By SARA FARIZAN - January 26, 2011 SOMERVILLE - The 21st century has ushered in so many changes it can be difficult to remember who we are and where our thoughts lie. Between facebook, economic crisis, war, impending global changes and the allure that is the Jersey Shore, one might, much like in the great Talking Heads song ask how did I get here? Artists, no matter the time period, take on the task of reminding the masses where we are, who we are and where we are going. Such a task can be daunting, but several artists being displayed at the Brickbottom Gallery in Somerville take on the challenge from January 27th to February 26th. The aptly titled show, “It’s A Strange World”, curated by Sherry Autor, will exhibit pieces showcasing the changes individuals and society endure, reject and adapt to from the artist’s perspective. Many of the works will evoke visceral reactions to the … [Read more...] about It’s a Strange World

Providence’s Gallery Z at 259 Atwells Avenue in the city’s Federal Hill neighborhood hits two milestones with its next exhibition. “NetWorks at Gallery Z: Celebrating Gallery Z’s 10th Anniversary and 100th Exhibition” features 24 artists from the NetWorks shows that Joseph A. Chazan has produced in Rhode Island (including what’s at the Newport Art Museum through January 17). The work on view, selected by Gallery Z director Berge Ara Zobian and his staff, is available for purchase, along with a collection of video portraits of NetWorks artists created by Richard Goulis, which will also be on view during the show. … [Read more...] about NetWorks: Celebrating Gallery Z’s 10th Anniversary and 100th Exhibition

by BRIAN GOSLOW The Essex River estuary is an amazing collection of ecosystems, as well as a place to watch boats of all sizes and planes heading northward and toward Europe from Logan Airport – and the home of sculptor Brad Story, whose family has built ships for seven generations. It’s a skill he’s adapted into his creative life, which takes inspiration from the aforementioned surroundings and a love of one-off experimental planes. “On Their Own” features some of his own “aerodreams,” which take flight from February 20 through May 8 at the Art Complex Museum, 189 Alden Street in Duxbury on the South Shore of Massachusetts. … [Read more...] about On Their Own: Brad Story’s “Aerodreams”

by BRIAN GOSLOW “Baring All: Figurative Masterworks from the Mourlot Archives” provides the chance to view previously unseen pieces from the collection of master printer Fernand Mourlot, including human figure renderings by Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, from February 9 through March 30 at DTR Modern Galleries at 167 Newbury Street in Boston. Mourlot’s grandson, Fernand Mourlot, who founded the archives, will speak on the history of his family’s press (which produced its first work in 1852), and the lithographic process, on March 3. … [Read more...] about Baring All: Figurative Masterworks from the Mourlot Archives