In many ways it seemed as though something in the universe had been telling me the coronavirus pandemic was to come. I miraculously chose this semester to take a leave of absence from my college (which is five miles west of New Rochelle, the epicenter of the New York outbreak) and to spend it, instead, at Artscope Magazine’s “underground bunker” (so nick-named for its location under a rug shop). At the beginning of the pandemic I joked that COVID-19 was a form of divine intervention… a “Noah’s arc-type situation.” I don’t know if that’s what this is exactly, but I do know that what is happening now is both an ecological/biological and social/cultural episode. The pandemic did not come as a surprise to everyone. The first recorded travel-related COVID-19 case came to America on January 21, while the outbreak in Wuhan had been ongoing since December. People like Bill Gates have been … [Read more...] about REFLECTIONS FROM UNDER THE RUG SHOP: A PERSPECTIVE ON COVID-19 FROM INSIDE ARTSCOPE MAGAZINE
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COPING WITH COVID-19: INSIGHTS AND INNOVATION FROM THE ART WORLD
While artists may be spending much of this pandemic in their studios working to produce new works, many of us are left without such established art practices to help us make sense of (or escape) our current radical reality. At the same time, COVID-19 has pushed art institutions and organizations to get creative about the ways in which they operate. Many have created resources for the general public, so that we can create, view or in some other way take part in the excitement and depth of art — from wherever we may be. At a time when uncertainties, fear and illness plague our society, art remains a resource and practice which, in its essence, cannot be stamped out. And if we’re going to be quarantined, we might as well use our time at home to engage with that art: to pause, reflect, create and, ironically, participate. While galleries and artists scramble to keep their audiences … [Read more...] about COPING WITH COVID-19: INSIGHTS AND INNOVATION FROM THE ART WORLD
CORNERED: HORACE D. BALLARD – 120 YEARS OF LANDMARK IMAGERY AT WILLIAMS
In the first survey of its vast photographic collection that covers roughly a quarter of its collection and spans close to 120 years, the Williams College Museum of Art’s current “Landmarks” exhibition is a powerful showcase of images that follow four themes: “landmark events, buildings as landmarks, landmark features of specific environments and landmark impressions” that celebrate some of the world’s biggest achievements during that time period along with bringing some of its grandest challenges and catastrophes to the forefront of our attention. While it provides the opportunity to see some of the most famous images in history in person — Alfred Stieglitz’s “The Steerage” and Edward Steichen’s “The Flatiron,” Berenice Abbott’s “Nightview, New York,” William Anders’ 1968 “Earthrise” and Dorothea Lange’s “Potato Truck with Farmers, California,” amongst them — it also allows viewers … [Read more...] about CORNERED: HORACE D. BALLARD – 120 YEARS OF LANDMARK IMAGERY AT WILLIAMS
WELCOME STATEMENT MAR/APR 2020
Welcome to our 14th Anniversary issue! Since 2006 it’s been our goal to promote the artists, galleries and museums of New England with the hope that our coverage leads to increased attendance at exhibitions and sales with the long-term outlook that we’re all in this together and those we assist will reciprocate in supporting our mission. Looking back at our premier issue (March/April 2006), the cover of which highlighted “Jamaican Art in Boston” and featured stories on “Random Acts of Art: Community Murals in Boston”; “Cross-Currents in Recent Video Installation: Water as Metaphor for Identity” and Arthur Freedman’s photographs documenting the homeless of Greater Boston, it shows how our dedication to spotlighting the many cultural aspects of New England’s arts community and its devotion to environmental and political issues has been a priority from our inception. In this issue, … [Read more...] about WELCOME STATEMENT MAR/APR 2020
THE COLOR OF SPRING: GREEN MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION AT BRICKBOTTOM
The color green is one of healing, growth and renewal. It is the color of plants, youth, good luck, camouflage, money and even envy. After a long winter, Brickbottom Gallery’s new exhibit “GREEN” invites viewers into their white wall gallery fully immersed in the color green through the artwork on the walls. Developing and established artists showcase their work together, providing their own interpretations and visions about this color that surrounds our everyday lives. Many reach towards nature for inspiration, crafting their pieces with various materials. As spring brings rain to the New England area, this exhibit provides a small retreat to feed our creativity and imaginations. On three vertical canvases, Pauline Lim’s acrylic and gold metal leaf painting, “Leave No Trace,” carries viewers atop forests dabbled with lime and olive greens. In the first canvas, a small girl in a red … [Read more...] about THE COLOR OF SPRING: GREEN MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION AT BRICKBOTTOM
ESTELLE DISCH: MEMORY AND JUSTICE AT THE S & G PROJECT GALLERY NEW BEDFORD
“Memory and Justice: Impressions of Disappearance in Argentina,” an exhibition of photography by Estelle Disch at the S & G Project Gallery in the Hatch Street Studios in New Bedford’s north end, captures her experience and witnessed perspective of the aftermath of Argentina’s historic tragedy of Los Desaparecidos (The Disappeared), those who vanished after the March 24, 1976 coup when the military junta seized power in Argentina. The Junta launched a campaign to wipe out left-wing terrorism resulting in thousands of dissidents and, innocent civilians unconnected with terrorism, who were arrested. Many of them vanished or, disappeared, without a trace. They became known as los desaparecidos and fell victim to a methodic use of torture and murder. Disch’s exhibit, which runs from April 20 to May 15, explores the space of one of the sites of the tragedy of the disappeared that … [Read more...] about ESTELLE DISCH: MEMORY AND JUSTICE AT THE S & G PROJECT GALLERY NEW BEDFORD