To most people who have ever attended school, sitting for a school photo is a recognizable annual rite of passage. For those who can afford it, the white envelope with prints arrives, opened secretively then proudly shared with friends and family, or ashamedly hidden in the recesses of a dresser drawer. It is a ritual which at once unites and divides along lines of appearance, status, ability, language, and adherence to the perceived norms demanded by society. “School Photos and Their Afterlives” at the Hood Museum of Art from January 8 through April 12, has taken the commonality of the school photo and elevated it to a conveyance of historical significance and social accountability. Drawing on vast archival photographic records augmented by the work of artists including Marcelo Brodsky, Steven Deo, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Mirta Kupferminc, Silvina Der-Meguerditchian, Diane Meyer, Vik … [Read more...] about A CLASS REUNION: SCHOOL PHOTOS A SURPRISING DISPLAY AT THE HOOD
education
DESTINY PALMER: ARTIST, EDUCATOR, RISING STAR
12 FOR OUR 12TH DESTINY PALMER WORK ON VIEW IN: STITCH: SYNTAX / ACTION / REACTION NEW ART CENTER 61 WASHINGTON PARK NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS THROUGH MARCH 24 #SAYHERNAME: WATCH US WERK VANDERMOOT GALLERY UNIVERSITY HALL 1815 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS MARCH 20 THROUGH APRIL 21 FOR MORE INFORMATION: DESTINYPALMER.COM by Donna Dodson Destiny Palmer is a rare artist-teacher. She is someone who loves working with young artists on the cusp of discovering their identities. Boston is lucky to have seen so much of her. Palmer graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2010. After graduation, she taught at Boston Arts Academy for several years while developing her studio practice. In 2015, unhappy with her artwork, Palmer decided to enroll in graduate school at Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia to gain a deeper … [Read more...] about DESTINY PALMER: ARTIST, EDUCATOR, RISING STAR
GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE: ARTS RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE
COMMUNITY ARTS RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE 82 PRESCOTT STREET LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS THROUGH FEBRUARY: SELECTED WORKS OF JESSICA TAWCZYNSKI FROM HER RECENT ARTIST’S RESIDENCY IN AKUREYRI, ICELAND by Flavia Cigliano Founded in 2009, the Arts Research Collaborative (ARC) in Lowell, Massachusetts quickly established itself as a cultural presence in the heart of the city, committed to working with the arts communities of both Lowell and the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML). The concept for a professional workspace and gallery came from three colleagues in the Art and Design Department: Jim Jeffers, Denise Manseau and Stephen Mishol, who explained, “We wanted to create a hybrid space where our students could have more direct interaction with professional artists.” Both Manseau and Mishol were quick to acknowledge the critical role Jim Jeffers played in developing … [Read more...] about GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE: ARTS RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE
Da Vinci — The Genius at the Museum of Science
By Kate Kenney Cambridge, MA - Inside the Museum of Science is a dark room full of realized dreams that’s hosting a temporary exhibit from Grande Exhibitions and Pascal Cotte, France: “Da Vinci — The Genius,” an exhibition that allows visitors into Leonardo da Vinci’s world with a behind-the-paintings look at some of his most infamous creations. One side of the room is decorated with large wooden models depicting da Vinci’s finest experimental designs. What were once simply notebook sketches have now been realized into life-sized hand-crafted models. Structures range from a canvas parachute that could be easily mistaken for architectural art piece, to a Jules Verneian — and honestly terrifying — diving suit complete with webbed flippers. Many of the objects show da Vinci’s curiosity in military engineering. A large wooden catapult and tank show his imaginative ideas on how to … [Read more...] about Da Vinci — The Genius at the Museum of Science
340 Years Young!
The Eliot School's Divine History by James Foritano After exiting Jamaica Plain’s Green Street Station, I channeled the intrepid spirit of the Reverend John Eliot (1604-1690), “Minister to the Indians,” as I wended my way to his eponymous school on foot. 24 Eliot Street was located in a woodsy neighborhood that enfolded a panoply of self-respecting Victorian houses, their curious woodwork decked out in proud and tasteful colors. I entered the Eliot School — which was founded in 1676, endowed an additional 75 acres of land in 1689 and is celebrating its 340th anniversary in 2016 — to find myself across from a roomful of varnished woodworking stations in a small, almost-empty office but for a lone bureaucrat, pecking away at columns on a computer screen and soon morphing into a staff photographer/teacher doing double-duty. I learned, as I leaned on director Abigail … [Read more...] about 340 Years Young!