We set out putting together the first Artscope of 2021 to serve as an introduction to as many new artists as possible through the covering of group exhibitions with the understanding and expectation that there would be government- ordered shutdowns and the lowering of capacities at those galleries and museums that were open. In doing so, we worked to confirm that the shows at these venues would have a physical as well as strong online and virtual presence so that ...

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 ...

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 ...

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Finch, Josh T. Franco and Heidi Whitman — produced installations that reflect each artist’s unique perspectives on the historical documents.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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. ...

Open to the public during COVID- 19 as well as partially accessible in virtual formats, the Attleboro Arts Museum is presenting its annual Member’s Exhibition through January 29 with artworks by participants from across New England and the United States. At this year’s show, audiences will encounter a well-balanced blend of narrative and abstract styles, which AAM’s director, Mim Fawcett, has installed to create provocative sightlines from one artwork to another. The show demonstrates high quality across genres and also ...

One of the most difficult aspects of wearing a mask during the pandemic is the limitations the mask places on something that is natural — breathing freely, unobstructed. I’ve worn a mask daily since March when the CDC directed people to do so, but on almost every occasion, I’ve mumbled under my breath about the annoyance — until after the heartbreaking videos of George Floyd’s killing on the street; until George Floyd’s plea, “I can’t breathe.” It was impossible not to ...

The professional artwork of Lucia deLeiris embodies adventure travel to a T and begs the question, “What remains for a bucket list after you’ve sketched wild chimpanzees in Tanzania from Jane Goodall’s porch or chronicled what lives at both polar extremes?” Traveling to those places and others, including Micronesia and the Amazon, deLeiris has created a richness of descriptive artworks. Her sketches that documented Antarctica were lauded by the National Science Foundation. As a fourth- generation artist, she says that ...

With galleries closed and artists sequestered in studios and homes, 2021 continues an evolution in art begun in 2020, as the consequences of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement irreversibly changed the arts landscape. We began with cacophonies of banging pots and pans, singing and applauding our health care workers who are risking their health and lives, and in the process, making homemade music standing on city balconies in a new form of performance. But the sounds stopped as the ...

As we enter 2021, ever-changing state and local government-ordered shutdowns and building capacity limits makes planning and scheduling exhibitions a challenge for all involved. Before departing for a gallery or museum, please call ahead to confirm days and hours, and if an exhibition or artist mentioned here gets your interest, please explore the work on the venue and artists’ websites. Opening New Year’s Day and continuing through February 26, the Mayo Street Arts Pop-Up Gallery in the former Nissen Bakery Building, 67 Washington Ave., Portland, Maine, will feature two ...