I like to think the lights never go out in the Boston Sculptors Gallery. It’s a place I’ve loved to haunt from where I’m situated in Cambridge by either floating down Mass. Ave. by car then turning left on Harrison Ave. or taking the Red line to the Silver Line to SoWA, or South of Washington — then enjoying multiple galleries. Margaret Swan and Larry Pollans, whose works are currently on display there, seem to make it look so easy. Just vision, knowledge of materials and application in the studio — over the years. (To read more, pick up a copy of our latest issue! Find a pick-up location near you or Subscribe Here.) … [Read more...] about SPLENDIDLY UNCOMMON: POLLANS & SWAN SAIL AT BOSTON SCULPTORS
January/February 2021
A VIRTUAL INTRODUCTION: COPLEY SOCIETY DIVERSIFIES ITS MEMBERSHIP
In an innovative move, Newbury Street’s Copley Society of Art, the oldest nonprofit art association in the United States, has decided to present this year’s New Members Show virtually. We are given the gift of access to new creative expression in a time when we are deprived of so much of the art world. In this online exhibition, visitors are challenged to take in the works of the selected artists in a new way, not sharing wall space in a gallery, but one at a time. “The Copley Society is more than proud of the class of its newly elected Members of 2020. Diverse in background and multitalented, they have enthusiastically embraced this ever-changing COVID year,” said executive director Suzan Redgate. “We admire their perseverance and their willingness to adapt to the ‘virtual’ programming changes at Co|So while continuing to demonstrate and strengthen their artistic accomplishments. It … [Read more...] about A VIRTUAL INTRODUCTION: COPLEY SOCIETY DIVERSIFIES ITS MEMBERSHIP
AMERICAN PORTRAITURE TODAY: REGIONAL & NATIONAL SHOWCASE AT SPRINGFIELD
During a time when we are constrained by rules of distancing, and in some cases, by forced interaction with others, it is uplifting to find an immersive visual experience which reminds us of the innate humanity and captivating presence of the individual. Two exhibitions currently on view at Springfield Museums reveal the intrinsic worth of each person as reflected in portraiture, all within a larger social context manifested in the present day. The triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, endowed by the late philanthropist Virginia Outwin Boochever, awards monetary prizes and a commissioned portrait from the first place winner to be included in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. In addition to three top prizes, the competition offers commendations, and a “People’s Choice Award” chosen from the pool of finalists. Open to all artists living and … [Read more...] about AMERICAN PORTRAITURE TODAY: REGIONAL & NATIONAL SHOWCASE AT SPRINGFIELD
STRETCHING BOUNDARIES: ADDISON GALLERY SHOWCASES MODERN MAPMAKING
An extraordinary collection of antique maps at Phillips Academy, dating from the Age of Discovery, has brought together six diverse artists who were invited to view, study and interact with the documents and create works in response to them. The artists — Sonny Assu, Andrea Chung, Liz Collins, Spencer Finch, Josh T. Franco and Heidi Whitman — produced installations that reflect each artist’s unique perspectives on the historical documents. “What I love about this show is how very different the responses are,” commented curator Allison Kemmerer in introducing the “Wayfinding: Contemporary Artists, Critical Dialogues, and the Sidney R. Knafel Map Collection” exhibition. She continued, stating that she saw Phillips Academy’s renowned Sidney R. Knafel Map Collection as a springboard for the artistic engagement and exploration of the historically significant, aesthetically rich and … [Read more...] about STRETCHING BOUNDARIES: ADDISON GALLERY SHOWCASES MODERN MAPMAKING
CORNERED: MEREDITH FLUKE AND B. LYNCH
After visiting the “New Gilded Age: A Theatrical Installation by B. Lynch” exhibition at the College of the Holy Cross, Artscope managing editor Brian Goslow exchanged email questions with Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery Director Meredith Fluke and Bridget “B.” Lynch about how the show came together, how they adapted to the challenges of a semester where the Holy Cross campus opened, and then soon shut down, turning the show into a by appointment only exhibition, and how in the process, explored numerous new ways to present an exhibition that normally would serve as a backdrop to the college’s art programs. (To read more, pick up a copy of our latest issue! Find a pick-up location near you or Subscribe Here.) … [Read more...] about CORNERED: MEREDITH FLUKE AND B. LYNCH
TIME-BENDING PUPPETRY: B. LYNCH’S SCI-FI WORLD COMES TO LIFE
I entered the College of the Holy Cross’ Cantor Gallery to see B. Lynch’s “New Gilded Age: A Theatrical Installation” with the expectation of seeing a collection of work unlike almost anything I’ve seen before. Built around what Lynch calls, “My fictive universe,” one filled with puppets depicting “the Reds and Greys,” I’ve been trying to fully grasp the concept of her work for years. Having watched a number of the online presentations tied to the show since it opened on October 13, I knew I’d be experiencing a multi-media treat for the senses, the culmination of many years of creative experimenting in how to best present her ideas. I knew I’d be seeing something I’d never forget, and even before entering the gallery doors, that observation came true. The main focal point of “Fisherman on the Lonely Sea” was an exceptional piece in its own right; its placement over fabric intended to … [Read more...] about TIME-BENDING PUPPETRY: B. LYNCH’S SCI-FI WORLD COMES TO LIFE