The Cushing Building at the Newport Art Museum is overflowing with artwork — sculptures of glass, stone and plastic are strategically placed throughout the space and myriad other works line the walls. Over 250 artists submitted 850 paintings, photographs, sculptures and multimedia works to be considered for the 2022 Newport Biennial. Sixty-nine artists were selected for the exhibition by guest juror Dr. Kimberli Gant, the McKinnon Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. The Biennial exhibition, formerly known as the Newport Annual Members’ Juried Exhibition, has been a showcase for regional artists for over 30 years. Gant selected works that were “dynamic and inspiring, as well as [those that had] a thoughtful message.” And in that goal, she succeeded. There is no way to capture the entirety of the Biennial in one article. Therefore, much … [Read more...] about DYNAMIC AND INSPIRING: NEWPORT BIENNIAL PROVIDES MESSAGES, IMAGES OF HOPE

Enjoy a break from winter-gloom and visit the colorful, calming, enlightening exhibit, “Icons for Our Time.” So much for you and your kids to see and do! Make a do-it-yourself icon! Children and adults may use paints, wood blocks, brushes and other equipment to make an icon of their own. An educational display explains the “12-steps to icon making.” Each wood square represents one step toward the completion of an icon. A TV screen has didactic videos about icons. If you are hungry, take home a print-out of recipes from the Russian Orthodox feast tradition. There are recipes from Egypt, Ethiopia, Japan and Bulgaria. All this information is of importance to American audiences because the history of the Greek and Russian Orthodox religious and cultural traditions are rarely taught in our colleges and schools. (To read more, pick up a copy of our latest issue! Find a pick-up location … [Read more...] about A GLORIOUS TRADITION: MODERN SYMBOLISM AT THE MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS

“Change is constant, and art is a journey from the moment we wake up, and the moment we fall asleep, and everything in between.” A statement from the organizers of “Changing lives, Changing future” from the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Women Artists is an apt introduction to the dynamic and transformative group show at the Atlantic Wharf Gallery, on Congress Street. Located in the first floor gallery and flowing up the stairs to the second-floor landing, “Changing Lives, Changing future” is a collection of 52 works from a wide range of artistic styles and backgrounds. In a time when we are still continually disappointed by the lack of visibility our local artists must endure due to the ongoing pandemic crisis, this show is rejuvenating. A striking example of one of the many mixed media and collage artists featured in the show, and one of the first works … [Read more...] about DYNAMIC AND TRANSFORMATIVE: DIVERSE MEMBERSHIP REJUVENATES ATLANTIC WHARF