Beverly, Massachusetts’s Montserrat College of Art begins the new year with a selection of shows that celebrate its newest and oldest talents and make space for inner and external explorations of form, color, trauma and politics. The range of the college’s teachings are spotlighted throughout its four galleries of exhibitions featuring the psychedelic works of Isaiah Hope, a recent graduate of the college, to samples of the timeless works of Reno “Ray” Pisano, Montserrat’s last living founding faculty member who will celebrate his 100th birthday this February. These two shows are on view now through January 28 and February 25, respectively, while two additional exhibits spotlighting artists Robert Moeller and Allison Maria Rodriguez are set to open on January 23. Ray Pisano’s elegant works exude the kind of long- time devotion to craft that Pisano himself embodies. As he approaches … [Read more...] about A LIFETIME COMMITMENT

The materials messaging in “Social Fabric: Textiles and Contemporary Issues,” on view through June 11 in the Cushing and Morris Galleries at the Newport Art Museum, is certainly of the moment and contextualized by the inclusion of excerpts from the National Aids Quilt and work from Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party,” her 1970s landmark installation that remains just as significant today as an activist’s expression of contemporary art. Many of the artists included in this show have used the soft hominess of quilt-making to address society’s ills. In chief curator Francine Weiss’ and co-curator Megan Horn’s carefully chosen artist list for this exhibition, they’ve built an interesting and insightful conversation about gender, sexual bias, equality, racism and incarceration. Recently, after visiting the show on two occasions, Artscope Magazine’s Suzanne Volmer exchanged questions about … [Read more...] about A CONTEMPORARY FOCUS

The much-anticipated Members’ Exhibition, on view at Attleboro Arts Museum through January 27, is an annual event that provides an opportunity for members of all ages and artistic backgrounds to exhibit up to three artworks with guaranteed inclusion. Always an interesting percolation of ideas and trends, the current iteration of the survey includes 411 artworks by 201 artists. 2023 happens to be Attleboro Arts Museum’s 100th Anniversary and the Members’ Exhibition is certainly a signature event to begin an auspicious year. Zachary M. White, executive director of Gallery X in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was the awards juror for the show. His choices followed the museum’s template of Best Abstract ($100), Best Representational ($100), six Juror’s Awards ($50 each), four Blick Materials Awards ($50 value each) and 12 Merit Awards (certificates). Reinforcing these honors, in her remarks … [Read more...] about A REFLECTION OF THE TIMES

All the senses will trigger memory, but for many people, a visual image opens a locked door to personal history, often forgotten or detached from the routines and obligations of daily living. Gail Winbury’s extensive body of work currently at the Southern Vermont Arts Center is a powerhouse exhibit that explores the joys and struggles that we all experience as we add layer upon layer of history to the being that transitions from childhood to adulthood to old age. The show, “The Girl Who Drew Memories,” invites the viewers to probe their own personal histories by interacting with the paintings, poetry and objects on display. Winbury was inspired by a close, immersive look into the details — the small fragments of memory — that have guided the events and choices of a narrative that is unique to her own life and yet capable of unlocking the repositories of the mind in her viewers. The … [Read more...] about SMALL FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY