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Artscope Magazine | January/February 2021

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Newport

PLANNED ADOLESCENCE: CONNECTING THE DOTS OF CHILDHOOD IN NEWPORT

// Exhibits, Featured, November/December 2019, November/December 2019, Visual Arts

by Suzanne Volmer

Exhibition titles are crafted to encapsulate evocative meaning as descriptors of content. Newport Art Museum’s appropriation of Bob Dylan’s song title of “Forever Young” is intended to maximize the sensory impact of a show about childhood and adolescence. “Forever Young: Representations of Childhood and Adolescence,” the museum’s current exhibition, is a massive survey across two buildings and shown in multiple gallery rooms. It is a comprehensive exploration perhaps with too much included, but the museum has a large board of trustees with diverse interests and the show can be seen in deference to that fact by relating a something-for-everyone strategy. A suggestion for audiences to rein in the exhibit visually is to start at the museum’s John N.A. Griswold House, then step outside for a break before continuing onward for the rest of the show next door in the museum’s Cushing/Morris … [Read more...] about PLANNED ADOLESCENCE: CONNECTING THE DOTS OF CHILDHOOD IN NEWPORT

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND: OCEAN WALKS, SAILING AND GALLERIES ABOUND

// Current Issue, Issue Articles, July/August 2019

by Suzanne Volmer

On a sunny day, Newport, Rhode Island, has the atmospheric brightness of the French Riviera. Glints of silvery light play on the deep blue ocean and animate the waterfront. No matter the Fahrenheit, somewhere there is a breeze, and this contributes to making Newport a great yachting destination. If arriving by car, it is worthwhile to take the Newport Bridge with its $4 toll to enjoy the magnificent panorama of boats plying the harbor, many of which are beautiful under sail. Other options for travel might be by private yacht, cruise ship or taking a ferry from Providence, Block Island or Jamestown. “The City by the Sea” is cosmopolitan. It is a destination for events, day trips or a summer, autumn or even a winter getaway. Home of the U.S. Naval War College, and also the Pell Center for International Relations, it has varied cultural institutions, including museums, galleries, … [Read more...] about NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND: OCEAN WALKS, SAILING AND GALLERIES ABOUND

View of opening exhibition at Coastal Contemporary Gallery.

COASTAL CONTEMPORARY: PASSION, DRIVE AND FAITH IN NEWPORT

// Issue Articles, July/August 2018

by Ron Fortier

It was finally a beautiful day, as you would expect in June. But, being a New Englander, I had my reservations as to how long it would last, considering that it had rained for most of the week. It was equally pleasant to drive to Newport and to meet Shari Weschler Rubeck, the owner/gallerist of Coastal Contemporary Gallery, the newest art gallery in town. But, the first words out of my mouth as I shook her hand were, “Are you crazy or something?” After all, with the current trend in the art world of galleries closing by the score, why would she be opening hers? Rubeck, aka Sumo Bunni, her very own persona brand, replied that it was a result of her passion, drive and faith. No, not the religious kind. Faith, as in trusting oneself. Or, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Rubeck’s faith also extends … [Read more...] about COASTAL CONTEMPORARY: PASSION, DRIVE AND FAITH IN NEWPORT

Of Water and Bone

// Current Exhibits, Current Issue, Exhibits, July/August 2016, Visual Arts

Mother/Daughter Mandle in Newport by Suzanne Volmer “Of Water and Bone,” a mother and daughter exhibit created collaboratively by Gayle Wells Mandle and Julia Barnes Mandle, presents itself as a conceptual umbrella and makes a cohesive statement that communicates a composite view of the artists’ individual and shared perspectives based upon their experiences. The artists’ aesthetics have gravitational pull toward process charged with cultural awareness and investigatory layering of content worth contemplating, especially in an election year. Gayle explores global issues of water sustainability and Julia examines the topic of immigration. The exhibition is on view at the Newport Art Museum through August 9. Both artists are mindful of the discrimination that women face seeking opportunities, so in showing collaboratively they prefer using the gender neutrality of their … [Read more...] about Of Water and Bone

Jul/Aug 2016 Capsule Previews

// Current Exhibits, Exhibits, July/August 2016, Visual Arts

by Brian Goslow The National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) Massachusetts Chapter is presenting two exhibitions this summer: “Continuum: Tradition Meets Innovation,” continuing through August 6 at Fountain Street Fine Art, 59 Fountain St., Framingham, Mass., and “Breaking Ground,” featuring 55 works by 46 artists, running through September 16 at the Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts at Endicott College, 376 Hale St., Beverly, Mass. NAWA was founded in 1889 as a not-for-profit organization of professional women in fine art and is the oldest art association for women. The Mass. Chapter, formed in 2013, offers an active program of exhibitions, seminars, community outreach programs and educational activities. -- “Kaleidoscopic Pathos,” paintings by Bennington-based Renée Bouchard, will be on view from July 5 through September 30 at the Vermont Governor’s Gallery, … [Read more...] about Jul/Aug 2016 Capsule Previews