Museum Newsletter: Featured Articles
| ›› February 2012 ›› January 2012 ›› December 2011 ›› November 2011 ›› October 2011 ›› September 2011 ›› July 2011 ›› June 2011 ›› May 2011 ›› April 2011 ›› March 2011 ›› February 2011 ›› January 2011 ›› December 2010 ›› November 2010 ›› October 2010 ›› September 2010 ›› Summer 2010 ›› June 2010 ›› May 2010 ›› April 2010 ›› March 2010 |
›› 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 2012
Polar Bear Son “Kunikdjuaq…was a friendly, round and fluffy little bear, and the children of the village love to play with him, tumbling about and sliding in the snow….” Interest in this exhibit has not been limited to family visitors. Many adults have been drawn to simple, powerful shapes of Inuit sculpture, as well as the mythical power in found in the picture book illustrations. Artist Lydia Dabcovich was so inspired by her reading of Franz Boaz and other anthropologists that she used the story of the polar bear son Kunikdjuaq (pronounced koo-nick-joo-uck) to convey a mysterious world filled with powerful animals, strong hunters and supernatural beings. This sense of a visionary landscape is consistent with work visitors will see in other galleries, and perhaps with good reason. A graduate of Boston’s Museum School, along with many Boston Expressionists featured in The Expressive Voice, Dabcovich was interested in using art to convey a sense of things unseen, but deeply felt. Although whimsical, illustrations of Polar Bear Son have much in common with Hyman Bloom’s supernatural painting of fish in a feeding frenzy. We invite our visitors to make the comparison, and tell us what they think. |
January 2012
“Seascape II’’ (1974) teems with red and blue fish in a terrifying eddy, jaws wide, consuming one another. Their scales shimmer amid ripples of water - the paint handling is masterful - spinning in an endless vortex of devouring. Increasing numbers of visitors have found their way to the Danforth in the past month, prompted by critical reviews that describe the “an emotional clarity” of work that is “luscious, bright and deeply felt.” Hyman Bloom’s “Seascape II” (1974) is a perfect example of work that visitors will see in our exhibit The Expressive Voice. Like many Boston Expressionist paintings, it depicts “the messiness of life,” challenging our received notion of art late twentieth century art. Although a first generation immigrant without much formal education, the artist Hyman Bloom was widely read and fully knowledgeable of the many cultural references to his subject matter. He knew that Greeks and Romans considered fish sacred, and was acquainted with the Christian story of the loaves and fishes. A great admirer of Indian Music, he knew that Vishnu transformed himself into a fish to save the World. But for Bloom, the most important connection was to Jewish philosophy and 20th century psychoanalysis. Fish were not only a good subject matter. They were also a powerful metaphor for spiritual change. Rabbinical writing affirms the presence of a righteous soul within fish and the Kabbalah identified them as symbols for concealed reality. The great fish Leviathan was hostile and destructive, but the abundance of seafood in the Mediterranean was life giving, a traditional part of a Jewish diet and still served for Passover or Rosh Hashanah when honored guests are served a fish heads to commemorates the "head of the year.” And Bloom’s love of fish was personal. He was a regular customer of the original Legal Sea Foods and worked to create a series of fish paintings in his studio over the restaurant before it was destroyed by fire. Fish swam through Bloom’s subconscious, and informed his understanding of psychoanalysis. Strange coincidental stories of fish as dream symbols were central to Jung’s book The Mind of God. As a painter, Bloom has created a masterwork; a mix of cultural and literary references. “Seascape II” pulls content from the waters of our unconscious, and speaks to our ability to become transformed by art. For more about Hyman Bloom and “Seascape II”, please see recent reviews for The Expressive Voice The Expressive Voice: Selections from the Permanent Collection Boston Expressionists Get Their Due New Exhibit Shows Off Danforth’s Boston Expressionist Collection |
December 2011
Under the Chandelier is a complex work. Created in 1948 by German Expressionist émigré Karl Zerbe, the most recent addition to the Museum’s permanent collection is not only a sensitive portrait of the artist Hyman Bloom, but also a visionary depiction of what happened to American painting in the mid- 20th century—a time when representational painting was increasingly marginalized by the rise of abstraction. Ironically, Hyman Bloom inspired and contributed to the development of the abstract movement. Known as one of the “bad boys from Boston,” he took the 1940’s art world by storm when both he and his friend Jack Levine were featured on the covers of art magazines and shown at the Museum of Modern Art. In fact Bloom’s 1940 painting The Synagogue, depicting a cantor singing beneath a glittering chandelier and one of many works exploring the spiritual qualities of light, was purchased by MOMA. Willem De Kooning later recalled seeing the work, remarking that he and his friend Jackson Pollock considered Bloom “the first Abstract Expressionist in America.” Yet despite his expressive approach to pushing paint across the canvas, Bloom remained committed to the human figure, determined to “tell the truth” in visual terms. Under the Chandelier makes clear that this determination to paint realistically might also threaten his artistic existence. Instead of shedding light, Zerbe's chandelier is heavy and oppressive and the far corners of the studio remain dark. As art historian Judith Bookbinder observes in her book Boston Modern, the artist is diminished, pressed down into the lower corner of the painting. Once a source of inspiration, the chandelier has been transformed into “a glowing, crystal sword of Damocles.” |
November 2011
Marking a new educational partnership with the School for the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Danforth Museum is pleased to again feature an exhibition by Museum School Alumni and teacher Rhoda Rosenberg. Focusing on family, the exhibition considers work from 1993 until the present and expands our understanding of Boston artists involved with an institution that has become central to an understanding of Boston Expressionism.
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October 2011
Elsa Dorfman: Still Clicking Away Elsa Dorfman’s current exhibit at the Danforth not only captures a split second in the lives of her subjects, but also an important moment in the history of photography. Originally created to document flat works of art, Polaroid’s large format cameras quickly caught the attention of photographers interested in creating portraits of living people. Dorfman is one of the best known to work with Polaroid’s large format, and her camera is only one of six that exists world wide. Images taken for “No Hair Day" on view at the Danforth—the visual story a single afternoon in the lives of three women undergoing treatment for breast cancer—display a range of human emotions and behaviors compressed into a single day. However, the series also reveals the ephemeral and timeless qualities of photography, its ability to capture a fleeting moment that tells a larger story. Due to the growing popularity of the digital camera, traditional film is used increasingly less and large format images will become rare. Committed to using what little remains of available stock, Dorfman works in her studios in both Manhattan and Cambridge, MA to create her images of “affection and survival,” happy to be “still clicking away after all these years.” Related Media 20 x 24: Polaroid Portraits of Filmmakers Elsa Dorfman: Photographer
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September 2011
Once again, we are pleased to host the New England Photography Biennial, showcasing some of the best contemporary work produced by artists living and working in our region. Selecting 74 photographs from 1055 images submitted by 211 photographers, former PRC curator George Slade has curated one of our strongest photography shows to date. Mindful that we are living at a time in which artists are able to construct many levels of reality through the magic of Photoshop, Slade chose four single works for their consideration of “the phenomena of reflections, layers, and complex visions,” rewarded by his encounter with images that boasted “no manipulation, taken as seen,” in a world “still densely wondrous enough to mystify and entrance without digital enhancement.” Free Fall Family Day |
July 2011
New This Year - Picture This! A picture book's mission is great because it is among the very first experiences of the wider world a child will encounter. As such, we need to make sure the books we create and expose them to are of the best content, both from an editorial and from a visual standpoint. Any of the art works at the Danforth PictureThis! exhibit certainly meet that level of quality. Featuring some of the best examples of contemporary picture book illustration created by artists living and working in New England, Picture This! is now on view in the Museum’s Children’s Gallery on the second floor of the Danforth Building—an exciting new addition to the Museum’s annual roster of juried shows. Created as part of the Danforth’s continuing mission to link the Museum and the Museum School with programs and exhibits that engage, inspire and transform the lives of children and adults, Picture This! reaches out to our next generation of museum visitors. “Picture books are a child’s first art gallery,” says Museum Director Katherine French, “helping young children develop a verbal and visual language as a foundation for future learning.” Scott Magoon, first place winner of this exciting inaugural exhibition agrees. “Picture books are a gateway to learning and life—just as books are for adults,” Magoon works very hard to make sure his illustrations consider the child first and then the parent. For example, his winning illustration, Loch Ness from the book Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating, appeals to his quirky sensibility. “Many picture books are similar in feel,” he observes. “I like ones…that are a bit odd, or slightly snarky, or otherwise different.” While Magoon’s choices may be rooted in the strange or odd, his illustrations impart an inspiring and optimistic message.
Magoon has won acclaim for past children’s books that include Hugo and Miles In I’ve Painted Everything (2007), Mystery Ride (2008), and Mostly Monsterly (2010). He also works as an Art Director for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s children’s division. By working with other artists, designers, and authors, Magoon has gained a unique perspective that informs his own artistic choices. His experience with layout, design, and typography helps him see “both sides of the coin” and help him plan out a book better than if he were only an illustrator. Currently a resident of Reading, MA, where he lives with his wife and two sons, Magoon has consistently been selected for the Society of Illustrators The Original Art, an exhibition that showcases original work from the year's best children's books nationwide. While the scope of Picture This! is regional and not national, Magoon was impressed by the Danforth’s professional, friendly and encouraging approach. Magoon’s first prize win—and his first visit to the Danforth—will not be his last. “I was so impressed with the breadth of talent on display in Off the Wall and Picture This! and proud to have my work featured with my fellow talented artists. I truly enjoyed talking shop with other illustrators [at the opening]. There’s an energy…at the show that cannot be duplicated, from which charged and inspiring conversations can grow.” Picture This! curated by Susan Sherman of Charlesbridge Publishing is on view in the Danforth Museum of Art’s Children’s Gallery through Sunday, August 7. For more information about the show click here and view on the on-line catalog. For more info on Scott Magoon, visit www.scottmagoon.com. |
June 2011
A Danforth Success Story: A sense of duality informs Matar's work…its balance between the realistic and poetic. She is the documentarian as lyricist, someone who, recording the incongruous, discovers the transcendent. First Prize Winner in this year’s Off the Wall Juried Exhibition has received many awards for her photographs, but credits participation in the Danforth 2007 New England Photography Biennial as key to helping her complete the transition from art student to working artist. By entering work for review, Rania Matar came to the attention of MFA curator Karen Haas and Gallery Owner Arlette Kayafas, co-jurors who awarded Matar the Museum’s Purchase Prize for Barbie Girl--not only featuring the work prominently in the show, but also welcoming it into the Danforth’s permanent collection. Kayafas offered to represent Matar, and curators at the ICA were notified. In 2008 Matar was named an ICA Foster Prize Finalist and once again enjoyed exhibiting in a Boston area museum. Now an established and successful artist—in 2011 she received awards from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, PDN Magazine and the Griffin Museum of Photography—Matar continues to participate in the Danforth Annual Juried exhibitions as one of the many talented member artists in our Museum community.
A practicing architect before becoming a photographer, Lebanese born Rania Matar focuses her lens on women's issues. Whether examining the plight of women and children Palestinian refugee camps or studying suburban teenagers within the confines of their private space, Matar is interested in transitional times of life, giving voice to people who might otherwise be overlooked, misunderstood or forgotten. Currently a resident of Newton, Matar now works full-time as a photographer and teaches documentary photography at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. In the summers, she also teaches photography to teenage girls in Lebanon's refugee camps with the assistance of non-governmental organizations. Her new body of work, A Girl and her Room, photographing teenage girls from different backgrounds has been featured in numerous publications and exhibited widely in the U.S. and internationally. For more information on the artist and her work, visit RaniaMatar.com. The Danforth Museum of Art’s 2011 Juried Exhibitions, Off the Wall, Community of Artists and Picture This!, are currently on view until Sunday, August 7. In addition to Matar, other prize winners for Off the Wall include: Prilla Smith Bracket, 2nd prize; Linda Leslie Brown, 3rd prize; CB Forsythe, honorable mention; Katherine Gulla, honorable mention; Marilyn Ranker, honorable mention; Susan Schmidt, honorable mention; and Leslie Starobin, honorable mention. Prize winners for Picture This! include: Scott Magoon, 1st prize; Giles Laroche, 2nd prize; Leo Landry, 3rd prize; Chris Beatrice, honorable mention; Jon Lechner, honorable mention; and Jennifer Lewis, honorable mention. Matar’s photograph, Shannon, 21, Boston, and other displayed artwork is for sale, helping to support the Museum’s exhibitions and programming, as well as the exhibiting artists. View all work for sale in our new online catalogs. |
May 2011
In Our Own Back Yard This month the Danforth Museum of Art marks the end of its 35th Anniversary Year as a community museum, continuing to serve more than 50,000 visitors each year. These visitors include not only families and casual art lovers, but also a growing number of artists, collectors and curators. In fact, more than one third of current members identify themselves as artists. How appropriate that we mark Museum Membership Month by preparing for Off the Wall, Picture This! and Community of Artists, juried exhibitions that showcase some of the very best contemporary work being produced today—within New England and beyond. This year more than 1,400 works were submitted by 495 artists for our Annual Juried Exhibitions, and the uniformly high quality of work made these shows more competitive than ever before. Susan Stoops, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Worcester Museum of Art selected 103 works by 99 artists for Off the Wall, an exhibition meant to reflect her own curatorial vision. An additional 25 works by 20 illustration artists were chosen by Susan Sherman for Picture This!, our inaugural exhibition of original art created for children’s picture books. Finally, Museum Director Katherine French selected 158 works by 148 artists for Community of Artists, an exhibition designed to present a broad range of all work submitted—a unique snapshot of an arts community engaged by the Danforth. The Annual Juried Exhibitions not only describe the engagement of member artists at the Danforth, but also on the part of curators from other institutions. A short list of past jurors for Off the Wall includes Leslie Brown formerly of the Photographic Resource Center; Nick Capasso from the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park; Carole Anne Meehan and Helen Molesworth from the ICA,Boston; Jen Mergel from the MFA, Boston; John Stomberg from the Williams College Museum of Art; and Lisa Tung from MassArt. Each year, curators, private collectors and gallery owners discover new artists. Work from juried exhibitions at the Danforth has been selected for other museum shows, purchased by private collectors, or helped artists find gallery representation. And some artists, including current exhibitors Elizabeth Keithline and Adria Arch, have realized solo exhibitions in the Museum. Most work in the Juried Exhibitions is for sale, and can be viewed in our on-line catalog, available next week. New this year, the on-line catalog will provide an opportunity to view the outstanding work by member artists in advance—once again proof that we need look no further than our own back yard to discover some of the best contemporary art being produced today. While many museums pursue a global focus, the Danforth is committed to artists living and working in the immediate community. Support this talented group by making a purchase of original art from one or all of our outstanding shows, or become a Sponsor for Off the Wall. Sponsors are part of a very special group invited to our Off the Wall Patron’s Preview on Saturday, June 11th from 7-9 pm, an elegantly catered affair in support of all exhibitions at the Danforth. Off the Wall Sponsors will have the first opportunity to purchase work at a 20% discount, as well as many other benefits. Please call the Development Office at 508-620-0050 ext. 16 for more information about how to become an Off the Wall Sponsor. We appreciate your support of our award winning exhibition programming and hope to see you in the Museum soon. |
April 2011
A Child's First Art Gallery Picture books are a child’s first art gallery, and the Danforth places high value on this vital component of early childhood education. This year we are pleased to introduce Picture This! -- a new juried show inviting submissions from children’s book illustrators. Picture This! joins Off the Wall and Community of Artists as one of three annual juried exhibitions showcasing new and exciting art by contemporary member artists, and will be on display in our Children’s Gallery over the summer. The first juror for Picture This! will be Susan Sherman, currently Art Director at Charlesbridge Publishing, who has also served as Art Director of Children's Trade Books at Houghton Mifflin and Creative Director at Little, Brown and Company. Sherman also runs her own graphic design business, Ars Agassiz and is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design where she has worked with David McPhail, David Macaulay, Allen Say, Lois Lowry, and Chris Van Allsburg, notably on The Polar Express. Sherman’s prestige as a juror has already attracted entries from both established and emerging book illustrators and we look forward to the June 11 opening of our Annual Juried Exhibitions. More immediately, those interested in children’s book illustration will be able to view a unique exhibition by children’s book illustrator Adam Gustavson. Thanks to a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Danforth is pleased to present Gustavson’s original watercolors created for the book The Yankee at the Seder, written by Elka Weber. Displayed in collaboration with the 2011 Framingham Reads Together Program, a town-wide literacy initiative based on the Civil War during our nation’s 150th Anniversary of this historic event. Funding from the NEA, as well as the Framingham Cultural Council and Foundation for Metrowest, also supports Drop Into Art and other related educational programs that promote visual and verbal literacy. Set in a Virginia town at the very end of the Civil War, The Yankee at the Seder tells the story of a young boy named Jacob whose family is not quite ready to concede defeat to the North. However, they are quick to extend an invitation to Myer Levy, a Yankee soldier, to join them for Passover. Gathered around the Seder table, the group discusses contradictory ideas of what it means to be free. This touching, heart-felt story shows how cultural and religious connections can bridge a deep divide, allowing for individuals with different ideas to find a common ground. Artist Adam Gustavson has exhibited widely, and the Museum is truly pleased to welcome him as a special guest during our school vacation workshops on Thursday, April 21. Picture books are an important part of Museum’s art education program, directing children to consider shape, line and color at a very young age. We invite you to come to view this beautifully realized exhibition of original watercolors, now on view in our Children’s Gallery on the second floor near the Museum School through June 6. Artists - Submit work to Picture This! (learn more)
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March 2011
In Your Face at the Danforth Kelliann Jarasiitis, an older student finishing her degree at Massasoit Community College, could not contain her excitement as she loaded her husband and three children into their car to attend the opening reception on February 27th. Her monotype "Pumpkin Bowl,” a portrait of her eight year old son in his football uniform, was not only been accepted into the show, but also won an award from the Arches Paper Company. Like many, she had not anticipated the sheer number of people who would attend. However, she and her family made their way through the crowds to the second floor galleries where her son “was beside himself and very proud to see his portrait hanging in an art museum.” Sponsored by the Arches Paper Company as a companion to the 2011 North American Biennial, the 7th Annual Arches Student Print Show not only acquaints the public with emerging printmakers, but also gives students 20 participating colleges throughout New England an opportunity to exhibit with some of our country’s most renowned artists—and share this experience with family and friends. And judging from the flurry of activity on Facebook, these young artists are just as accomplished as writers and filmmakers, as they are as printmakers. See one such video on a blog by Andrea Garcia from Franklin Pierce University in Concord, NH. The video features Andrea’s interviews with from Montserrat College of Art’s Suzy Evans and Boston University’s Lindsay Weitzman, as well as some great music. To post your own observations, pictures or videos throughout the exhibition, please visit our Facebook page. |
February 2011
A Genuine Collaboration: The Danforth Museum of Art will host the 2011 North American Print Biennial, one of the most prestigious events of contemporary printmaking in the United States, juried by Jim Dine. The exhibition runs from February 27 to May 1 and begins with A Dialogue by Jim Dine and MFA Curator Clifford Ackley on contemporary printmaking. The lecture will take place at Framingham State University’s Dwight Hall on Sunday, February 27 at 1:30pm. Immediately following the lecture, the events continue with an Opening Reception at the Danforth Museum of Art from 3 to 5pm to be attended by Jim Dine and exhibiting artists. Both events are free and open to the public. Jim Dine an American pop artist is sometimes considered to be a part of the Neo-Dada movement. In 1962 Dine's work was included, along with Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Dowd, Phillip Hefferton, Joe Goode, Edward Ruscha, and Wayne Thiebaud, in the historically important and ground-breaking New Painting of Common Objects, curated by Walter Hopps at the Norton Simon Museum. This exhibition is historically considered one of the first "Pop Art" exhibitions in America. These painters started a movement, in a time of social unrest, which shocked America and the Art world and changed Modern Art forever. - Wikipedia On the first floor of the Danforth, guests will have the opportunity to view the 149 prints selected by Jim Dine. The Biennial features prints created in traditional print processes including lithography, woodcut, linocut, etching, mezzotint and screenprinting, as well as works produced in new or experimental media such as digital, collage, artist books, and 3-dimensional constructions. The North American Print Biennial supports both artists and museums by awarding purchase prizes and material awards. See list of 2011 Prize Winners. As a companion to the 2011 North American Print Biennial, the Danforth Museum School second floor galleries will exhibit The Arches Student Print Show sponsored by the Arches Paper Company. Starting In 1999, this companion exhibition expands the scope of Biennial activities to include printmaking from more than 20 New England colleges and universities. Giving students the opportunity to exhibit with some of our country’s most renowned artists and offers the public the chance to become acquainted with talented up-and-coming printmakers. Learn more about the Boston Printmakers at www.bostonprintmakers.org |
January 2011
Museum Nominated After more than 35 years as a community museum, the Danforth Museum of Art has become known as a premier venue to view work by both established and emerging artists working in New England. Recognized at the 2009 New England Art Awards for shows featuring work by Boston Expressionist artists, we are pleased to again be nominated in several categories for 2010. Organized by The New England Journal of Aesthetic Research to honor the best exhibitions, artists, and writing about art produced here in New England, these awards take the unusual step of asking the community to participate. Winners are chosen and announced in two categories—first by active art writers and journalists, and secondly by the general public. For more information, please see gregcookland.com or go right to the voting ballot gregcookland.com/neaa/. Find out why the arts community considers a small community museum a showcase for some of the best art produced in New England by attending a lecture on Boston Expressionism this Sunday, January 23 at 3 pm. Speaking on an expressive tradition that inspires a profound belief in the human spirit, Museum Director Katherine French will make the connection between Boston art from the 1940’s and exciting new work by contemporary artists working today. The lecture is open to the public and free with the cost of general admission. We would then encourage you to not only cast your vote in the 2010 New England Art Awards, but also participate by attending the Awards next month. Winners will be announced at the 2010 New England Art Awards Ball at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, at the Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts. The event is free and open to all. Creative attire is encouraged. |
December 2010
Sustain Your Love of Art Many have asked about the beautiful image used on this year’s Annual Appeal card, and we are pleased to share the story of one artist’s generosity—and of her connection to our community. Following what has become an annual tradition, photographer Neeta Madahar has gifted Sustenance 92 to our permanent collection, a large Iris print created in 2003 when she was a student at the Museum School in Boston. Begun as her graduate thesis project, these fifteen images of birds feeding at a birdfeeder gained immediate interest both locally and abroad. Exhibited in France, England and Germany, the series was first displayed in its entirety at the Danforth Museum in 2006. Madahar’s work is now internationally acclaimed, and we are extraordinarily pleased to welcome Sustenance 92 back to a home in near its place of origin. As a British citizen of Indian descent who has lived and worked in the United States, Madahar constantly refers to themes of migration and transition throughout her work. In the Sustenance project, she examined the complexities of the domestic environment, recording the feeding activity of birds as observed over all the seasons from her balcony in a Framingham apartment complex. Possessing a "dioramic" quality due to use of a large format camera and flash, these photographs explore issues of home, migration and belonging, as well as themes of habit, change and consistency. Madahar says "it is difficult to resist projecting human behavior and characteristics on these creatures. …The Sustenance photographs attempt to articulate that revelatory experiences, both subtle and dramatic, can occur through obsessive concentration on a task." |
November 2010
A Feast of Pure Reason It is with deep regret that we note the recent passing of Jack Levine, a brilliantly acerbic painter whose socially aware paintings were featured in the Museum’s 2005 exhibition Political Discourse. As part of its continued commitment to Boston Expressionism—and to honor of the memory of Mr. Levine—the Museum opens a new exhibition tracing the historical roots of Boston Expressionism from the 1930’s to its continued presence in the Boston art world today, the exhibit displays visionary prints and paintings that offer up a distinctive blend of dark humor, religious mysticism or social commentary. The exhibit takes its title from Jack Levine’s painting shown at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in NYC in 1937. Feast of Pure Reason portrays a Boston politician, police officer and businessman conspiring together. Speaking about this triple portrait of Boston cronies huddled around a table, Levine remarked "It is my privilege as an artist to put these gentlemen on trial, to give them every ingratiating characteristic they might normally have, and then present them, smiles, benevolence and all, leaving it up to the spectator to judge the merits of the case.” This suggestion of corruption raised concern on the part of MOMA’s Trustees who debated fiercely before giving permission to display the work. The Danforth Museum of Art is proud to display a print Levine subsequently made of this painting, one of two Levine prints now on display in the Swartz Gallery. On Sunday, January 23 at 3 pm, Museum Director Katherine French will present a special benefit lecture. Proceeds will be dedicated towards support of the Museum’s continuing exploration of Boston Expressionism—and eventual acquisition of a Levine painting for its permanent collection. Details to come. Related Media |
October 2010
Recent visitors to the Museum have been fascinated with Sleepless, an exhibition of photographs, audio recordings and video by the artist Robert Knight. The artist created this work by setting up his view camera overnight in the rooms of restless sleepers. His color saturated images are a combination of sharp focus (objects in the room which do not move) accompanied by the ghost like blurring of the subject as the restlessness of sleep is documented. Unusual colors result from the interaction of the light – from outside penetrating the window treatments or from sources within the room, a night light or even a watch. The audio, a cacophony of sirens, horns, dogs barking, people talking, cars speeding, is anything but soothing or relaxing. Knight says about his work; “My photographs and videos reveal a state of restlessness through ethereal and translucent bodies which are captured during long-exposure night time shots. The resultant images are nighttime narratives - stories of our nights’ sleep which suggest a contemporary sleep crisis in our society.” The photographs in the exhibition are printed on watercolor paper giving them a luminescent and painterly quality, which emphasizes a sense of sleeplessness. Accompanying large format photographs is a series of smaller photos with attached audio components, as well as two videos. One of the videos, located in the New Media Gallery, is a video of the artist himself projected onto a giant pillow. The audio and video components of this work create an interesting dialogue between the viewer and the artwork itself. Visit this interesting and interactive exhibition of work on view in the Museum’s main galleries through Sunday, November 7, 2010. Robert Knight will speak on his work this Sunday, October 24 at 3 pm. Admission to the talk is free to members, or with the price of admission. All are welcome to attend. More information about the artist visit www.robertknight.com. |
September 2010
Over the past five years, the Danforth Museum of Art has become known as a venue to see work created by artists living and working in New England. Solo exhibitions not only allow visitors to explore the work by one artist in depth, but also showcase the rich diversity of our local art scene. Such is the case with our new exhibition Video Villa: New Paintings by Barbara Grad, which opens up the dynamic intersection of worlds seemingly at odds, using maps as a secret entrée into gaming worlds, as well as aerial topography in paintings that explore the boundaries between the built and the natural world. In the words of artist Barbara Grad, works in Video Villa represents “a synthesis all my interests, a balance of representation and abstraction.” Born and educated in Chicago, Grad wanted to create “a man-made place with landscape roots, respecting the beauty of nature,” while offering up “a metaphor for the destruction and reconstruction of environment and culture.” A professor of painting at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design since 1981, Grad is not only one of the areas most respected artists, but also one of the most influential. Her work appears in both public and private collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, Fidelity Investments and Wellington Management. Grad’s work has long held the attention of the prestigious curator Barbara O’Brien, well known to the New England community in her capacity as editor in chief at Art New England magazine, as well as former gallery director at both the Montserrat College of Art and the Trustman Gallery at Simmons College. A native of northeast Kansas, Barbara O’Brien was recently appointed curator for the Kemper Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, where Video Villa will travel this winter. Please take the opportunity to visit this exciting exhibition of work on view in the Museum’s main galleries through Sunday, November 7, 2010. On Sunday, October 17 at 2 pm Curator Barbara O’Brien will give a curatorial presentation, speaking on her experience of collaborating with a living artist. Artist Barbara Grad will speak on her own work on Sunday, November 7 at 3 pm. Talks are free for Museum members, or with paid admission. All are welcome to attend |
Summer 2010
Exhibits and classes have ended briefly, but activity within the Danforth Building has increased as we prepare for our upcoming Fall Family Day on Sunday, September 12. Thanks to generous sponsorship from Framingham Co-operative Bank, Museum admission will be free. Renowned children’s book illustrator Susan L. Roth will be available for a book signing related to her new exhibit of original artwork for Nothing But Miracles, free family art activities will be offered during the Museum School Open House from 1-4 pm, and exhibiting artists will attend the Opening Reception for all fall exhibits from 5-7 pm. There is fresh look to the Museum. In addition to exhibitions of contemporary work, we are also pleased to present a number of new acquisitions to our permanent collection that explore of painterly expressionism in the exhibition Boston Expressionism: Other Voices. The Museum is extraordinarily pleased to welcome donations of work by Jules Aarons, David Aronson, Gerry Bergstein, Hyman Bloom, Aaron Fink, Nathan Goldstein, Jane Smaldone and Henry Schwartz. Seen together for the first time, these new acquisitions allow visitors to not only consider Boston Expressionism in an historical sense, but also understand its continuing appeal for contemporary artists. |
June 2010
The 2010 Annual Juried Members’ Exhibitions, Off the Wall and A Community of Artists, are currently on view until Sunday, August 8. These two separate exhibitions are part of the Museum’s annual celebration of art and the creation of art, and showcase work by regional artists who are also members of the Museum. Displayed artwork is for sale, helping to support exhibitions and educational programming, as well as the exhibiting artists. About the Off the Wall Exhibition The curators chose 113 works from 800 pieces of art submitted by 451 artists for this tightly curated exhibition, which features work by artists in all mediums. The following prizes and honorable mentions were also awarded: 1st Prize was awarded to Somerville resident Cynthia Maurice for Almost, a pastel and charcoal drawing. Part of Fresh Cut, a series featuring drawings and paintings of both fruits and vegetables, the drawing focuses on the fleeting, transformative aspects of a bloom from bud to decay. 2nd Prize was awarded to Natick resident Steve Miller for his photograph That Touch of Mink which explores the use of the figure as fantasy through the spontaneous expression of photography. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Brookline resident Helga Butzer Felleisen for her Scapes I and II, both works ink on paper; Roslindale resident Jane Smaldone for her oil on linen Signs of Intelligent Life; Roxbury resident Kate True for her oil, ink, and charcoal on linen, The Sick Child; and Lancaster resident Cheryl Wareck for her digital photographs Lost and Found and Through the Woods, both from The Farm Series. About A Community of Artists Exhibition The exhibition also includes Danforth Museum School faculty and staff members Carol Blackwell, Wilber Blair, Emily Harvey, Susan Swinand and Zach Pelham; SMFA professor Erica Daborn; and Wellesley College and MassArt professor Joel A. Janowitz. |
May 2010
In Our Own Backyard This month the Danforth Museum of Art celebrates its 35th anniversary year as a community museum continuing to serve families, artists and art lovers. How appropriate that we mark May as Museum Members' month preparing for juried exhibitions that showcase the very best work currently produced by artists living and working in New England. Jen Mergel, Beal Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Helen Molesworth, Chief Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston have worked with museum staff to select work by for two outstanding exhibitions—Off the Wall and A Community of Artists. The 113 works in Off the Wall and 144 works in A Community of Artists were selected from 800 entries submitted by 452 member artists. In recent years these exhibits have been widely reviewed, which is unusual for large group shows. The arts community has become aware of the significance of these two shows, and we are visited by an increasing number of curators and collectors—a sign that the Museum has become a venue for not only for historically important exhibits, but also for new and exciting contemporary art that finds 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 Patrons' Preview on Saturday, June 12th from 7-10 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. While many other museums are choosing a national or even global focus, the Danforth Museum of Art remains committed to the region—proving that we need look no further than our own back yard to discover some of the very best contemporary work available anywhere. View the list of selected artists. |
April 2010
Giles Laroche: Bridge Across Cultures, Picture books are a child’s first art gallery, and this month we are pleased to feature a unique exhibition by children’s book illustrator Giles Laroche. Bridge Across Cultures, The World at My Fingertips, supported through a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, celebrates sacred architecture from across the world with intricate collages depicting such diverse structures as Chartres Cathedral in France, the Great Mosque in Niger, or the Shri Meenakshi Amman Temple in India. Laroche is a “paper engineer,” who goes beyond the collage of materials to create precise and detailed pictures by drawing, cutting, painting, and gluing multiple layers of paper. Massachusetts artist Giles Laroche has exhibited in numerous other museums, including The Art Institute of Chicago and the DeCordova. He has also conducted workshops as artist-in-residence in schools across the Northeast, and the Museum is truly pleased to welcome him as a special guest during our School Vacation Workshops on April 22, and then for a book signing on Sunday, May 2. Picture books are an important part of Museum’s art education program, directing children to consider shape, line and color at a very young age. Outstanding work by Laroche and other talented book artists encourage us to be not only verbally, but also visually literate. We invite you to come to view this provocative and beautifully realized exhibition, on view in our Children’s Gallery located on the second floor near the Museum School until May 16. |
March 2010
Driven to Abstraction Robert Collins: Vertical Abstractions Masako Kamiya: Outspoken: 2002-2010 Giles Laroche: Bridge Across Cultures, The World at My Fingertips Anne Neely: Waterlines |
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
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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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