Juried exhibitions are a mainstay for art associations, galleries and museums, and with good reason. Everyone seems to benefit from them. Artists enter for the recognition, validation and exposure to possible buyers and to the critical eye of their fellow artists. Gallery owners are able to seek out emerging talent as well as established artists for possible representation. Art aficionados and casual visitors alike can follow and compare artists’ work. Often times, little noted at these shows is the extraordinary effort of the jurors in selecting works for the exhibitions. Not only are they required to winnow down the entries to a fraction of those submitted, but they are regularly required to evaluate works in every possible medium. It’s a highly subjective process. Jurors are experts in their own fields with varying experiences, predilections and prejudices. Often, they are most … [Read more...] about WELL WORTH REVISITING: FAMILIAR LANDMARKS AND STYLES AT WHISTLER HOUSE
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FABRICATION OF IMAGINATION: FIBER ARTISTS ADD TO LOWELL’S TEXTILE HISTORY
“Fabrication of Imagination,” on view at Arts League of Lowell through mid-September, works on several levels in presenting recent developments in the fiber and paper arts genre and shows how artists are attempting to balance the current political and social climate with their art. The show was juried by Karen Hampton, an assistant professor in 3D fine art at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. A conceptual artist whose works address issues of colorism and kinship within the African-American community, her art practice is the synthesis of memory, history, time and cloth. “The work was submitted and I viewed it without knowing who the artists were,” Hampton said; the show’s prospectus called for 3D fiber-based work, or work referencing fiber, either wall-hung (relief) or self-standing. “I was looking for quality of work and thoughtfulness.” Louise Abbott’s handwoven tapestry … [Read more...] about FABRICATION OF IMAGINATION: FIBER ARTISTS ADD TO LOWELL’S TEXTILE HISTORY