There are few things in life that photographer Frank ArmstronglovesmorethanheadingoutfromhisWestBoylston, Massachusetts home and driving the backroads of America at 35 miles an hour in search of a unique piece of Americana, drawn by the curiosity of what he might find. “Nothing else but curiosity. I’m just nosey,” said Armstrong prior to the opening of his “American Roadsides: Frank Armstrong’s Photographic Legacy” exhibition at the Fitchburg Art Museum. “I just like to get out there and see what’s there. Once I got out there, I found there was interesting stuff.” Featuring photographs taken between 2012 and 2021, and chosen by Fitchburg Art Museum Director Nick Capasso, who curated his portion of the exhibition, Armstrong shares the spotlight with six of his former students at Clark University (where he has taught analog and digital photography since 1999) and one from the … [Read more...] about HAVE CAMERA, WILL TRAVEL: ARMSTRONG, STUDENTS REUNITE ON FITCHBURG WALLS
Artscope Issues
“A DYNAMIC CONTINUUM”: Cornered with Brett Abbott
On February 15, Brett Abbott became the new Director and CEO of the New Britain Museum of American Art; during his first week in office, Artscope Magazine’s Suzanne Volmer exchanged questions and ideas with him as he was stepping into the job. SUZANNE VOLMER: Welcome back to New England. Congratulations on becoming the new Director of NBMAA. BRETT ABBOTT: Thank you. SV: Your background includes a Master’s Degree from Williams College and then onward to Stanford and Museum Leadership training at The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. It’s a combination of influences that makes me think of the exhibit “Now Dig This!” that originated from The Getty’s Pacific Standard Time Series that I saw at Williams College Art Museum. I wonder what cross-pollination, inclusive of your museum directorship at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas, do you plan to bring to … [Read more...] about “A DYNAMIC CONTINUUM”: Cornered with Brett Abbott
WELCOME March/April 2022: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
Welcome to our 16th Anniversary Issue! We have reached this milestone thanks to the longtime support of our readers and advertisers and the devotion of a writing staff dedicated to promoting the artists, art organizations, galleries and museums of New England and others who inspired them from throughout the world. Since the pandemic caused a landslide of exhibition and venue closings in March 2020, we’ve remained committed to providing that support, adjusting as they’ve adjusted, each of us searching for the best way to stay in touch with our audience, adapting to the latest safety guidelines and judging from the phone calls, letters and conversations we’ve had, you feel that we’ve delivered fresh and timely issues filled with stories on a period we’ll not soon forget. Traditionally, our March/April anniversary issue has spotlighted artists our writers had wanted to write about, … [Read more...] about WELCOME March/April 2022: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
International Poster Gallery’s Depiction of the History and Significance of the Art Form
Boston’s SOWA District is home to multiple fantastic galleries including the incredibly unique International Poster Gallery. When one goes inside International Poster Gallery, one can see how it reflects the history and significance of posters in the art world through the large variety within its collection. The gallery features 10,000 fine original vintage posters, all from the periods they were made (i.e. not reproductions) which makes it one of the largest collections in both price and style. The gallery’s beautiful posters and related items are as little as $100 and many above $5,000. They are also interested in working with new collectors and finding posters for their more sophisticated collectors. An example of a new arrival for new collectors would be the extremely hard to find poster “Bianco e Nero” by Marcello Dudovich. I had recently spoken with the owner, Jim Lapides, who told … [Read more...] about International Poster Gallery’s Depiction of the History and Significance of the Art Form
WELCOME January/February 2022: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
As we were going to press with this issue, a few days prior to Christmas, all of the exhibitions that are reviewed and previewed were scheduled to run as planned. If you plan on seeing any of these shows, as part of your preparations, please check with each venue’s website prior to leaving and consider contacting them on the day of your trip to confirm they’re open or if there are any specific arrangements you need to make (especially pre-ticketing). Keeping in mind that these artists, curators, gallery owners and museums have spent months, and in some cases, years planning these exhibitions, in a worst-case scenario of shows being postponed or cancelled, please check out their websites to learn more about their work and offerings. I received a strong education in how intense the juror process can be last fall after Bromfield Gallery manager Gary Duehr invited me to jury its SOLO 2020 … [Read more...] about WELCOME January/February 2022: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
CAPSULE PREVIEWS FOR ARTSCOPE 96
“Straits of Magellan,” an exhibition featuring paintings of the southern tip of South America by Lola Chaisson, takes place from January 5 through February 12 at 6 Bridges Gallery, 77 Main Street, Maynard, Massachusetts. The show will feature sketches, photos and memories in which Chaisson captures the spirit of a voyage taken shortly before the pandemic. "Rather than focus on being 'stuck at home,' I picked up my brushes and looked back to the open vistas where mountains stretched up to the clouds and down to the sea, in my mind, switching the view of my living room back to the views along the passage from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia via Cape Horn." An opening reception is scheduled for January 8 from 1-3 p.m.; the exhibition will also be viewable online at 6bridges.gallery. In curating “Passing the Edge,” Leonie Bradbury has put together a show that “celebrates artists’ mark making as a … [Read more...] about CAPSULE PREVIEWS FOR ARTSCOPE 96