Museum Newsletter: Featured Articles
| ›› February 2010 ›› January 2010 ›› December 2009 ›› November 2009 ›› October 2009 ›› September 2009 ›› Summer 2009 ›› May 2009 |
›› April 2009 ›› March 2009 ›› February 2009 ›› January 2009 ›› December 2008 ›› November 2008 ›› October 2008 ›› September 2008 |
February 2010
Beth Krommes: Winter Light The Danforth Museum of Art is pleased to present Winter Light, an exhibition of work by Beth Krommes in our Children’s Gallery dedicated to the art of picture book illustration. Krommes, recipient of the 2009 Caldecott Medal for The House in the Night will exhibit original art work for The House in the Night, as well as from a selection of her other books for children including Grandmother Winter, The Sun in Me: Poems About the Planet, and The Hidden Folk. Ms. Krommes cites painting as her first love, but in 1982 became interested in wood engraving. Her first illustrations were created using wood engravings, but she soon switched to scratchboard, as it created the same look in less time. Scratchboard allows the artist to explore light and dark within compositions that contain vivid contrasts. The House in the Night is a quiet, peaceful bedtime story that also emphasizes the power of books to spark the imagination. Krommes' art is "richly detailed black-and-white scratchboard illustrations expand this timeless bedtime verse, offering reassurance to young children that there is always light in the darkness. Krommes’ elegant line, illuminated with touches of golden watercolor, evokes the warmth and comfort of home and family, as well as the joys of exploring the wider world.” The artist currently resides in Peterborough, New Hampshire with her husband and two daughters. She says her mission is, “to create artwork that is joyful in spirit, universal in nature, and accessible and affordable to others.” Learn more at www.bethkrommes.com. Beth Krommes will appear at a book signing in the Children's Gallery on Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 1:30 pm. Copies of her books are available for sale in the Shop at the Danforth, and her signing is followed by Drop Into Art from 2-4 pm, featuring related hands-on art activities for children and their families. Events are free to Museum members, or with paid admission. All are welcome to attend. |
January 2010
Beneath the Surface Visitors continue to note connections between the main galleries and our Children’s Gallery. Sometimes work by the same artist appears in both areas, as with last year’s exhibits by Faith Ringgold. Sometimes subject matter is linked, as in the work of Hyman Bloom and children’s book illustrator Mordecai Gerstein. Now, through the end of March, museum visitors will be able to see repeated examples of a painterly technique known as scraffitto throughout the Museum. Upstairs in our Children’s Gallery, Caldecott medal winner Beth Krommes has employed scrafitto in her scratchboard illustrations for House in the Night and other books. By removing the negative space around images, she’s revealed the drawing process in reverse. Children visiting the exhibit are captivated by the different look in these pictures. When they take part in special art activities in our First Sunday Drop Into Art Program, they are able to experiment with scratchboard (or scraffitto) for themselves—an important part of our hands-on approach to museum education that encourages visitor to scratch the surface and explore their own ability to create. Recent Exhibition Reviews "Danforth exhibit examines 'The Paradox' at the core of Sudbury artist" "An Outsider, Deep Inside Himself |
December 2009
Deceptive Truth Visitors coming to see the new exhibitions at the Museum may note common themes between exhibits, as well as examples of a painterly technique known as trompe-l’oeil. Literally meaning “trick of the eye,” this phrase describes methods used by Renaissance painters to go beyond mathematical perspective. Later, the increasing popularity of scientific optics encouraged Dutch painters to deliberately deceive 17th century viewers. Now contemporary artists use trompe-l’oeil to explore puzzling insecurities about how we see. In The Paradox, David Aronson displays virtuosic ability in his trompe-l’oeil rendering of mundane junk—an old telephone dial, cheap pieces of jewelry, keys hanging from a ring. In Pierrot Lunaire, Sometimes playful, but always serious, paintings by all three artists ask that we reflect on the nature of art and perception. The world is not always as it first appears, but our willingness to question reality makes it more real. And we are better for that. Recent Exhibition Reviews "Bergstein is the center of a constellation of 4 Danforth exhibits" "Painting with a Boston accent |
November 2009
Celebrate Boston History On Saturday, November 21, the Museum was pleased to debut four new exhibitions by regional artists known for creating complex works that depend upon human emotion. Some, like David Aronson and Henry Schwartz, were contemporaries of Hyman Bloom, early Boston Expressionists whose works reveal a glimpse into the cultural scene around Boston prior to the rise of abstraction. Others, like Gerry Bergstein and Morgan Bulkeley, are contemporary artists who have continued to work in an expressive tradition that inspires a profound belief in the human spirit. Considered together, these artists tell the story of Boston painting from the early 1940’s until the present time. For the last half of the 20th century, expressionism has existed outside the mainstream of contemporary art—its artists tend to eschew abstraction for representational imagery to present a complex narrative. For Aronson these narratives described a willingness to confront religious tradition. Schwartz used them to express ambivalent love for Germanic culture that produced great music out of destructive, even anti-Semitic, thinking. Bergstein takes on the unavoidable influence of western art, and Bulkeley questions how great culture can destroy our environment. All these ambitious exhibits are thematically linked, some imagery re-occurs throughout, either explicitly or by association. These exhibitions also trace the lineage of painters working in the Boston area. Aronson was the teacher of Henry Schwartz; Schwartz was the teacher of Gerry Bergstein; Bergstein and Morgan Bulkeley once had studios near each other and have collaborated. Seen together, these shows resonate, and we invite you to visit the Museum many times over the next few months—not only to consider the history of Boston painting, but also its future. |
October 2009
Boston Expressionism at the Museum Like many in the art world, we were deeply saddened by the recent loss of Hyman Bloom, a truly great painter whose work helped define a movement of expressive painting. But we were also pleased to note continued interest in his achievements. On September 14th Hyman Bloom: A Spiritual Embrace opened in New York City’s Yeshiva University Museum, granting another opportunity to view the Danforth Museum of Art’s 2006 exhibition showcasing this significant Boston Expressionist artist. Last year Drs. Tim and Francine Orrok donated Bloom’s Skeleton in Red Dress, and Herb and Mary Lou Gray, dedicated collectors of Boston Expressionism, recently donated Bloom’s Séance II. These significant works greatly add to the importance of the Museum’s permanent collection, increasing our ability to fully explore this fascinating body of work. In the coming months the Boston Globe will feature a profile on Bloom, and a documentary film is scheduled to be released. In this atmosphere of heightened interest, the Museum has been pleased to be the recipient of recent gifts of major paintings by Hyman Bloom. In November the Museum is pleased to debut new shows by other Boston artists known for creating complex works that depend upon human emotion. Some, like David Aronson and Henry Schwartz, were contemporaries of Bloom, early Boston Expressionists whose works reveal a glimpse into the cultural scene in Boston following World War II. Others, like Gerry Bergstein and Morgan Bulkeley, are younger painters who continue working in the painterly tradition of Boston Expressionism. Working from memory rather than directly from nature, Aronson, Bergstein, Buckley and Schwartz are all inspired by a profound belief in the human spirit. The Museum is proud to showcase their work and invites you to join us for the opening reception for all shows by Boston Expressionist artists on Saturday, November 21 from 6-8 pm. |
September 2009
The Danforth Museum of Art is once again pleased to present the very best contemporary photography in the upcoming New England Photography Biennial 2009, which will be on view at the Museum from September 13 through November 8, 2009. The exhibit will officially open with a special public opening reception honoring the artists on Saturday evening, September 12 from 6-8 p.m. A number of special lectures and talks will occur through the course of the exhibition. All programs are free to Museum members, or with regular admission. Every two years, the Danforth Museum of Art celebrates photography as an art form through a highly selective exhibition of photographers who reside throughout New England. Juried by Phillip Prodger, Curator of Photography, at the Peabody Essex Museum, and Barbara O'Brien, former editor of Art New England and former Director, Trustman Art Gallery, Simmons College, Boston, the 2009 New England Photography Biennial showcases exciting and innovative photography by both established and emerging artists. When asked about her role as this year’s juror, Barbara O’Brien stated that it had been an “honor and a challenge to sift and sort through the over 1000 work documents submitted for review.” She describes the final show which she and Phillip Prodger curated; “The final selections present the artist’s current fascination, yet often reveal a keen awareness of their photos place within the history of photography.” Prodger adds, “I was deeply struck by the energy welling up from every corner of New England in photography - from every state, in cities and the rural areas, among serious amateurs and the professionally-trained, and from many different communities. The selections this year reflect a wide variety of approaches, from black-and-white documentary to conceptual digital.” Prodger and O'Brien chose 73 works from 1,030 pieces submitted by 213 artists. A full list of selected artists can be found online at www.danforthmuseum.org/newenglandphoto2009.html. Purchase prizes have been awarded to Meredith Miller, Untitled (Melissa after Greek Idyllic Family), 2003, color print, 40 x 30 inches and Mori Insinger, Chatham, Massachusetts, 2008, archival inkjet print, 20 x 24 inches. |
Summer 2009
The Danforth Museum of Art is pleased to present Nan Tull: Sensuous Wisdom, 1984 – 2009, 25 Years of Painting and Drawing, a survey of more than 60 works by renowned Boston artist Nan Tull. The exhibit will be on view in the main galleries from September 12th through November 8th. On Wednesday, September 16th, Noon and Sunday, October 25, 3pm the artist will speak on her work. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 12, 6-8pm. All are welcome to attend. About the Artist Nan Tull received her B.A. from Wellesley College and her M.A. from Stanford University. She received a diploma from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she received her 5th Year Certificate and the Clarissa Bartlett Traveling Scholarship. She was awarded an Artists Foundation Fellowship (MA), and a NEA/NEFA fellowship, as well as residencies at the MacDowell Colony, Millay Colony for the Arts and the Vermont Studio Colony (VT). Her work has been widely exhibited, including a 20 year retrospective of her drawings, shown at the Boston Public Library. Her work held in private & corporate collections as well as in permanent Museum collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, the DeCordova Sculpture Park & Museum, the Boston Public Library, and the Danforth Museum of Art. Tull is a founding member of 249 A Street Cooperative in the Fort Point Channel area of Boston, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2008, where she still lives and creates. |
May 2009
Commitment to New England The Danforth Museum of Art began life as a community museum, and continues as such after nearly thirty five years of serving its many constituent members—families, artists and museum goers of all ages throughout New England. This is particular true during May, appropriately designated Museum Membership month, and a time when we become increasing busy in preparation for juried exhibitions that showcase both established and emerging artists in exhibits that display the very best work currently produced in New England. Carroll and Sons Director Joseph Carroll and Mass College of Art Curator Lisa Tung and museum staff selected work for two outstanding exhibitions—Off the Wall and A Community of Artists. The 61 works in Off the Wall and 140 works in A Community of Artists were selected from 580 entries submitted by 342 member artists. In recent years these exhibits have been widely reviewed, which is unusual for large group shows. The New England arts community has become aware of the significance of these two shows, and we are visited by an increasing number of curators—a sign that the Danforth Museum of Art has become a venue not only for historically important exhibits, but also for new and exciting contemporary art that is finding its way into other museums and private collections. We invite you to become part of this conversation by joining us for a special Off the Wall Patron’s Preview on Saturday, May 30th from 8-10 pm. This elegant event brings together artists, collectors, and the museum community for a fundraiser that supports our award winning exhibitions—and provides a first opportunity to purchase works from both emerging and established artists. Please join us! While many other New England museums are choosing a national or even global focus, the Danforth Museum of art remains committed to the region. This is evident not only in the Off the Wall events held each spring, but also in our continued commitment to our New England Currents series and the New England Photography Biennial scheduled to open this September. Katherine French, Director |
April 2009
Community Collaborations Community collaboration continues to be key to what we do here at the Danforth Museum of Art, and a wonderful example is our recent participation in the Framingham Public Library’s “One Book” initiative centered on Greg Mortenson’s best selling book Three Cups of Tea. Thanks to a suggestion from Librarian Jeanne Kelley, the Museum worked with children’s book illustrator Susan Roth to organize the very first exhibition of original art work used to create Listen to the Wind, which uses art to tell the story of Mortenson’s near-fatal attempt to scale the treacherous peaks of K2, his rescue by Pakistan villagers, and then efforts his to build a school for girls in thanks for their help. Roth’s colorful cut paper and fabric collage have received wide acclaim, and her book has been #1 on the New York Times best seller list for children’s books for the past ten weeks. During April School Vacation Week students enrolled in Museum School workshops will visit with the artist, and then and appear Saturday morning, April 25 to discuss her book. She will be joined Julia Berman from the Central Asia Institute, the inspirational librarian who helped create a library for the first school Mortenson helped build in Korphe, Pakistan. While the talk is most appropriate for adults, older children may attend and a collage workshop for younger children has been scheduled to take place concurrently. The Museum is thrilled participate as part of the Library’s wide-ranging programs that have served to bring members of the local community together and connect us all to a greater understanding of our world.
Recent Exhibition Reviews Three Photographers Explore the Earth in Danforth Exhibits Eye See You |
March 2009
Connection to A Larger World Recognized as a premier venue for contemporary art, the Danforth Museum of Art is pleased to show continued support for the regional arts community in five new exhibits of work by New England artists, as well as an exhibit by a New York artist with recent ties to Framingham. Each displays an exciting sense of shared conversation—demonstrating our ability to work independently, yet to remain connected to our contemporaries. Conversation and collaboration are central to at least two exhibits. Artist Deborah Davidson explores visual and verbal language in multi-layered collage paintings that are alternately built up and worn away—a poignant demonstration of ways in which we seek to communicate. Material Drawing features work by the award winning New England artists Audrey Goldstein, Michelle Samour, Julia Shepley, Debra Weisberg, and explores such unconventional materials brass wire, torn tape and reflected light. But one of the most remarkable aspects of their work lies in their willingness to collaborate with each other. For nearly two years, Material Drawing artists have met regularly to discuss their work—not as critique, but as part of the process of making art. Three new photography and new media exhibits embrace this sense of community, but in a more global way. Robert Alter has spent the last six years photographing the overpowering structures situated around La Defense at the western edge of Paris. In her multi-media installation regardregard, Mary Oestereicher Hamill projects videos of Chinese people in ancient Beijing against those who dwell now in New York City’s Chinatown—a layered study of community interaction. Finally, internationally renowned photographer Abelardo Morell shows new work exploring the technique of cliché verre, an antique method connecting him to such painters as Corot and Millet. The hand drawn negatives displayed in Continental Drift reveal global continents from an aerial perspective, visually uniting the distinctly foreign parts of our world. Finally, far reaching elements of our world are brought close in an exhibition of original fabric collage by children’s book illustrator Susan Roth. These works illustrate her recently published children’s book Listen to the Wind, written in collaboration with Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson, insist upon a universal approach to art making and shared imagery—and the understanding that community is vitally important. Accompanying the Material Drawing exhibition will be a 24 page illustrated catalog with an essay by curator Katherine French will be available for sale in the Museum shop. The artists will present two panel discussions Wednesday, March 18 at noon and Sunday, April 26 at 3 pm. Presentations are free to Museum members, or with paid admission. |
February 2009
Warmth of Community Although the weather is cold and dreary outside, the Museum and its Museum School are warm and cozy due to a plethora of exhibitions, special events and workshops. Walk inside the Museum to find yourself surrounded by the vibrant and colorful quilts by Faith Ringgold, the monumental painted quilts by Sedrick Huckaby, and contemporary quilts created by women across the country in our Mixed Media Fiber Arts exhibition. Enroll your child in a School Vacation Workshop and he or she will have the exciting opportunity to not only create their own imaginative art works but to also meet Faith Ringgold and receive a copy of her illustrated children’s book, Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, the illustrations of which are currently on view in our Children’s Gallery. Learn with your child! Visit the museum during First Sunday Drop into Art, between 2-4pm on Sunday, March 1st. Participate in gallery activities with the Museum's teen docents before creating works of art together in the Museum School. Designed especially for families, activities are perfect for families with children ages 5-10. Exciting art projects will be inspired by current exhibitions. This program is made possible by generous support from Framingham Co-operative Bank. In the 1960s, Faith Ringgold had just received her Masters degree in Studio Art from City College in New York and had just begun a new family. On the brink of a new career and a new stage in her life, she decided to visit Europe to see the works of the Old Masters. She brought her family to the Louvre Museum in Paris and fondly remembers the exact moment when she realized what her purpose would be in her own art. As she sat on a bench in the Museum and watched her children dancing around due to their boundless energy, she noticed that something was missing in the works of the Old Masters she encountered. People of color were not represented. She decided then and there to populate museums with different faces from the African American heritage. At the Danforth Museum of Art, viewers can see a rarely exhibited painted quilt of Faith Ringgold’s efforts to create an inclusive story of the history of art. She paints herself seated at a Parisian café with a panoply of artists who have been influential to her, both French and American, male and female, black and white. Ringgold has imagined an epic tale and has created twelve story quilts related to this tale about Willia Marie Simone, a 16 year old African American girl in the 1920s that lives the life no African American woman could have ever dreamed of living. We are very fortunate to have one of these quilts on display in our exhibition, Story Quilts. Please come and take a look when you are here. We are also very fortunate to welcome Faith Ringgold to the Danforth for a book signing during School Vacation Workshops on Tuesday, February 17 from 3-5 pm and for a lecture at 7pm at the Dwight Performing Arts Center at Framingham State University. Please call or look on our website for details about this exciting event. Come hear Jeanne Williamson speak on contemporary quilting and the exhibition she curated, Mixed Media Fiber Arts, this Saturday, February 7 at 3 pm. We are also pleased to announce that Sedrick Huckaby will be making a special trip to the Danforth from his home in Texas to give a gallery talk on Saturday, February 15 at 3 pm. So, don’t let the cold, wet weather dampen your spirits. Walk into the Museum, hear artists speak, see your child create art in the school, and be enveloped by the warmth of community at the Danforth Museum of Art! Lisa Leavitt Related Articles
Artscope Magazine The Boston Globe West WGBH: Greater Boston The Boston Globe |
January 2009
Visitors to the Museum will have the opportunity to see exciting new work during the month of January. A brand new exhibition showcases renowned painter, sculptor and printmaker John Wilson. Raised in Roxbury and educated at the Museum School, Wilson went on to study with Fernand Léger in Paris and with the muralist José Clemente Orozco in Mexico. During his long career, Wilson has achieved great success with shows at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and commissions for public sculpture. In addition to Wilson's prints commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. - particularly appropriate during January when we will honor the accomplishments of this great civil rights leader, The Danforth Museum of Art is also pleased to present a print suite illustrating a short story by renowned author Richard Wright. The story, Down by the Riverside, is the second short story in Wright's 1938 book Uncle Tom's Children. A second new exhibition curated by nationally renowned fiber artist Jeanne Williamson, features work by some of the most exciting fiber artists working in the field today. On view starting Wednesday, January 7, Mixed Media Fiber Art, includes still lifes, landscapes, interiors, and portraits in a variety of styles. These mixed media techniques provide a perfect counterpoint to the Faith Ringgold's Story Quilts. Traditional fiber techniques such as piecing, appliqué and reverse appliqué stand in direct contrast to more experimental applications of paint, collage and printmaking. Viewed together, these shows examine the traditions of African American quilt making, as well the crafts that have been historically practiced by women. |
December 2008
Creating an Environment for Growth Those who have remarked upon Esther Pullman’s lovely image of a greenhouse in mid-winter used for our Annual Appeal will be pleased to know that this work is on now on view at the Museum as part of an exhibition of Pullman’s of greenhouses. Beginning with the greenhouses at Wellesley College, Pullman has now photographed greenhouses from around the world. Inspired by her love of gardens and architecture, she also pays homage to Albers and his composition of space on a flat plane. Pullman maintains that her exploration is visual and intuitive. She has “not self-consciously tired to imbue them with meaning,” but admits that “big themes do seem to be lurking there: cycles of the season, light and dark, life and death, renewal.” This idea of renewal speaks perfectly to where the Museum finds itself at the present—as does the artist’s gift of this photograph to our permanent collection. We have worked hard to create an environment that sustains growth. The generosity of friends and members make it possible to thrive despite a harsh economic climate. The artist has made of gift of work for visitors to enjoy well into the future, and your gift will help insure that future. Please consider making a year end, tax deductible donation to our Annual Fund. It will be greatly appreciated. |
November 2008
Celebrate Art and Community November has brought a change of seasons and a new American president. This historic period has sparked lively discussion and debate about the role the arts can play in strengthening our society. Last week at the New England Museum Association Annual Meeting in Warwick, RI, keynote speaker Curt Columbus, Trinity Repertory Company Artistic Director addressed this issue. He spoke about the importance of museums and cultural institutions as democratic forums. These forums provide a setting to engage in artistic experiences and share ideas encouraging us to interact with each other in a time where television and technology allow increasing isolation. Faith Ringgold has been creating “story” quilts since the 1970s. Combining acrylic painting on canvas, quilted fabric, and actual text that tells a story, these quilts have catapulted Ringgold to international fame. Instead of stretching her canvas over wooden stretchers, Ringgold, in collaboration with her mother, a fashion designer, began to sew fabric borders around her paintings. Working with fabric has been a strong part of Faith’s family history, beginning with Ringgold’s great, great grandmother, who was a slave and had made quilts for her slave-owners. She later incorporated written text into her works that communicated the themes most important to her: stories of her own life, of African American women and artists throughout history, and of racial and gender inequality.
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October 2008
The Museum is pleased to announce the gift of a major painting by the renowned Boston Expressionist artist Hyman Bloom, an artist whom Willem DeKooning called “the first Abstract Expressionist.” Those who were able to view the Bloom exhibition held at the Museum in early 2007, will remember the dark visions of an artist whose work approached abstraction, but remained firmly rooted in a world of material form. Skeleton in Red Dress represents a dramatic response to the disturbing events of the Second World War, and is one of the finest examples of Bloom’s early work. Generously donated by Francene and Tim Orrok of Ashland, Oregon, Skeleton in Red Dress will be a focal point of our permanent collection and sure to attract national interest. We have now reached a critical juncture in the history of the Museum, in which Trustees have committed to seriously consider a major renovation or new construction. It is clear that at least one of the renovated or new galleries will be given over to Boston Expressionism, and Skeleton in Red Dress will be central in how we envision a permanent display of these works. This moving and eloquent painting not only represents a major work by one of America’s most important expressive artists, but also helps paint a picture of what the Museum will look like in the future. |
September 2008
There is a fresh look to the Museum this Fall. Visitors will have the opportunity to see four new contemporary exhibits opening with an artists’ reception on Saturday, September 13. MacArthur grant recipient Joan Snyder has gifted her painting Boy in Afghanistan to the Museum and worked with Director Katherine French on the exhibition One Blue Sky, featuring similar paintings that incorporate news photography into her political and expressive work. A large chevron painting by Katherine Porter has also come into the museum’s permanent collection through the generosity of Arthur and Mimi Rosenberg, and is the focus of the exhibition Splendid Cities. And we are particularly excited by the survey of work presented in Jo Sandman: Once Removed. Most recently known for photographic work, Sandman is also an artist who explores non traditional materials to create elegant works that challenge our conception of drawing and painting. Finally, we welcome Carolyn Evans’ poignant meditation on the loss of her New Orleans childhood home in the exhibit Katrina’s Third Birthday—No Cake. In addition to these exciting new exhibitions, unfamiliar works from our permanent collection are also on view. This summer, researchers discovered a preliminary drawing and oil sketch for Hercules and Nessus, 1897 by Philip Leslie Hale in Museum’s approximately 3,500 stored works. We are very pleased to present this significant painting along with the studies, and anticipate much interest among art historians. |
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