TEACHING ARTISTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Alexandra Tursi “We need art and artists more than ever right now,” said Thomas Christopher Greene, president of the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), hinting at the current political environment in which we find ourselves. “Art is a way of knowing and a way to the truth.” That’s why one small college nestled in the smallest state capital in the country is quickly becoming a national model for fine arts education and turning out artists who want to make a difference. VCFA is based in Montpelier, Vermont and sits on a campus that dates back to 1868 (the land was purchased from Vermont College). Despite its historic roots, it is home to a team that is pushing fine arts education into the future through a progressive pedagogy and innovative programs in art and design education, film, graphic design, music composition, visual art, … [Read more...] about VT COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
January/February 2017
RETURN TO SENDER
WORKING TOGETHER AT WHEELOCK Kristin Wissler Imagine that you open your mailbox one day and find a letter, open it, and inside is a small piece of artwork — with an explanation that your job is to contribute to this piece of artwork in some fashion. You can draw on it with markers or pencils, paint on it with watercolors or oils, or even make a collage with it. You can do anything you want, as long as you can still fit it into an envelope and send it to its final destination, where it and hundreds of other artworks like it will be compiled into a collection. This is what artists all over the world got to experience when they contributed to the Un-Send Project, a Small Works International Collaboration Project created by Argentinianborn artist Ivana Blanco Gross. The project was created two years ago on January 15, 2015 and has been going strong ever since, with its work … [Read more...] about RETURN TO SENDER
METAMORPHOSIS AT LYME ACADEMY
ART EDUCATION EVOLVES Kristin Nord Being a working artist today means being many things — as Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts graduates are proving. They are art teachers and animators, medical illustrators and gallery owners, portrait artists and toy designers, puppeteers, prosthetics designers, creative directors, storyboard artists, computer game artists and cartoonists. And the list goes on. While the curriculum overall remains committed to the study of nature and the human form — the traditional modes of teaching that have produced master artists throughout the ages — the institution’s affiliation two years ago with the University of New Haven (UNH) is now enabling Lyme Academy students to tap into a variety of liberal arts and complementary UNH art programs. This year, 16 students have been enrolled in a team-taught common core exploration of climate change, for … [Read more...] about METAMORPHOSIS AT LYME ACADEMY
THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER THING
SALUTING TALENT AT ARTPROV Suzanne Volmer Featuring an eclectic mix of works, “This and That” is a show that ArtProv Gallery plans to serve as a guideline to the year ahead. It runs through January 20 and will be followed by “Henry’s Kids” in February. New work by a handful of artists from the first show will carry over into the second exhibition, with the list of participants expanding to include a whopping 31 artists who acknowledge the importance that Rhode Island College professor emeritus Enrico Pinardi has had in their lives. “Henry’s Kids” is intended to serve as a salute to Pinardi, whose work is represented by Pucker Gallery in Boston, and whose influence ignited in his students a sense of enduring creative drive. “This and That” has a fascinating assortment on view, including abstract works, figurative works, landscapes, animal imagery and avian subject … [Read more...] about THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER THING
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
MONOTYPES AT GREAT BAY Linda Chestney What is the purpose of life if not to teach us wisdom and impart knowledge? Art is one of the tools in life that does just that. To quote one of the artists in the exhibition, “A Small Show of Large Works,” on view through January 26 at the Gateway Gallery at Great Bay Community College, featuring works by members of the Monotype Guild of New England, “the creative endeavor is an intuitive journey through the creative process.” Meaning, much like life, we learn to navigate the twists and turns in life — and art — that rarely turn out how we thought. We adjust and exercise the fine art of flexibility — which is often exactly what enhances our art and our life — and ultimately the outcome is often better, richer than we may have originally thought. The show, consisting of 18 artists selected by juror/curator Dr. Annette Cohen, has … [Read more...] about SMALL BUT MIGHTY
MEMBERS STRUT THEIR STUFF
WHISTLER’S FALL JURIED EXHIBIT Flavia Cigliano The arts community in Lowell, Massachusetts continues to grow, with the Whistler House Museum of Art, home of the Lowell Art Association, as one of its most engaged and popular members. The museum’s 2016 Fall Juried Members’ Exhibition brings together a representative sampling of area artists’ best works. Although juried shows are a substantial undertaking for any organization, these exhibits afford the community at- large the opportunity to observe and compare artists’ differing interpretations and painting styles. The public can determine its likes and dislikes, and (hopefully!) purchase an original work. Adjudicating works for a juried exhibit is a challenge no matter how seasoned the juror. Hundreds of entries have to be reduced to dozens. Best examples representing any given medium have to be determined, and prizes … [Read more...] about MEMBERS STRUT THEIR STUFF