Paul Briggs’s ceramic work is a conversation between medium and artist resulting in contemplative objects with healing qualities. Briggs purposefully infuses his clay works with metaphors and meanings. Throughout his life journey as a young athlete, undergraduate student, and ultimately, an artist, clay has always accompanied him. Since his early days attending summer camps, Briggs’s talent and passion for this type of craftsmanship have never left his side. Eventually, he wholeheartedly embraced his artistic career, becoming a mentor, lecturer, speaker, role model, successful artist and a scholar, as well as a beloved teacher. As a ceramic artist, Briggs goes beyond manipulating clay; he engages in dialogue and interactions with the material, contemplating its qualities and focusing on its manifestation. By approaching clay as a meditative exercise, Briggs merges his ideals and … [Read more...] about SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH ART: PAUL S. BRIGGS NOT-SO-HIDDEN MESSAGES AT LACOSTE

“Used” is the intentionally provocative title for the 2023 National Juried Exhibition that’s on view at the Attleboro Arts Museum through July 14. The name for the show was conceived of internally at the museum a year ago, as a starting point to spark a dialogue of visual possibilities and pertinent aesthetic connections that charge the air currently. The word “Used” implies material process and emotional connection and like a lot of four-letter words is exceptionally rife with connotations. It is a verb and a feeling. It is a concept rooted in some of the same unresolved conditions that caused Jack Kerouac, in a different historic moment but not dissimilar era, to suddenly label himself and friends as “beat” — meaning forgotten misfits — which was about identity, lack of identity, and later coined into the term “Beat Generation,” indicating scale of the discontent. The selected … [Read more...] about INTENTIONALLY PROVOCATIVE: ‘USED’ SPARKS A DIALOGUE AT ATTLEBORO ARTS MUSEUM

Always one of my favorite exhibitions, thanks to its constant combination of new artists and the latest career progression by familiar names, the 2023 Annual Danforth Juried Exhibition did not disappoint. Juried by Rachel Passannante, Collection Curator, Danforth Art Museum; Leslie Starobin, Professor of Art, Framingham State University; and Erin Becker, Executive Director, Norma Jean Calderwood Director of the Cambridge Art Association, its imminent opening was announced through a Danforth Art Facebook page featuring a picture of C.A. Stigliano helping to install his “Galatea” sculpture. Named after a sculpture by the legendary Greek sculptor Pygmalion, held Pinocchio-style by four strings from the ceiling, it was awarded the exhibition’s First Prize. Standing face to face with it, exploring its marking and tattoos, one looks into eyes that feel real and that contain a soul that’s … [Read more...] about SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES: DANFORTH’S ANNUAL SHOWS NOT SO QUIET SOCIAL ACTIVISM

The collaboration between the Berkshire Art Museum and NAWAMA (The National Association of Women Artists, Massachusetts Chapter) is a natural one; the director of the BAM, Eric Rudd, bore witness to the issue of the inclusion of women in the art world, having been involved through his years of teaching at the Corcoran College of Art in Washington, D.C. in the 1970s. A visual artist as well, Rudd reflects on the fact that Washington in the 1960s was an exception to the rule of the male-dominated landscape of museum and gallery directors in the area. When he was out of the gate beginning his long exhibition history, he cites many galleries or museums that were run by women. Rudd’s experience is in line with the manifesto of NAWAMA, through the eyes and leadership of its Massachusetts Chapter’s president, Jennifer Jean Okumura. In her catalog entry, Okumura reflects on the … [Read more...] about A SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION: NAWAMA EXPANDS ITS MESSAGE TO THE BERKSHIRES

Norwalk art is on the rise and The Norwalk Art Space (TNAS), the brainchild of founder Alexandra Davern Korry and Executive director Duvian Montoya, is at the heart of it. Through TNAS, Korry, who passed away in 2020, hoped to “create a space that would enhance educational opportunities for under-served students, promote under-represented local artists, and provide the public a welcoming space to enjoy art and music.” This multi-dimensional arts mecca headed by Montoya currently lives out Korry’s final wish by “offering free art and music education and mentorship... sponsoring and promoting local artists through our Resident Artist program and Korry Fellow exhibitions and providing the public an exciting venue to explore art and music, all free.” What a wonderful mission and what better place to put it into action than Oyster Town, Connecticut. One recent initiative The Norwalk … [Read more...] about ENHANCING THE MALL EXPERIENCE: NORWALK ART SPACE BRINGS ‘THE MEANING OF US’ TO SONO

Within every outdoor sculpture exhibition, there is a synchronic event happening — the merging of the sculpture itself with the venue that supports it. Usually, the natural environment is an integral part of the whole, lending itself to a conversation with the curated work within it. Sometimes thework is dispersed among city structures, creating focal points within an angular backdrop. Very often one finds the work embedded in nature. At The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts, trees and rolling lawns provide a gracious complement to the mostly large sculptures. Everything comes alive with the anticipation of what lies around any given corner. Founded in 1993, “SculptureNow” has had a long presence in the Berkshires and has had a symbiotic relationship with The Mount (Edith Wharton’s Home) for 10 years. Its collaboration with The Mount has given the event the ability to extend its reach in … [Read more...] about ENHANCED BY THE ENVIRONMENT: THE MOUNT’S SCULPTURENOW EXPANDS THE OUTSIDE EXPERIENCE