It wasn’t quite the proverbial “dark and stormy night,” but both snow and temperatures fell for the First Friday Gallery Walk in Brattleboro, Vermont, in December, diminishing crowds but not enthusiasm among those who made it. The festive downtown stroll is a monthly tradition with galleries, eateries and drinking venues all welcoming people from as far south as Northampton, Massachusetts, and as far north as Burlington. December offered a special Gallery Walk night for folks to bundle up and face the weather. In addition to 36 venues showcasing art and many restaurants eager to serve house specialties, there were church holiday bazaars, craft fairs and an annual Children’s Holiday Craft Fair, featuring such items as beeswax candles, ornaments, journals and edible treats. Heading south on Main Street from the intersection of Main and High, it’s always interesting to stop at River … [Read more...] about A LASTING TRADITION: BRATTLEBORO GALLERY WALK HAS STAYING POWER
textiles
A COLLECTOR’S PASSION: TRIBAL ARTIFACTS AND TEXTILES AT GROTON
The passion of a collector was evident the day Elizabeth Van Gelder and I met at the de Menil Gallery where 250 objects from her extensive collection are on display at the Groton School. Van Gelder’s collection of tribal artifacts and textiles, her “gathering of beauty,” began in 1989 with her travels while on sabbatical from her position as art teacher there. “I started collecting because I’m an artist and I’m a traveler,” she explained. “What excites me is going to a place where no one looks like me or speaks my language. That’s what I find the most interesting. It’s about different. It’s different from what I am and who I am and what I know. And so, every trip I take is, for me, a time to really learn something new. “When I started collecting, I focused on material culture. I realized that was one of the most intimate ways to know about a people or a culture. It tells you what … [Read more...] about A COLLECTOR’S PASSION: TRIBAL ARTIFACTS AND TEXTILES AT GROTON
Donna Rhae Marder: The Cover Up at the Society of Arts + Crafts
Donna Rhae Marder’s newest body of work, “The Cover Up,” is on display at the Society of Arts + Crafts in Boston’s Seaport District through August 20. In the past, Marder has created dresses, teapots and aprons out of common discarded paper objects such as photographs, old magazines and teabags. This exhibition is a departure from her previous works. This new body of work features textiles made entirely out of her family’s old garments. In addition to creating masterful garments and other textiles, Marder contemplates various social and political issues along with her domestic views. The inspiration came from not wanting to let go of her family members old garments. In addition to this, Marder would clip out articles in which the main focus of the issue was centered around clothing. She found articles about women in Jerusalem that were removed from the Wailing Wall because they were … [Read more...] about Donna Rhae Marder: The Cover Up at the Society of Arts + Crafts
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