There is something immediate about the work of Fernando Fula, a sense that each piece is made in a moment of intensity, without hesitation. His paintings do not feel overworked or overly controlled. Instead, they carry energy. You can sense decisions happening quickly, instinctively, as if the artist is responding in real time rather than carefully planning every move. Fula works primarily in portraiture, but what he creates moves far beyond traditional representations of the face. At first glance, you might recognize a figure, a pair of eyes, the outline of a head but the image rarely stays stable. Features shift, stretch and blur into the surrounding paint. His portraits feel alive, as if they are still in the process of becoming. This is especially clear in “The Illusion of Comfort is Your Prison.” The painting is built almost entirely in blue, yet within that limitation, Fula … [Read more...] about AUTHORSHIP IN FLUX

Art openings are a great place to meet interesting people and feel the pulse of a creative community, but they are a terrible place to actually look at art. On Friday, April 10, I found myself at the opening reception for “NEXT” at the Jamestown Art Center with the goal of looking at all the art. “NEXT,” a group exhibition featuring artists aged 19 to 39 “with roots in Jamestown, Rhode Island,” filled the Center’s main gallery space as did the many, many people who came to see the show. Making my way through the crowd, it always seemed like a group of people having a raucous shoulder-to-shoulder conversation appeared directly in front of whichever artwork I was trying to look at. I’m the type of guy who likes to really take his time and sit in an exhibition space, jotting down notes, looking at things close up, far away and from as many angles as I can. The cards were stacked against … [Read more...] about THE PULSE OF WHAT’S NEXT

Lowell has much to celebrate in 2026. Even as the United States honors its 250th year, the city of Lowell, founded in 1826, observes its bicentennial. Whistler House Museum of Art Director Sara Bogosian is passionate about her city. She personally curated the exhibit “200th Anniversary of Lowell 2026,” to mark the city’s historic anniversary. Bogosian selected work which ranges from realistic representations of the city’s factories and neighborhoods to allegorical images of Lowell’s innovations and will to survive, as embodied now by Lowell’s immigrant citizens from around the globe. Bogosian is notably proud of her Armenian heritage and understands the circumstances which lead families to emigrate to America. Her vision of creating a modern and vibrant museum within a 200-year-old house, defines the Whistler House today. The museum provides exhibition space for local artists from the … [Read more...] about 200 YEARS IN A CITY OF MANY FIRSTS

Sam Belisle is a master who paints in parable. I was taught in high school that parable is the highest form of poetry. His works are exceptionally painted poetry invested with deeply felt narrative intent. In his Newton Studio, Belisle explained most of his recent paintings lack a figure as he wants the viewer to wander through all the layers. His new paintings include detailed background landscapes or foreground floral imagery in high color to address the natural world around us as we converse in emojis and experience digital replacements. He pulls subjects from personal experience: a visit to his grandma in Sun City West, Arizona, volunteer tomatoes that grew near his Allston apartment trash can and with permission, a photo of two men on lunch break looking at a phone. He quotes graffiti which adds a respectful inclusive vibe. Imagined foreground and background landscapes are framed … [Read more...] about ATTENTION FOR SALE