Joanne Mattera’s 2001 book, “The Art of Encaustic Painting: Contemporary Expression in the Ancient Medium of Pigmented Wax,” has been a guiding light for encaustic artists since its publication in 2001. She founded the International Encaustic Conference, IN 2007, which will be held for its 17th year from May 31 through June 3 at the Providence Inn and Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill; she’s now its Director Emerita. Built on several years of entries under the same name, Mattera’s latest book, the self-published “Italianità: Contemporary Art Inspired by the Italian Immigrant Experience,” has a complementary exhibition, “A Legacy of Making: 21 Contemporary Italian American Artists,” that is on view through the end of April at John D. Calandra Italian American Institute in Manhattan. Her next solo exhibition, featuring paintings on paper that Mattera produced during the pandemic, … [Read more...] about CORNERED: JOANNE MATTERA
Artscope Issues
WELCOME January/February 2024: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
Welcome to Artscope’s first issue of 2024, In my formative years of 1964 and 1965, I benefited from my mom bringing me to the New York World’s Fair, with its motto of “Peace Through Understanding” backed up by exhibitions from countries around the world introducing visitors to their culture and people, be it Michelangelo’s “Pietà” in the Vatican pavilion, Thailand’s ornate roof replica of the Mondrop of Saraburi Buddhist shrine, and through its singing marionettes dressed in costumes and performing songs in their native languages, Walt Disney’s “It’s a Small World” in the Pepsi-Cola Pavilion helped showed us that it was, indeed, “A world of laughter, a world of tears …” Our goal as a publication has always been to introduce our readers to artists making work that touches our hearts and hopefully yours and — in many instances — introduce you to people from cultures different than yours, … [Read more...] about WELCOME January/February 2024: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
CAPSULE PREVIEWS: November/December 2023
Honoring Jhumpa Lahiri’s book of the same title “Unaccustomed Earth,” inspired by a Nathaniel Hawthorne quote about the resilience of migrants and their descendants, features the work of Boston-based, Caribbean-born artists Emily Rose and Beatriz Whitehill and can be seen from November 3 through January 14, 2024, at Beacon Gallery, 524B Harrison Ave., Boston, Massachusetts. “Working in a variety of media, the artists reinforce the notion that there is no single answer for resilience and learning to flourish in one’s own Unaccustomed Earth. Through painting, sculpture, animation, and installation, the two artists grapple with their positions as storytellers, and forbearers of family culture and artistry, all while exploring their diasporic identities.” Last month, it was announced that this will be the final show under the Beacon Gallery name; the gallery will continue in a rebranded … [Read more...] about CAPSULE PREVIEWS: November/December 2023
ABANDONED NO LONGER: ARTIST HOUSING SEEN AS ANCHOR FOR FITCHBURG’S FUTURE
On an October Saturday, I drove from Dorchester, where our #ARTSTASYSHERE Coalition was born from years of volunteer advocacy to prevent Humphreys Street Studios and its 45 plus studio artists from displacement, to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, about 50 miles northwest of Boston. Fitchburg, like other Massachusetts “gateway cities,” once was a thriving home to the industrial manufacturing of tools, paper and firearms, with the companies’ machinery powered by waters of the Nashua River. In eastern Massachusetts, the #ARTSTAYSHERE Coalition is helping preserve art/music/cultural workspaces, the result of soaring property values and owners selling when high. Over the last 18 months alone, we’ve advocated to preserve or relocate dozens of artists from 119 Braintree Street (Allston), over 700 musicians from the former Sound Museum (Brighton), over 60 artists at Joy Street Studios (Somerville) … [Read more...] about ABANDONED NO LONGER: ARTIST HOUSING SEEN AS ANCHOR FOR FITCHBURG’S FUTURE
SITKA’S VIBRANT ARTISTRY UNVEILED: THE JOURNEY FROM TEXTILE DESIGNER TO MASTERFUL PAINTER
In a splendid fusion of colors, cultures and artistic evolution, the Sitka Home Art Gallery on Newbury Street, Boston, welcomes art enthusiasts to an extraordinary exhibition that transcends the conventional boundaries of creativity. Sitka, a name once synonymous with textile design excellence in the world of high fashion, continues to thrive as an artist of profound versatility. The mesmerizing exhibition, titled “My Hand Behind Ralph Lauren Prints: 1990s-2015,” on view from November 14 through 30, not only unveils the hidden stories of Sitka’s collaboration with the iconic fashion house of Ralph Lauren but also reveals the breathtaking metamorphosis of a gifted textile designer and a masterful painter. Sitka’s artistic journey is one that defies categorization, much like his boundless creative spirit. His art is a testament to a life rich in experiences, a tale of diverse influences … [Read more...] about SITKA’S VIBRANT ARTISTRY UNVEILED: THE JOURNEY FROM TEXTILE DESIGNER TO MASTERFUL PAINTER
CONSTANTLY REIMAGINING OUR WORLD: THE ART WORLD SHINES IN NYC, MIAMI BEACH & SÃO PAULO
Is every artwork inherently political, and has this always been the case? Can the interpretation of the same artwork be dependent on the political climate, the era or the geographical location in which it is being presented? Does art possess a timeless quality? In contemporary art fairs and biennials, these questions can work as platforms for introducing new artistic approaches, emerging talents and for reintroducing past works that now may hold different significance. Artists constantly reimagine our world, offering fresh perspectives. Yet, within the realms of commercial and nonprofit art scenes, we must ask whether we amplify artists’ voices and provide them space for expression or, at times, reduce their sacred creations to commodities and symbols of status and power. I, more than ever, entrust artists to help us navigate this moment, reframe the past through the present and … [Read more...] about CONSTANTLY REIMAGINING OUR WORLD: THE ART WORLD SHINES IN NYC, MIAMI BEACH & SÃO PAULO