Thorne-Sagendorph: Gallery Of The People by Greg Morell As I traveled out to the quiet south- western corner of New Hampshire for my first visit to the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery (aka “The Thorne”) at Keene State College, I never expected to encounter the fourth dimension, but that is exactly what transpired through my viewing of the works of Hans Schepker, part of its current “Passionate Pursuits” exhibition. Always seeking new ways to creatively involve the university and regional community, gallery director Maureen Ahern came up with the idea of enticing Keene State alumni, faculty and students, along with members of the regional community, to bring to the gallery objects that illustrated their personal passions. In theory this was an interesting challenge. The field was wide open. I expected an eclectic collection of mementos, artifacts and … [Read more...] about Passionate Pursuits
Issue Articles
P-Town
A Conversation About Provincetown Galleries by Laura Shabott Provincetown, a renowned arts colony, is a safe harbor for diversity, not just for lifestyle choices, but also as a place where artists of all mediums exhibit their works. Today, there are well over 50 galleries within three miles on its two main streets, Commercial and Bradford. It’s a stunning number of venues in such a small town, giving the art scene an urban sensibility, especially on a Friday night. The range of quality is wide; abominations, mediocrity, good, great and masterworks dot the visual landscape, as would be expected in an environment where creativity on all levels is encouraged. What is also true is that excellence glows like a gemstone discovered in a rock while taking a gallery stroll. It is the spirit and skill of the artist that leaps out at the casual viewer, whether student or serious … [Read more...] about P-Town
We Are You International
Latino Artists in The Spotlight by Meredith Cutler For those of us living in Boston’s MetroWest region, it’s a given that for the best pupusas, or to catch a Capoeira practice, a visit to Framingham is a sure bet. The town is a known enclave of Latino businesses, from hole-in-the wall taco stands to Columbian bakeries to Brazilian ... everything. But “Latino,” this pan-ethnic label of a population predicted to claim the US majority by 2070, can be hard to pin down. To help us access the enormity of the Latino identity and the idea of “Latini- zation” today from an art world stand- point, enter Framingham’s Fountain Street Fine Art (FSFA). This summer, FSFA hosts the New England edition of “We Are You Project International,” a traveling exhibition of 36 contempo- rary Latino artists and poets with roots in over a dozen Latin American nations. Launched in 2012 by artist … [Read more...] about We Are You International
Painting The People
A Common Conviction; A Century Apart by Marguerite Serkin It may be difficult to consider parallelism between two artists as separated by time and tradition as Erastus Salisbury Field and Alice Neel. Yet parallelism is exactly the tenet of a groundbreaking exhibition opening July 5 at the Bennington Museum, “Alice Neel/Erastus Salis- bury Field: Painting the People.”Erastus Salisbury Field was born in 1805 in Massachusetts, where he lived for most of his life. Like Alice Neel, Field found his way to Greenwich Village, where he developed his skills in portraiture. Field made his early living as a limner, but portraiture occupied the vast majority of his early and middle years. Following the death of his wife, Field returned to Massachusetts where his bucolic country life did not diminish his political fervor and passion for social justice. He was an outspoken … [Read more...] about Painting The People
The Empty Spaces Project
Giving Victims A Voice by J. Fatima Martins A team of professional visual artists and their supporters has birthed a new project that has, in only a few months, raised a loud voice, transforming an old storefront into The Gallery on Main and launching the Empty Spaces Project with a stream of exhibitions. Leading the way is iPhonegrapher/ artist Paul J. Toussaint and his business colleague, Ann Monteiro. Their latest project brings in Giancarlo Beltrame, an interdisciplinary artist, journalist and film scholar from Italy who is the creator of the new-media installation SVAW! — an international grand project involving hundreds of contributing artists from around the world. The SVAM! 2014 Putnam project expands upon previous installations reflecting the style and structure of Beltrame’s other mobile-technology based film/installations such as “Hell,” “Purgatory” and … [Read more...] about The Empty Spaces Project
Woodstock, Pomfret, Putnam
The Quiet Corner Makes Some Noise by J. Fatima Martins There is a place within “The Last Green Valley” with an endearing sobriquet: northeast Connecticut’s Quiet Corner, a quintessential New England day-trip or weekend getaway retreat for urbanites and romantics seeking seclusion from the big city. While the Quiet Corner can be remarkably dark, sometimes foggy, sleepy and atmospheric at night (and free of heavy artificial lighting and city glare), during the daytime, the mostly rural landscape, abundant in country sounds, is the nesting place of scenic towns with thriving, innovative arts communities. U.S. Route 169, the second-longest national byway of its kind, goes through Woodstock, home of two exclusive Quiet Corner star designation points: the historic Inn at Woodstock Hill bed and breakfast (1816) and Roseland Cottage, a National Historic Landmark House Museum … [Read more...] about Woodstock, Pomfret, Putnam