Emberley's Ode to Joy Molly Hamill Ed Emberley is a natural-born storyteller. From the moment I walked into the 300-year-old house that sits along the Ipswich River, where he lives and works with his wife, Barbara, Emberley began weaving narratives of his life into a colorful picture of the journey he’s taken to become one of the nation’s most prolific and respected illustrators of children’s literature of the last 60 years. On November 16, the Worcester Art Museum opens the first comprehensive retrospective of Emberly’s work: “Kahbahblooom: The Art and Storytelling of Ed Emberley.” Emberley, born in Malden, Mass. in 1931, has authored and illustrated over 80 books for kids of all ages, inspiring generations of readers and artists. Among the most notable are the Caldecott-honored “One Wide River to Cross” (1965), the Caldecott Medalwinning “Drummer Hoff” (1967) and the … [Read more...] about Kahbahbloom:
November/December 2016
Out of Order at South Shore
Expect the Unexpected Brian Goslow Nick Capasso, director of the Fitchburg Art Museum, has juried dozens of exhibitions, including shows at the Cambridge Art Association, Attleboro Arts Museum, Worcester State University, ArtsWorcester, 119 Gallery (Lowell) and Newton Media Center, as well as New American Paintings magazine. One suspects his willingness to serve in this role for so many different organizations is part of his endless search for the best possible artwork for his museum, as well as to make sure he doesn’t miss out on the next great regional artist; he’s well known for showing up, unannounced and unexpectedly, at gallery shows as part of that mission. For most of those aforementioned shows, there was a clear charge for the kind of show he was assembling. However, for “Out of Order,” other than offering the exhibition’s title, the South Shore Art Center was … [Read more...] about Out of Order at South Shore
Fluid Motion
Catherine Gibson at Studio M J. Fatima Martins In all her work, Catherine Gibson is profoundly moved and inspired by fluidity. Whether it be the aesthetics of water, buoyant and layered, the translucence of shifting light, or the unseen but felt energy between people, she internalizes and then physically resonates out, capturing in her art life’s vulnerable fluctuations. An intuitive creative, she’s talented and skilled in a variety of mediums — painting, drawing and sculpture. Processing visual material in a visceral, organized, observant and problemsolving manner, she has, over 15 years, experimented with glass materials, fusing them in ever-evolving, more complicated deep layers into a style that bridges craft and fine art. Gibson considers herself a sculptor who is at an essential blooming point in her creative career. In November, she is showing a new group of … [Read more...] about Fluid Motion
Joe Loria and Kelly Zelen
Larger Than Life at Colo Colo Don Wilkinson The South Coast, a vaguely defined geographical area running from the left side of the Cape to the right side of Fall River, has a vibrant arts community. But make no mistake about it — it isn’t Brooklyn or Los Angeles, where a new painter pops up every week, either through arrival from another locale, or birth, or by stroke of luck. The South Coast is tight and familial and small. And a cultural commentator on that community with deep roots in it had a Herculean and formidable task to remain objective. Six degrees of separation? Not here, not possible. So that said, I know both of the artists on display at the Colo Colo Gallery throughout much of November. Gallery owner and curator Luis Villanueva has a wonderfully formulaic approach to his exhibitions in which he pairs a two-dimensional artist (painter, printmaker, etc.) with … [Read more...] about Joe Loria and Kelly Zelen
Hiding in Plain Sight
Light and Dark at Thompson James Foritano “Charlie Nevad — Light and Dark” is the first exhibition of four on this theme, so fertile and painterly, to occupy the lively walls of the Cambridge School of Weston’s Thompson Gallery. For such a complicated place name, it’s an easy and quick place to find. This Cantabridgian literally scooted down Route 128 South to Exit 27B, then took a quick left onto West Street and, going straight for a bit, was soon at a sign declaring me in Cambridge at Weston — never mind the paradox. In fact, navigating a paradox is perhaps the best way to find yourself at home with Charlie Nevad’s particular genius. The first level of paradox is that Nevad, a long-time teacher as well as painter, tells us exactly what he’s going to do and then does exactly that. Let me list a couple of sentences from the first paragraph of Charlie Nevad’s … [Read more...] about Hiding in Plain Sight
Challenging Global Expectations
Poster Art at Thorne-Sagendorph Marguerite Serkin At a time when political animosity and cultural mistrust are being tolerated and even encouraged by the ignorant and powerful, artistic cooperation and mutual respect hold an ever-more important role in our global social fabric. “The Seattle-Havana-Tehran Poster Show,” currently on exhibit at the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery in Keene, New Hampshire, is exemplary in demonstrating the communality and shared purpose of poster artists from three major international cities: Seattle, Havana and Tehran. In 2007, graphic artist Daniel R. Smith of Seattle and co-curator Pepe Menéndez of Havana launched “The Seattle-Havana Poster Show,” which forged a working bond between the two artists, and subsequently between the poster art communities of both cities. Relations with Cuba had not been normalized at the time, yet the project was … [Read more...] about Challenging Global Expectations