The Armenian Museum of America, located in Watertown, Massachusetts, not only contextualizes Armenia’s lengthy and turmoiled past, but it also presents a more contemporary view of Armenian people today. Treasures are unveiled in “Gandzaran! Notable Selections from our Collection”, threading generations of people together through modern interpretations of a shared culture. Shadows, carvings, etchings and textiles all permanently engrave the history of a displaced country onto a physical plain, memorializing the lives that were lost to a genocide. Melkon Hovhannisyan’s impressionistic paintings are earthy and moody, with vibrant colors that bleed into one another and subjects that are almost indistinguishable from their background. “The Walk,” 1995, is a momentary glimpse of two figures, faceless and limbless yet they still feel alive. It seems as though the two people are moving forward … [Read more...] about ARMENIAN MUSEUM OF AMERICA’S “GANDZARAN!: NOTABLE SELECTIONS FROM OUR COLLECTION”
Exhibits
CONTEMPORARY TAG AND SOUND PAINTINGS AT THE ART COMPLEX MUSEUM
The Art Complex Museum is a hidden gem tucked away off the winding streets of Duxbury, Massachusetts. Its striking, wave-like structure is nestled in a cornucopia of green that is impressive to all those who stumble upon it. The Art Complex houses the impressive collection of the Carl A. Weyerhaeuser family that includes paintings, sculptures, prints and furniture. Along with displaying this collection, they also prioritize contemporary art exhibits. Two of these impressive exhibits are on display now; “Aaron Norfolk: Audio-Visio” and “TAG: Contemporary Painters,” in which the artists were paired with the writings of local poets. Aaron Norfolk’s “Audio-Visio” exhibit focuses on the human form as well as his visual representation of sound. Inspired by the music surrounding him while he works, three of the pieces in this exhibit, “Nightsong,” “Echo” and “Empress I,” are dedicated to his … [Read more...] about CONTEMPORARY TAG AND SOUND PAINTINGS AT THE ART COMPLEX MUSEUM
HOPSCOTCH. CARE TO PLAY?
Curated by Marsha Nouritza Odabashian and Jennifer Jean Okumura, the artists of the ongoing “Hopscotch” exhibition take us back to familiar places bringing smiles, happiness and hope to our current daily lives. Traced back to 500 BCE in prehistoric India, prohibited by Buddha and played by Roman soldiers for building strength, this darling childhood game has been hopping geographically throughout centuries and is currently in the virtual realm. “Hopscotch” includes 10 contemporary artists confidently making their marks in various mediums: paper, oil on canvas, video, poetry and sculpture. The works claim collective and individual memory in relationship to places we choose to be grounded, either permanently or fleeting. It’s most recent showing at Lasell University’s Wedeman Gallery concluded on October 29; its curators are looking for new venues to host the collection of work. Guest … [Read more...] about HOPSCOTCH. CARE TO PLAY?
A FALL COLOR SPECTACULAR: HOWARD BARNES RETROSPECTIVE AT MILLER WHITE FINE ARTS
“The Colors of My Life: Paintings in the Washington Color School Tradition,” a comprehensive retrospective exhibition featuring works from the atelier of former MWFA artist Howard Barnes (1943-2020) is on view through October 28 at Miller White Fine Arts, 708 Route 134, South Dennis, Massachusetts. “Charles Beaudelaire once said, “Colourists are epic poets.” The elegance, warmth and introspection of Barnes’ artworks indeed underscore the truth of this statement. The Washington Color School, an art movement that emerged in Washington, D.C., and flourished in the 1960s, promoted a form of abstract art that developed from the Color Field movement of the 1950s, itself a response to the abstract expressionism of the New York School. “Styles of many of the prominent colorists in that movement, such as Ken Noland, Morris Louis and Helen Frankenthaler, are clearly referenced in Barnes’ earlier … [Read more...] about A FALL COLOR SPECTACULAR: HOWARD BARNES RETROSPECTIVE AT MILLER WHITE FINE ARTS
PHILIP GUSTON’S TRUE COLORS AT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON
In this era of re-examining our values in the face of increased social tensions and existential threat, Philip Guston’s sour yet exuberant late paintings promise to tell us who we are and what beliefs we must cling to in order to go on. Guston, a giant of 20th Century painting, scandalized the New York art world in 1970 by turning his back on the prevailing trend of pure abstraction. He embarked instead on an inspired journey creating politically-infused, tragic-pop canvases that exploited a wacky cartoon-style imagery. Although these works failed to sell in his lifetime, they changed the dialogue of painting. He stood by his vision, supporting his family by teaching at Boston University, and produced the bulk of his oeuvre in this new style until his death in 1980. The retrospective “Philip Guston Now” displays 100 works at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts through September 11. … [Read more...] about PHILIP GUSTON’S TRUE COLORS AT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON
HIGHFIELD HALL HOSTS BOSTON SCULPTORS AT 30 IN FALMOUTH
Showing at Highfield Hall and Gardens in Falmouth as part of the Boston Sculptors Gallery’s 30th anniversary is an exhibition of 50 pieces of the genius of these artists, diverse in race, class, gender, styles and media. (Many of the pieces are for sale.) It’s a mind-boggling burst of talent almost too much to take in at one go. You can take an hour’s stroll outdoors through enchanted wild woods and formal gardens, and then cool off indoors for part of the exhibit — which is on two floors of the high ceilinged, antique 19th century Queen Anne mansion. The indoors exhibit ends August 21, the outdoors one on October 30. Starting with an homage to a fallen ancient beech tree by Ed Andrews, constructed of a tower of rusted laddered steel, with live sapling atop, the path takes you past a centerpiece of story-high white aluminum structures by Andy Zimmermann, “Seven Sprouts.” It, like … [Read more...] about HIGHFIELD HALL HOSTS BOSTON SCULPTORS AT 30 IN FALMOUTH






