It was an extremely windy day in Portland and across the northeast. By the time I arrived at the city’s east end it was close to 12 p.m. and many artists at the show had already packed up their things and left, the wind having put their artwork, tents and equipment at risk of flying away. Nonetheless, the vendors that remained were in good spirits and excited to speak with me. I spent the next hour wandering from “shop to shop,” appreciating the varied crafts and talking with the local artists in attendance. I spoke first with a woman selling Ash Cove’s “Double Double Dip Dinghies,” mugs, figurines and more — the earthy pottery was hearty and stayed steady against the wind. She explained to me that these events (put on by Maine Crafts Association and aptly named “East End Vend”) came about as the Association worked to respond and adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, and have ultimately … [Read more...] about CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR AN ONGOING CRISIS: MAINE CRAFTS ASSOCIATION’S EAST END VEND IN PORTLAND
Visual Arts
GALATEA FINE ART’S GRAND RETURN: LIGHT FROM ABOVE: EMERGING OUT OF ISOLATION
On the evening of April 14, a large water main break in Boston’s South End flooded a huge part of the neighborhood, turning parking lots and the basement galleries at 460 Harrison Ave. into swimming pools. This week, Galatea Fine Art will reopen for the first time since that night with “Light from Above: Emerging Out of Isolation,” a two-month, 38 artists, exhibition that will run through October 31. A limited occupancy, social distancing and mask wearing, opening reception takes place this Friday, September 4 from 6-8 p.m. Current normal gallery hours will be Saturday and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. and by appointment. In gathering information for our September/October 2020 issue, managing editor Brian Goslow asked Galatea director Marjorie Kaye to share her thoughts on finally returning to the gallery, the work in the show and which art pieces initially grabbed her … [Read more...] about GALATEA FINE ART’S GRAND RETURN: LIGHT FROM ABOVE: EMERGING OUT OF ISOLATION
SILENT PRESENCE AT HERA GALLERY
Hera Gallery’s “Silent Presence” exhibition opened on June 10 with limited hours. In this exhibition, which physically closed on August 1, four women artists used photography, sculptures and paintings to reflect upon the human perspectives of the man-made and natural world around us. You can see the entire exhibition online at https://www.heragallery.org/silent-presence. The title of the exhibit appears to be a nod towards the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has changed our lifestyles. In putting together the show, Molly Kaderka, Viera Levitt, Elizabeth Lind and Roberta Richman became familiar with each other’s work and found the common thread of nature’s presence within each other’s pieces. Painter Kaderka’s work in the exhibit expresses the theme of how humans relate to the natural world and find meaning and connection with it. Growing up in the Catholic Church surrounded by … [Read more...] about SILENT PRESENCE AT HERA GALLERY
GOING FORWARD: PEDULLA AND DEVRIES ADAPT TO CHANGING ART MARKET
For artists, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic presented twin problems: how to show work, and how to sell it. The former was, to a degree, out of their hands. Galleries have been sorting out the conundrum through online exhibitions — juried and not — along with expanding their presence on social media and their own websites. As restrictions have eased, galleries have worked out safety restrictions and socially distanced exhibits. But the selling problem still remains, and the problem is persisting, even as the world opens up more and more. Paul Pedulla is a painter based in Massachusetts. His primary medium is acrylic on canvas, and his work has been sold internationally. Pedulla’s paintings often depict coastal settings in a minimalist style; ever-present in the majority of his works is a transfixing blue, assigned to sea and sky, with a depth so imposing that one feels able to … [Read more...] about GOING FORWARD: PEDULLA AND DEVRIES ADAPT TO CHANGING ART MARKET
WILL VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS REMAIN ONLINE WHEN GALLERIES REOPEN?
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, galleries and cultural institutions found themselves migrating online. The transition to virtual has been a mixed bag: some galleries made the move smoothly, while others have struggled. Many have upped their social media presence and outfitted their websites with new, interactive features. We have watched an entire industry expand beyond brick-and-mortar frantically, out of necessity. Michael Rose, the current gallery manager at Providence Art Club, found himself ahead of the virtual curve. “In the fall of 2019, I think I realized in earnest that in addition to my blog and other assets included on my freelance advising and appraisal website, I could use my platform to create virtual exhibitions.” As an appraiser and art historian, along with his work at the Art Club, Rose was in a unique position, “Because my day job is managing the … [Read more...] about WILL VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS REMAIN ONLINE WHEN GALLERIES REOPEN?
BEST OF ONLINE SHOWS: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN ARTISTS MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER’S “FLOATING DREAMS” STRIKES A CHORD
One of four current National Association of Women Artists Massachusetts Chapter (NAWA MA) online exhibitions, “Floating Dreams” is poignant and peaceful — a welcome invitation to reflect and an engaging collection of works. The show explores, in tandem, the realms of the subconscious mind and the physical, tactile world. Full of pieces that one might not immediately associate with its theme, “Floating Dreams” challenges viewers to stay present and inquisitive among each contributing artists’ work. And this seems to be exactly what “Floating Dreams” is about: leaving ample space for interpretation; implying the slightly fantastical or subtly surreal; and allowing us to access our inner dreams, constant within us though scarcely recognized. In viewing the exhibition as a whole, the inspirational force of the natural world becomes clear. A few works feature obvious representations of … [Read more...] about BEST OF ONLINE SHOWS: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN ARTISTS MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER’S “FLOATING DREAMS” STRIKES A CHORD