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Artscope Magazine | May/June 2021

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News

A Wanderlust Journey Through Eccentric Putnam, Connecticut

// Artscope Online, News, Visual Arts

by Olivia MacDonald

As I drove into Putnam, Connecticut in my 1972 Volkswagen Bus, brisk air drifted through my window and crimson gold leaves crunched under the tires. A scenic drive through winding farm roads led me here and Cargill Falls with its cascading river water welcomed me into town. About an hour drive from Boston, shop windows along Main Street were decorated with stacked pumpkins and copper objects and gears in celebration of Putnam’s October 4 Steampunk Festival. Galleries, antique shops and street art give this town an artsy, yet vintage flair, and autumn is the perfect time to explore it. To begin the journey with a coffee, espresso, latte or hot cider from Woodstock Orchards, head to Victoria Station Café located at 91 Main Street. Its draped curtains and spiral staircase give a classic feel to this family-owned establishment and the full skeleton at the bar adds Halloween eeriness. In … [Read more...] about A Wanderlust Journey Through Eccentric Putnam, Connecticut

ART DRIVING SOCIAL CHANGE GLOBALLY: THE NEW MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE GALLERY

// Artscope Online, News, Visual Arts

by Nancy Nesvet

The Middle East Institute (MEI), based in Washington, D.C.,  launched its highly-anticipated gallery for Contemporary Middle Eastern Art on September 13.  Featuring socially engaged work by seventeen artists, from Morocco to Afghanistan, spanning video, painting, sculpture, installation and performance, the artists’ inspirations, from Sufi poetry to folk art and popular culture challenge stereotyped identities while celebrating cross-cultural influences, breaking down political, linguistic and religious borders.   In a town rich with galleries and institutes, the new gallery at MEI brings a different kind of diplomacy.   Talking about the art with old and new friends and strangers, standing shoulder to shoulder with those of all differences, attitudes, nationalities and opinions, it is empathy for the human condition that holds us together. Talking to each other, crying together, … [Read more...] about ART DRIVING SOCIAL CHANGE GLOBALLY: THE NEW MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE GALLERY

Step into the Studio: SOWA September 21-22

// Artscope Online, Current Exhibits, News, Visual Arts

by Olivia MacDonald

A variety of art from over 200 artists resides in SOWA, the South End’s art district and this sunny weekend, the artists open their doors for an excursion that the whole family can experience. Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm marks the start of the fall season of open studios, where visitors can wander through old factory buildings which have been renovated into artists’ studios. This is a unique event to meet artists behind their craft, whether it be painting, wire art, jewelry making, or repurposed natural materials. Visitors can observe artists in their creative environments and discover the process of a piece’s creation or purchase a piece that speaks to them. In studio 219 of 450 Harrison Ave, Ann Strassman, displays realistic acrylic paintings on corrugated cardboard that reflect everyday portraits of street life. She recycles cardboard in her own way in her wide open studio … [Read more...] about Step into the Studio: SOWA September 21-22

Art Against the Weymouth Compressor Station

// Artscope Online, Featured, News

by Bryanna F. Drew

For a fun family day of art and political activism, join the Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS), the Braintree Art Association and other environmentally conscious South Shore residents and artists on Sunday, June 23 for their Painting in the Park event at King’s Cove Park in Weymouth, Massachusetts. The event’s purpose is to raise awareness of the environmental and public safety concerns surrounding the proposed frack-gas compressor station planned to be constructed next to the Fore River Bridge. Frack-gas compressor stations are typically constructed in less-populated rural areas due to the high risks associated with these structures. The purpose of a compressor station is to increase the pressure in the pipes to increase the speed of the natural gas in order for it to be able to travel further distances. The goal for this specific compressor station … [Read more...] about Art Against the Weymouth Compressor Station

NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL MURKY WATERS OF COMMERCIALIZING ONE’S ARTWORK

// Artscope Online, Featured, News

by Bryanna F. Drew

Today’s day and age of commercialism is marked by ethically dubious fast-fashion markets, Ikea furniture, next-day shipping and low prices chosen over quality. Brick-and-mortar galleries struggle to gain business and no one wants to shell out hundreds of dollars on original pieces of art. In this world where cheap, mass-produced goods are the products of choice, where does that leave artists? In the modern technological age, it would make sense that artists have more opportunities than ever to have their work noticed, yet the marketplace has just become that much more ruthless in now-worldwide competition. Print-on-demand (POD) websites are the current popular trend in attempting to make money by commercializing one’s art. An artist can create a profile, upload their works and select the products that they wish their designs to be printed on (t-shirts, cups, calendars, classic … [Read more...] about NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL MURKY WATERS OF COMMERCIALIZING ONE’S ARTWORK

Washington D.C.’s Newest Museum

// Artscope Online, Featured, News, Visual Arts

by Nancy Nesvet

Encompassing the history, arts and culture of Palestinians, the Museum of the Palestinian People located at 1900 18th St. NW, near Dupont Circle is the newest museum to open in Washington, D.C. Work by contemporary Palestinian artists and artifacts illustrating the history and culture of Palestine will be displayed, including paintings by Palestinian artist Ahmed Hmeedat and a video, “Borders & Promises,” by renowned videographer, Haya Zaatry. The museum will host its opening ceremonies on Saturday, June 15, from 3–7 p.m. and Sunday, June 16, from 12–6 p.m., featuring tea and Palestinian sweets, contemporary visual art, historic artifacts and performance. The reception will include folk dancers performing the Dabke (meaning “stamping of the feet”), an Arabic folk dance first created in the villages of the Levant to remember the line formed by villagers joining hands and stomping … [Read more...] about Washington D.C.’s Newest Museum