values and perceptions. In his exhibit at the ArtisTree Community Arts Center in South Pomfret, Vermont, on view from May 17 through June 1, Ramirez’s abstract paintings allude to botanical gardens that use the conventions of abstraction but go further, delving into the deeply rooted experience of the body and the world. In a way, he explained, “they are less a radical denial of social reality than a reaffirmation of the desire for creative space and autonomy. The works are about form, space, light and color,” he added. “They point to the corporeal world and seek to transcend it.” If this concept seems difficult to grasp, it may be because Ramirez is trained in both the sciences and the humanities, and he … [Read more...] about BOTANICAL ABSTRACTION: HUMBERTO RAMIREZ CREATES SPACE AT ARTISTREE
GLISTENING AND CONTEMPORARY: YALE CELEBRATES THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN GLASS
The Yale University Art Gallery is showcasing its magnificent Mabel Brady Garvan Glass Collection in a student-curated exhibition that feels fresh and contemporary. The accompanying catalogue goes a long way to add flesh to the stories behind these objects, beginning with the history of Francis P. Garvan and his evolution as a major 20th century collector. The son of prosperous Irish immigrants, Garvan was born and reared in East Hartford and educated at Yale College. He went on to earn his law degree from New York University and today is perhaps best known for his role in prosecuting Harry Thaw in the murder of the architect Stanford White. He married into the Brady family of Albany, with his father-in-law the self-made titan of the Albany Gas Company. Upon his father-in-law’s death, Garvan had both the means and the resources by which to begin furnishing his home with fine glass and … [Read more...] about GLISTENING AND CONTEMPORARY: YALE CELEBRATES THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN GLASS
SVAC’S RECYCLED BEAUTY: UNUSUAL FASHION THREADS SHOWCASED IN VERMONT
When I was in high school in New York City in the ‘70s, it was de rigueur for girls to clothe themselves from local thrift shops. It was not unusual to see your friends in Lanvin or Schiaparelli working a Bunsen burner in bio class. That was before Upper East Side ladies donated to the Met, and before the Costume Institute was established and before there was a sizable tax benefit to giving away your vintage Valentino. As a societal force, sustainability was just getting a bit of traction and it was a small circle of worrywarts who pondered, “what’s going to happen to all this stuff in 59 years?” The Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) has mounted a thought-provoking exhibition entitled, “Unusual Threads: Stitching Together the Future of Fashion,” that centers on the haute couture fashion industry’s need to reinvent itself season after season with the dual purpose of producing a … [Read more...] about SVAC’S RECYCLED BEAUTY: UNUSUAL FASHION THREADS SHOWCASED IN VERMONT
SHORELINES AND SEASCAPES: OGUNQUIT’S EARLY TASTE OF SUMMER
Want the perfect summer New England day trip? This is it! An enchanted drive up the coast, interspersed with serendipitous food spots along the way — ultimately culminating at Ogunquit Museum of American Art, a little jewel of an art gallery. Or, if you don’t want to end your day there, walk on up to Perkins Cove to dine — check out Barnacle Billy’s or M.C. Perkins Cove for food, Todd Bonita’s Gallery for more f ine art, Swamp John’s for fine crafts and jewelry, or a myriad of other shops. Or even better — plan ahead and take in a summer performance at Ogunquit Playhouse. Undoubtedly you won’t be disappointed. If you’re coming from the North Shore or Boston area, take Route 1A and Route 1 along the ocean, where you’ll meander through fascinating little, out-of-the-way villages and Portsmouth, Kittery and York, all hosting great places to eat along the way, including Bob’s Clam Hut, … [Read more...] about SHORELINES AND SEASCAPES: OGUNQUIT’S EARLY TASTE OF SUMMER