Welcome to our 16th Anniversary Issue! We have reached this milestone thanks to the longtime support of our readers and advertisers and the devotion of a writing staff dedicated to promoting the artists, art organizations, galleries and museums of New England and others who inspired them from throughout the world. Since the pandemic caused a landslide of exhibition and venue closings in March 2020, we’ve remained committed to providing that support, adjusting as they’ve adjusted, each of us searching for ...

On February 15, Brett Abbott became the new Director and CEO of the New Britain Museum of American Art; during his first week in office, Artscope Magazine’s Suzanne Volmer exchanged questions and ideas with him as he was stepping into the job. SUZANNE VOLMER: Welcome back to New England. Congratulations on becoming the new Director of NBMAA. BRETT ABBOTT: Thank you. SV: Your background includes a Master’s Degree from Williams College and then onward to Stanford and Museum Leadership training ...

There are few things in life that photographer Frank ArmstronglovesmorethanheadingoutfromhisWestBoylston, Massachusetts home and driving the backroads of America at 35 miles an hour in search of a unique piece of Americana, drawn by the curiosity of what he might find. “Nothing else but curiosity. I’m just nosey,” said Armstrong prior to the opening of his “American Roadsides: Frank Armstrong’s Photographic Legacy” exhibition at the Fitchburg Art Museum. “I just like to get out there and see what’s there. Once I ...

“Us Them We | Race Ethnicity Identity,” an invitation to explore the ambiguity of daily life and deep dive into examining our individuality and multiphased identities. We are what we eat, say nutritionists and doctors. We are what we absorb from what we eat, say philosophers. How do we define who we are, what opportunities we have to focus on self-discovery, and how do we ultimately do that? In an era of technology, where Alexa seems to know more about ...

Ok. I know. I know I’m supposed to be sedate. Subdued. Understated. But... I can’t express enough adulation about this show to begin to fall into the “erudite, subtle art critic” label. Because it’s incredible! Excellent. Superb. In the true awe-inspiring definition of these artists’ works. I exude extreme fandom! The 13 female artists comprising this exhibition, “Informing Memory: Process, Place, and Notion,” at Lamont Gallery are all Phillips Exeter Academy alumnae. Many of their works touch upon themes of ...

“Change is constant, and art is a journey from the moment we wake up, and the moment we fall asleep, and everything in between.” A statement from the organizers of “Changing lives, Changing future” from the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Women Artists is an apt introduction to the dynamic and transformative group show at the Atlantic Wharf Gallery, on Congress Street. Located in the first floor gallery and flowing up the stairs to the second-floor landing, “Changing ...

In the Biblical tale of the Tower of Babel, the Hebrew God punishes proud humans who build to the heavens, scattering and cursing his would-be rivals to chatter henceforth in a welter of tongues. Modern linguistics takes the more appreciative view that evolution bestows on our species a chameleon-like capacity for languages. We are born into language with a brain equipped to learn it, and each child matures within a particular culture through the medium of its language. “Beyond Words,” ...

Dianna Vosburg’s studio is gently lit by diffused sunlight filtering down from old mill-building style windows. The eye wanders from a shelf of books to racks of canvas yet-to-be painted; on the far wall is a mysterious source of light — a row of oil paintings that seem to glow from within. Whether it be points of light peeking through writhing fabric or a vibrant cosmic glow — Vosburg’s artwork has an eye-catching visual complexity and depth that is matched ...

Sailors, swimmers, rowers, divers, fishers, snorkelers and surfers stare into the watery depths, dreaming, struggling, tossing and rolling on the surf. Who has not spent a summer day floating on the blue and green, diving down to see the sandy bottom, the crabs, and the watergrass? Michael Eder is a painter of water in all its strange shapes. Look down into water’s mystical depths. See the sunshine through the water. Look deeper, deeper down, past the reflections of sky and ...

Enjoy a break from winter-gloom and visit the colorful, calming, enlightening exhibit, “Icons for Our Time.” So much for you and your kids to see and do! Make a do-it-yourself icon! Children and adults may use paints, wood blocks, brushes and other equipment to make an icon of their own. An educational display explains the “12-steps to icon making.” Each wood square represents one step toward the completion of an icon. A TV screen has didactic videos about icons. If ...

The Cushing Building at the Newport Art Museum is overflowing with artwork — sculptures of glass, stone and plastic are strategically placed throughout the space and myriad other works line the walls. Over 250 artists submitted 850 paintings, photographs, sculptures and multimedia works to be considered for the 2022 Newport Biennial. Sixty-nine artists were selected for the exhibition by guest juror Dr. Kimberli Gant, the McKinnon Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. The ...

Who would expect a small corner at the very northern part of Vermont to be the place to find the finest examples of art from Vermont and regional artists? I would. I haven’t missed the annual Juried Exhibition for the last several years. The pandemic, of course, put a roadblock in that endeavor. But now, the 2021 show is finally on and in addition to an excellent online virtual tour, it is open to the public! Catamount Arts is one ...

When New Englanders talk about summer getaways, few mention Connecticut as a destination point, seemingly unaware of its breathtaking shorelines and winding roads hugging its seawalls or the old-time camp feel based around its approximately 3,000 ponds, lakes and reservoirs. Since 1973, when he relocated to Westport, Connecticut, from Greater New York, Larry Silver has been photographing and documenting his home state, in what he calls, “A lifelong project.” Highlights from that work will be on view in “13 Ways ...

Artists often wonder how to get representation by a gallery as an entrée into the established art world. Mega- galleries such as Hauser & Wirth and Galerie Lelong welcome artists of multiple viewpoints, artistic modes of practice and styles of representation. For large and smaller galleries, an overriding agenda is important in maintaining a personality within the gallery world, and the artist must research what that agenda is, and apply to the gallery that most fits their work. Galleries run ...

“FeministFuturist: Liminal Lab,” the final show at the Hess Gallery at Pine Manor College, 400 Heath St., Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, is scheduled from March 1 through May 25; it follows the FeministFurist collective’s debut show in 2020. “We felt a need to continue the spirit of the Boston Center for the Arts. exhibit in a collective endeavor,” said Hess Gallery director — and collective member — Carolyn Wirth. “One of the first things we did was write a manifesto to ...