On Saturday, July 17, the weather in the South Coast was hot, humid and it did not let up through the weekend. Even so, art lovers came out in droves to attend the 18th annual South Coast Artist’s Open Studio Tour. Approximately 75 galleries and studios across Dartmouth and Westport, Massachusetts, and Tiverton and Little Compton, Rhode Island opened their doors to the public. Some opening for the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with the stunning artwork on display, the real charm of the South Coast Artist’s Open Studio Tour was seeing the variety of workspaces used by artists across the region and learning about the behind-the-scenes processes that go into creating artwork. According to some artists participating in the tour, visitor turnout was equal to the last in-person open studio tour in 2019. Kelly Milukas, a multimedia artist based out of … [Read more...] about HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SOUTH COAST ARTIST’S OPEN STUDIO TOUR’S FIRST WEEKEND
Community
THE ART SCENE. BACK TO NORMAL?
New York held a ticker tape parade in honor of health care workers on July 7. Galleries are opening up in New York, Massachusetts, Paris, and more. The fireworks were phenomenal and well attended by joyous Americans eager to celebrate their liberation from pandemic restrictions, showing their smiles, hugging their friends, families and strangers. Amid all this back to normalcy, Artscope Magazine reviewed a photograph so representative of all that is happening that it made me believe we had emerged into a new and better world. Puerto-Rican Street photographer Ruben Natal San Miguel, in his first solo show, “American Beauty” opened July 4 at Gary Marotta Fine Art in Provincetown, showing a woman in the South Bronx, New York City, one of the country’s areas hardest hit by the Covid 19 pandemic. Dressed in patriotic red, white and blue, in ripped cutoffs, she embraces her young son, and … [Read more...] about THE ART SCENE. BACK TO NORMAL?
IT STARTED IN WORCESTER: PAUL PEDULLA ON HIS CREATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH ARTSCOPE MAGAZINE
What bright and welcoming colors! That’s what I was thinking in 2010 when I received photos of three adjacent homes in Worcester from Brian Goslow, Managing Editor of Artscope Magazine. I knew there was a painting waiting for me in these photos. Why was Brian sending me photos? The answer goes back to 2008, when he first appeared in my designated space in the juried group show at South End Open Studios. I had no idea who he was. And I was a new artist with little experience showing my work. Brian had an intense look on his face as he examined each of my paintings. Thoughts swirled in my head. Should I talk to him? Maybe leave him alone? Finally, the conversation went something like: “Hi, I’m Paul. Happy to answer any questions. I’m also happy to just leave you alone to look.” “I’m Brian Goslow, Managing Editor of Artscope Magazine. I really like what you’re doing here.” I … [Read more...] about IT STARTED IN WORCESTER: PAUL PEDULLA ON HIS CREATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH ARTSCOPE MAGAZINE
URBANO PROJECT CELEBRATES THE WARMTH OF WE HEAL’S ART WORKSHOPS
A click of a Zoom link and a question of whether the video would stay on and I was in to view the online closing celebration for the “We Heal” exhibition and book release coordinated by sculptor Nora Valdez in collaboration with patients from the Cancer and Sickle Cell Support Programs at the Boston Medical Center and Dana Farber Cancer Institute and youth from the Urbano Project. The project was an encouraging and inspiring workshop that allowed those going through hardships to experience the creativity they have. As everyone rolled in for the March 19 event, I sat and waited for the presentation of what would be beautiful art from people who do not consider them artists. It started with a warm welcome to show how much of a community had been built through this exhibition. The exhibition mimicked the feeling of healing and the work resembled places that feel good to those who … [Read more...] about URBANO PROJECT CELEBRATES THE WARMTH OF WE HEAL’S ART WORKSHOPS
A LASTING IMPRESSION: STUART KNEW THE PROPAGANDIST VALUE OF SYMBOLS
Forty-four Presidential portraits hang in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., each unique, reflecting stylistic and political preferences and concerns as visual art codes and signals points of view of society at the time it is produced. Recent events in our nation’s capital have drawn attention to recognizing the artist’s role as documentarian and interpreters of society’s views and preferences. Where a camera is aimed and what a videocam records is dependent on the stance of an artist and their courage to be in a place and time. That has been proven in the videos of the Capitol riots that numerous people have seen on TV and computer screens. Painters and sculptors observe the same requirements and parameters in creating their work. The stance and mind of a sculptor or painter, and the artist’s view of the President, was responsible for the artist’s unique vision and … [Read more...] about A LASTING IMPRESSION: STUART KNEW THE PROPAGANDIST VALUE OF SYMBOLS
A NEW APPROACH TO PROGRAMMING: LEXART’S BROADER OUTREACH, RENOVATED GALLERY
Founded in 1935, Lexington Arts and Crafts (LexArt) continues to service the community and expand in resources and innovation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last 86 years, the educational non-profit collaborative has undergone many intentional and inevitable changes, but the ones enacted in the past year are completely reshaping LexArt to even further “encourage and inspire artisans at all stages of their journeys” and “enrich lives through the power of art and craft,” quoted from their vision and mission statements. In November 2020, Matthew Siegal, former Chair of the Department of Conservatism and Collections Management at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, was officially appointed as Executive Director and President of LexArt. Prior to Siegal, the organization was entirely volunteer run until March 2019 when the organization overhauled its internal structure and … [Read more...] about A NEW APPROACH TO PROGRAMMING: LEXART’S BROADER OUTREACH, RENOVATED GALLERY