Gallery @ BMC


gallery@bmc

The Gallery @ BMC is a community-centered gallery space located in the Belmont Media Center. We encourage, support, and promote the work of artists in Belmont and surrounding communities. As a vibrant community media center with extensive hours open to the public, BMC is an excellent venue for local art exhibits.
For more information, download the following documents:

If you are interested in showing your work at the Gallery@BMC, please email

Lizzie Doles - Gallery Coordinator gallery@belmontmedia.org


Now Showing in the Gallery > >


 

Carl Williams: Don't Crush It

Exhibit on view in March 7 - 29, 2024
Reception: March 7, 2024,  5:00 - 7:00 PM

Artist Statement:

I used to believe self-portraiture was radical. Within the practice an artist can attempt to craft some vision of themselves, addressing any question, observation or inconsistency. In a society where the dominant social narrative seeks to define or categorize people, defining oneself through art feels subversive. Since graduating from college my motivations for making self portraits during my school days feel a bit overly serious. I appreciate art's ability to reflect intensity of emotion, but sometimes there is a need to make and view art from a relaxed and open perspective. Approaching the process with a serious attitude can be helpful, but the desire to make something perfect can lead to inaction. Rather than making one grand effort it is better that you Don't Crush It, and allow each consistent attempt to build. This show is a display of my journey through self-portraiture. Combining works from my undergraduate years with my more recent drawings and prints I hope this show recognizes both the importance of examining the meaning of identity and the value of emotional detachment in the artistic process. From detachment is the potential for new found confidence. For this show, old drawings have gained new life, a new technique using acrylic paint markers is making its debut, and new expressions drawn on newsprint have been translated into relief prints. 

Artist Bio:

Carl Williams is a resident of Belmont Massachusetts. He is a recent graduate from Bowdoin College, where he received a degree in Government & Legal Studies and Visual Arts. Though his two majors may seem unrelated, he seeks to use each in turn to the other. Using art as a mechanism for understanding the political world, and using political knowledge as a factor in understanding art. Since February of 2023, Carl’s body of work has been centralized around self-portraiture, which he sees as an exploration of the performative aspects of identity. Carl’s studies at Bowdoin College helped him establish a technical and philosophical basis for his art. Having executed an independent studio practice centered around self portraiture, his work was displayed in the “Life From Here” show at his alma mater. His show at the Belmont Media Center allows him to show his self portraits in Massachusetts for the first time, looping in older and newer drawings from his journey with self portraiture. 

 


Coming up in the Gallery > >


 


Past Shows in the Gallery > >


 
 
Veda Daly: Ink Paintings

Exhibit on view in February 1 - 26, 2024
Reception: February 1, 2024,  5:00 - 7:00 PM

Artist Statement:

Art has been my interest since childhood. My family’s history professes Ethnomusicology,
Literacy and Visual Artistry. My passion for creating Art has followed me into my professional
career as an educational administrator in the Boston Public Schools (retired). I have been a
member of the Cambridge Art Association since 2000. I served on the CAA Board of Directors
(2007-2010).

My training has been self-directed; primarily as a Visual Artist at the Museum of Fine Arts with
Patrick Carter (ten years); the Suffolk University School of Design with Vico Fabbris and the late
William St. George. I was a participant in Lisa Knox’s workshops and have received private
Sumi-e lessons from Jan Zaremba for eighteen years.

The Yoga Teachings of Vivekananda states that when people universally look at the sea, each
person sees a portion of it according to their horizon. Though each person may say that what
they see is the real sea, all of them speak the truth, because all see the same wide expanse. My
art is the expression of my truth.

 


 
Steve Iskovitz: Rainbow Pentagrams

Exhibit on view in January 4 - 26, 2024
First Thursday at Gallery @ BMC: Meet the Artist -  January 4, 2024,  5:00 - 7:00 PM

Artist Statement:

My art is based entirely on the Golden Ratio. (a/b =b / a+b, or x+x(squared) =1).

When I originally tried to express my fascination with this number and realized that virtually no-one understood or cared about the math, I made it a mission to express it through other means. And so I decided to draw, then paint it, eventually incorporating the rainbow spectrum.

The idea was to leave myself out of it and simply express math and science, and not art. Only after some years did I come to accept the level to which the work came from my own thoughts and vision, and to call it art.

Nonetheless, the Golden Ratio, the number which is balance itself, and which expresses itself through the pentagon, pentagram and the 36-degree angle, remains its core and inspiration.

 


 

Liz Doles: Textiles

Exhibit on view in December 2023
First Thursday at Gallery @ BMC: Meet the Artist -  December 7, 2023,  5:00 - 7:00 PM
 

Artist Bio:

Liz Doles never considered any calling other than “artist”; she has lived, breathed, ate, drank and dreamt of art for a lifetime. In January 2021 Doles showed her signature textile work in a solo show at Bromfield Gallery in Boston. Seeing these particular pieces mounted on gallery walls convinced Doles that her childhood call was realized in her series “The Village”. An earlier iteration of textiles was shown at The Open Door Gallery at the Worcester Museum in Worcester Massachusetts. Prior to these shows Doles exhibited pinhole photography at The Smithsonian Institute, The Armory Show in New York, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, The Print Center in Philadelphia, and the American Embassy in Sri Lanka. Her monotypes were exhibited at The Print Center in Philadelphia. Doles graduated summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts Boston with a BA in Art History and Japanese. She has been an artist in residence at The Vermont Studio Center, The Red Gate Gallery in Beijing, The Akiyodoshi Residency in Japan and has taught in Kathmandu, Singapore, Hanoi, Boston/Cambridge and most recently in The Fayoum, Egypt. Doles is based in Cambridge MA.

 


 

Jamaal Eversley: Evolution

Exhibit on view in October 12 - December 1, 2023
Reception: October 12, 2023 at 5:00 PM
 

Artist Statement:

As an artist since 2010, I’ve embarked on a visual journey to create rich vibrant works of art that convey harmony between soothing and exciting colors. I use color schemes that engage and provide a visual balance to ease the mind or to foster a sense of agitation and chaos. It's all about making bold color choices to capture attention, kindle emotions and evoke a response from the viewer. I strive to create unique color schemes of pattern and design that are universally recognizable and can be understood and accepted by different communities and cultures.

Bio:

Jamaal Eversley hails from Randolph, MA. With a business degree from Babson College in hand, he decided to chase after his dreams and passionately pursue his talents as an eccentric abstract artist and intertwine business with the arts in order to serve the community. His art has been exhibited throughout the Greater Boston area extensively. He is grateful to have received several grants from around Massachusetts to bring his colorful patterns to the community. Jamaal constantly creates to spur the juices of creative genius and put the “F” meant for “Fun” back into Fine Arts. You can see more of his work at @SirJayEvs on social media.

 


 
Fiber Arts:
Quilting, Embroidery & More
 
by Christine Kuta, Ann Bausman, Sue Morris, Liz Doles & Jane Paulson
 
Exhibit on view in June 2 - July 31, 2023
Reception: June 2, 2023, 7 PM - 9 PM
Closing Reception: July 31, 2023, 5 PM - 7 PM

 

Ann Bausman

Artist Statement:

I love to work with fibers – printed, plain and textured fabric, colorful threads, and buttons. The “ingredients” are found in thrift stores, friends’ closets, and rummage sales. Sometimes these “found” ingredients hint at a story. When a friend gave me this cross-stitch piece, I lovingly removed the hideous frame and foggy plastic. I thought about the person who followed the pattern to create a view of “Twilleys of Stamford.” I color outside of the lines, and I do the same with my stitching, adding layers of fabric or thread to alter my pieces. This piece began with a few stitched hints of green to make those trees pop… and the rest is history. I hope you enjoy it.

Bio:

I've always loved the play of color and pattern. For years I worked in paper but more recently rediscovered a love of textiles. A friend gave me some upholstery samples and there was no going back. I became obsessed with finding and using "found fabrics", taking inspiration from the layering of colors and patterns. Look closely at one of my collages and you might see snippets from an old dishcloth, a loved Boden skirt, the now-too-tight Old Navy sundress and more. Amidst this journey I felt inspired to stop buying new clothes in response to the waste and environmental impact of the fashion industry. I took to shopping at thrift stores, mending clothing, and reading up on Boro stitching which has its roots in Japan. Reuse of even the smallest scraps of fabric and visible mending are characteristics of Boro and can be found in my collages and other pieces. The process is slow and meditative.

A graduate of Tufts University, I also attended classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and later at the American College in Paris and their partner program with the Parsons School of Design.

I have taught classes and workshops at Arlington Center for the Arts, Arlington Community Education, the Scandinavian Cultural Center, Rockport Art Association, and the Bolton Public Library. I love teaching and introducing people to my work and relaxing techniques. I have also participated in Open Studios in both Arlington and West Medford. This is my second show at Belmont Gallery of Art.

I am a former member of the Board at the Arlington Center for the Arts.

My day job is fundraising for The Immigrant Learning Center in Malden where I use my creativity to write grant applications and to help run successful events.

 

Sue Morris

Artist statement:

In quick succession, I experienced “empty nest syndrome” followed by a worldwide pandemic. Both conspired to give me more free time than I’d been used to. I loved arts and crafts when I was younger, and I had done hundreds of art projects with my kids when they were young. So I rediscovered my creative self and started doing embroidery, cross-stitch, collage, crochet, etc. In 2022, I converted half of my home office into a craft room, and I try to devote at least a few hours a week to creative pursuits. I enjoy learning new skills and have taken classes in embroidery, crochet, collage, felting, fabric dying, jewelry, and basket making. This summer, I’ll return to Snow Farm in Williamsburg, MA, for the third time for a 3-day workshop in visible mending and ornamentation.

Bio:

Sue Morris has lived in Belmont for 26 years and has raised three children here with her husband David. After starting her career as a textbook editor, she took several years off to raise her kids. When her youngest daughter was a baby, Sue went back to school to earn a certificate in Decorative Arts. That was when Sue’s interior-decorating consulting business, The Design Coach, was born. In addition to interior design and crafts, Sue enjoys gardening, walking with friends, and traveling.

 

Christine Kuta

Artist statement:

I am fascinated by surfaces and surface texture and I am also intrigued by what might be hidden behind those surfaces. My textile piece, which was produced using the fabric manipulation method of furrowing, merges these fascinations in a visually dynamic surface with hidden stitches holding the fabric folds in place against a backing fabric.

I try to see the world with fresh eyes every day. I believe that by continually seeking out new perspectives and challenging our preconceptions, we can find treasures waiting for us out in the open. Through my work, I aim to capture the beauty and complexity of the world, while also exploring the ways in which we can reimagine it. My artistic influences include Friedensreich Hundertwasser and Yayoi Kusama. The influence of Hundertwasser’s love of nature’s irregularities and his rejection of straight lines can be seen in the complex and disordered folding of the fabric in my piece. Kusama’s boundless creativity and obsession with intricate details further inspired the folding. The pearl embellishments are an homage to Kusama’s dots and the viewer is encouraged to imagine the piece extending to infinity in keeping with Kusama’s artistic philosophy.

 

Jane Paulson

Biography

Although a librarian by profession, I’ve always made sure to carve out time for art. I’ve been making art and taking art classes for over twenty years now. My work has been exhibited throughout the Boston area in galleries, colleges, art associations and libraries.

Artist Statement

I’m a mixed media artist, making collages, assemblages, box constructions, sculptures, cut paper pieces and, most recently, textile works. The materials I use often dictate the direction of the work. Usually, I don’t have a fixed idea of what I want the piece to be. That uncertainty can be frustrating but also energizing.

 


 

Bobbleheads
by Kate Rosenburg
 
Exhibit on view in May 2023
Reception: May 18, 2023 at 5:30pm
 
“I want to express my feelings by illustrating them.
It doesn't matter how the paint is put on, as long as something is said.
Using my words like this, I am more at ease. I feel part of the painting.
I can walk around it and literally be in the painting and have a conversation with myself.”
 
 
 
 

 
Aaron Needle
"My Work is Cut Out for You II"
Exhibit on view from March 2 - April 30, 2023
Reception: March 11th, 1 PM - 3 PM
 

     I was born in Newton and grew up working alongside my parents who were sandwich artisans. I give them credit for helping me to develop into the productive and artistic adult I am today.

     I’ve been employed at Brandeis University since 2016 in it’s Rose Art Museum. Experiencing close up its diverse art exhibitions has been inspiring, and educational to me as an artist and human being.

     In my early 20’s I was misdiagnosed with Schizophrenia. That label stuck with me for decades until clinicians at McLean Hospital who reviewed my history determined a terrible mistake had been made. The proof was that my mental health had improved significantly over time, whereas if I had Schizophrenia, which is a degenerative illness, should have worsened. These clinicians re-attributed my psychiatric symptoms to physical and emotional trauma I had endured. Many people view my artwork as further proof of my improved mental health.

        I create my art with marbled paper made locally by Regina and Dan St. John of Chena River Marblers. Recently, The Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art in New York selected 100 examples of their marbled paper to display in its exhibition of the finest marbled paper made in America. I like to say that I have the distinct advantage of being able to create my art with their art!

       I’d also like to express my gratitude to Jeffrey Hansell and Marji Bangs at the Belmont Media Center for making this show happen, and to the staff at ArtRelief of Waltham for providing studio space, friendship and encouragement.


 
 
 
Art from Inside
Group show created by incarcerated people from the Prison Book Program Collection
On view from February 3 - 28, 2023
 
 
Since 1972, Prison Book Program has been dedicated to supporting people in prison by providing them with free, high-quality books and print resources that meet their specific needs and interests. Our large and loyal volunteer base gathers four times a week to read request letters, select books from our shelves to match each request, and package up books for the mail, complete with a personal note to each recipient. We receive 1,200-1,600 requests a month. Last year, we sent packages to 15,231 people. Each package contains, on average, 3-4 books and an assortment of print resources.
Over its 50+ years in existence, many readers have expressed their gratitude for a shipment of books by sending PBP things that they have made, mostly two-dimensional drawings and paintings. In 2022, to commemorate our 50th anniversary, we created Art From Inside, a curated selection of works by our readers and requestors. Many pieces in the show are explicitly book-themed, depicting reading as a temporary escape from the confines of prison or as a vehicle for growth, learning and rehabilitation. The pieces also showcase the detailed techniques that can be achieved with the simplest tools, most commonly ballpoint pen and pencil. Our goal in displaying Art from Inside is to humanize people in prison, make them visible to the general public, and showcase the talent, creativity and human potential that resides behind bars. Art from Inside has been displayed in Quincy, Hanover, and Norwell. Belmont Media Center’s exhibit is its first appearance in the Metro North area.

 
Marcia Berg Haskell
"Marcia's Alternative World"
Exhibit on view from January 6 - 31, 2023
Reception: January 6th, 7 PM - 9 PM
 
 
At 85, Marcia Berg Haskell is difficult to define.  She is a widow, an artist, photographer, writer, naturalist, soul shaman, Spiritualist, medium, healer and teacher who lives in Watertown, Massachusetts. Marcia grew up in Brooklyn, New York.  She felt isolated because of residual effects from scarlet fever and poor eyesight, so she began to follow her own path, despite the odds. She graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in Chemistry. Marcia's professional career led her from positions as a physical chemist to Atmospheric physics to software, to optical design, to technical management.    

Marcia bought her first camera at the age of 10, and it opened a new world. For the first time she could see the world clearly through the lens and from then on she has always had a camera close at hand.  Marcia’s formal interest in art began after her retirement when she took adult education classes in art, abstract photography, and writing and currently devotes her life pursuing those activities. She works with many mediums including acrylic paints, new surface textures, inks containing glitter and metallics, and unusual materials like glitter, wire and charms. Her photography focuses on the physical world and manipulations of the physical world.  Marcia had traveled extensively around the United States and her deep interest in Native American culture is apparent in her art, photography and writing. Her interests outside of her art include attending Pow Wows, reading, psychic and spiritual studies and playing with her cat, Star Man.
 
In her artistic career, Marcia has had paintings and photographs juried into shows into the Cambridge Art Association and online galleries including LightSpaceTime.art, Bauhausprairieartgallery.com, Contemporaryartgalleryonline.gallery, Art-Competition.net, ArtRoomGalleryOnline.com and Fusionartps.com. She has had pieces accepted by Cape Cod Art Center. Her greatest pleasue, as an artist, is knowing that her artwork hangs in many homes across the United States: Texas, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, New York City and New York state, North Caroline, Ohio, Rhode Island, and of course,Massachusetts.
 
When Covid restricted us to our homes, Marcia renewed her interest in spiritual and psychic phenomena.  She began to meditate, discovered Shamanism and renewed her interest in Spiritualism where she could attend Church services using zoom.  She also started attending classes online.  Her Spiritualism Unfoldment class awakened her latent mediumship - it had been more than 40 years since she had worked from the pulpit or directed an unfoldment circle, but her guides and teachers rapidly made their presence felt and she found they were ready to help again.  Starting in October, 2022 she began conducting an online unfoldment circle, under the auspices of the First Spiritualist Church of Salem.  As she has been pointing out, the spirals of life her are connecting and moving her forward in ways she never anticipated.
 
 

Annette Tzouvelis & Bella Brody Magid
On view from November 4 to December 30, 2022
 

Annette Tzouvelis

Hello I'm Annette Tzouvelis. I am a college student at Massart and I love to paint and draw. I like to create portraits of people and of course animals. I get the best feeling whenever someone compliments my art because that means I am doing my job as an artist right and it makes me very happy. I am studying to be an art teacher for elementary students and I cannot wait to be teaching in a classroom with a room full of students willing to learn about the many ways to create.
 

Bella Brody Magid

Bella is a 16 year old student in her junior year at Belmont High School. She began drawing during quarantine, and her love of creating exploded from there. She enjoys experimenting with different media and setting up different compositions to challenge herself. She hopes to continue making art and pushing herself further in her life.
 
 

Markus Nechay
"Landscapes, Moonscapes and Warscapes"
Exhibit on view from September 9 to October 31, 2022
Reception: September 9th, 7 PM - 9 PM

Markus Yaroslav Nechay, born in Krakow, Poland on Aug. 12, 1963, immigrated as a child, studied architecture and worked as a draftsman, sign-maker and muralist. Co-curator at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Cambridge and Lowell, he organized and participated in several thematic exhibitions. A traveller through the US, Latin America and Europe, he has visited New Mexico and Mexico, Nicaragua, Egypt, Serbia and Ukraine, which has influenced his art. A lengthy hospitalization inspired an interest in physiology, which prompted a different series of paintings and sculptures. Graduating as a sculpture major from Mass. College of Art in 2013, he continues to paint and sculpt.
    Markus Nechay on Facebook
    Call 508-494-5303 if interested in any particular art piece.
 

Photography by Jenny Altshuler

The Gallery @ BMC is proud to present the works of photographer: Jenny Altshuler. Work is exhibited July 11 - August 31, 2022

Artist Statement:

I never leave the house without my camera. Days may go by when I don’t see a good picture, but if I don’t have my camera with me, I won’t be able to get the photo I want when I see it! So, no matter where I am going, day or night, I always take my camera (a Canon G7X Mark ii). My goal is to find a picture that is fleeting, a scene that could not be taken at any other time. I am always chasing the light, the weather, the moment that will be gone as soon I’ve shot the picture.

Check out more of my photos on my website www.photoartbyjennyaltshuler.com and on Instagram at PhotoArtByJennyAltshuler. Contact me at Jenny@PhotoArtByJennyAltshuler if you’d like to find out about size options, pricing and more. 

The Gallery @ BMC is open from 11am to 7pm weekdays.

 


 

The Gallery @ BMC is proud to present the works of painter Kate Rosenburg and collage artist Marjorie Bangs. Although they work in different media their imagery fits together well.  Their paintings and collages will be on exhibit through June 30th, 2022.

The Gallery @ BMC is open from 11am to 7pm weekdays.

There will be a reception for both artists on Friday, May 6th from 5pm to 7pm at BMC, 9 Lexington St in Waverley Square, Belmont MA.  Refreshments & appetizers will be served.

 


 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Former BMC intern Aaron Needle is today, an accomplished artist who works with hand-made, hand cut marbled paper & advertising art from the Victorian era. BMC is proud to present Aaron’s show: “My Work is Cut Out for You” in our first exhibit in more than two years in the Gallery @ BMC thru April 30th and is open from 11am to 7pm weekdays.

There will be a reception on Monday, April 4th from 6pm to 8pm at the Gallery @ BMC, 9 Lexington Street in Waverley Square.
Refreshments will be served.


Photography by Ruth Nelson

 

Artist’s Statement:

Many years ago, after a meditation retreat, I went out on a magical spring day with my camera, and I reflected on a teaching of the Buddha: in the seeing, there is just that which is seen. The eye sees color and form. The rest comes from our minds, which create reactions, meaning, emotions, and stories. I realized then that this is even truer of the camera. My photography became more of a conscious evocation of experience rather than an attempt to capture it literally.

I take the pictures as I find them, without rearranging or manipulation. When I process the images later, I can investigate, reinforce or even change the feeling of the piece by cropping, by manipulating the color and lighting, and even by turning the picture upside-down or sideways.

This collection of images focuses on texture, using pattern and color as the visual base. The prints themselves are flat and matte. They are single images from my camera, not digital collages. I have also included some of the unaltered images, showing the difference between what the camera saw and what I found later using my computer.

Biography:

Ruth Nelson is a Watertown artist, meditation coach, and weight-lifter who came to Massachusetts to study mathematics at MIT. Art and science have always been important in Ruth’s life; she finds that they open pathways for looking at, understanding, and representing reality. Her career was in computer network security research, with a particular emphasis on understanding the usefulness and limitations of models. This work, along with her mathematics education and her years of meditation practice, leads her to embrace alternative ways of seeing the world.

When Ruth goes to unfamiliar places, she uses photography to help understand, document, interpret and communicate her experience. She also applies that same process to her local environment, attempting to see familiar things with a traveler’s eye.

Ruth’s travel has included trips with Heifer International to visit their projects in Southeast Asia and South America. One of her Thailand pictures, of a Buddhist ordination ceremony, was featured in a calendar by the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Wisconsin.

Ruth has studied with a number of photography teachers, including Melinda Bruno and David Lang. Both Melinda and David have encouraged her love for abstraction and detail. She also took collage classes with Sally Santuososso at the DeCordova Museum and was a member of the Studio7 collaborative started by Sally and her students. Both her collage and her photography appeared in many Studio7 shows, including one at the DeCordova Museum.

Ruth’s work has been shown in a number of venues, including Concord Art, Arsenal Center for the Arts, and Fitness Together Belmont. She participated in a small-group, juried show, “Perceptions of Self,” at Arsenal Center for the Arts and she had her first solo show in 2015 at the Faneuil branch of the Boston Public Library.
 


 

Stubborn Things

Artists: Kate Rosenburg and Isabelle Delaure

Kate Rosenburg specializes in abstract paintings. Her work attempts to create a dramatic contrast between background and shape that is simultaneously stimulating and compelling.
Isabelle Delaure specializes in still art and abstract paintings. Isabelle hails from Brittany, France.

Reception: Sunday, Oct. 18th, 3:00 - 5:00 PM

Gallery @ BMC, 9 Lexington St., Belmont

 


A Palette of Paper

Artist: Aaron Needle

Though my medium of choice is paper, the term collage doesn't quite fit. With collage one typically pictures a pastiche of 2-dimensional objects such as photographs, tickets, and newsprint composed to evoke a memory or experience. However, with my art I often strive to use paper as if were actually paint with scissors being my brush. I also often lay down paper as if it were tiles in a mosaic, or panes in a stain glass window. 

Recently, I've begun doing without traditional frames. Several pieces are simply sandwiched between a wooden panel and a sheet of plexiglass. I’ve done that because frames can distract from the art itself,  and also because I like to think my art looks good enough to stand on its own without the embellishment of a frame.

I’d like to acknowledge the friends, relations and artisans who have been the source of my art materials:  My sister in law Cheryl Needle and her daughter Naomi who provided many book covers and trade cards; Others were reproduced with permission from Harvard Business School’s Baker Library; The H. G. Wells book jackets come courtesy of my life-long friend Andy Nagy; The beautiful marbled paper was produced locally by Chena River Marblers of Amherst, Massachusetts; And the cotton rag paper was made by hand at the studio of Colorado based artist Ray Tomasso. I would especially like to express my gratitude to the Belmont Media Center for hosting this exhibit.

Reception: Thursday, Sept. 10, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Gallery @ BMC, 9 Lexington St., Belmont

 


What Lies Beneath:
Experimentation with Layers

Artist: Alexandra Jordankova


 

Hailing from Boston, MA, Alexandra Jordankova is a visual artist and graphic designer with a particular fondness for abstract landscapes and immersive textures. Her work is eclectic and diverse, yet her will to experiment with different materials and creative process acts as a common thread-line, as the instinct and emotional eloquence of her artworks is often the forefront.

Born in former Czechoslovakia, Alexandra has always been fascinated by art, a passion that led her from early watercolors and tempera paintings to formal education and training in fine arts. In spite of a momentary lapse (Alexandra was focusing on getting her PhD in psychology), art took back the main spot in her life.

Alexandra is now a SMFA certified Graphic Designer, professional artists and media creator, with a particular focus on abstractionism and photography.

Closing Reception: Monday, August 24, 6:00 - 7:00 PM

Gallery @ BMC, 9 Lexington St., Belmont


DukasDesigns

Artist: Naomi Dukas

Naomi up-cycles ordinary, everyday materials, zippers, guitar strings, “tin” cans, and inner tubes, in her unique fashion designs. Her work incorporates yarn, fabric, wire, and colorful beads sourced from around the world.  In custom design consultations she combines her artistic sensibility with her training as a therapist in order to create a singular jewelry piece that will reflect the personality of her client with the importance of a special occasion or a gift to one’s self or another.

Reception: Thursday, June 18th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Gallery @ BMC, 9 Lexington St., Belmont


Cave Paintings and Just Stuff

Artist: Richard Hill

My mother was an artist and creative dynamo. Our home was more like a workshop, with a project nearing completion or just under way in every room. I have no formal training but my upbringing was a sort of apprenticeship.  Nonetheless, I did not take up painting in earnest until retiring from a 30-year career as an attorney and financial management consultant.

All art is self-discovery and self-expression.  Every artist seeks his or her own authentic voice, something distinctively uniquely personal, even idiosyncratic.  What makes my work distinctive is that  it does not seek to engage the senses directly.  Unlike a stirring landscape or a breath-taking abstract, which can be appreciated immediately for what they are, without reflection, my paintings oblige the viewer to think about the images in relation to one another in order to “get it.”   My work is not sensual or sentimental.  My objective, with each painting, is not to faithfully recreate the natural world or capture an instant of beauty but to is spark reflection and conversation  - about what’s going on inside the four corners of the canvas or about the creative process behind it.

Reception: Wednesday, April 8th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Gallery @ BMC, 9 Lexington St., Belmont


You Are What You Eat
 

Food, Culture and Identity

Belmont Media Center hosts a show of artwork by 8th grade Chenery Middle School students that explores identity, culture, and experience in the context of food and food culture.  Works are acrylic paintings, watercolor pencil drawings, and plaster mixed media sculptures.
 
Please join us for a reception on March 25 from 6:00 - 7:30pm at the Gallery@BMC, Belmont Media Center, 9 Lexington Street.  The show will be on display from March 4 through March 30.  BMC hours are 10am-8pm Monday - Friday, and 12-5pm on Saturday.
 

Photovoice: A Lens into Our Lives

a project of Waverley Place,

the community program of McLean Hospital

 
Photovoice is a public research process that gives cameras to people who have been disempowered, to take photographs of their communities. These photos are narrated with the goals of promoting critical dialogue and knowledge of personal and community issues and to promote possible solutions to policy makers.

The exhibit was created as part of a "peer-led anti-stigma program" which was implemented at Waverley Place and was developed by the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University.
 

Reception: Wednesday, February 25th, 1:15 - 2:30pm

 

 

Rhyme

Artist: Doreen Le May Madden

Doreen Le May Madden, born in Boston has been a maker of art since childhood. Doreen has recently developed into a nonobjective artist with a technique of layering color and patterns using various tools with acrylics and other media. She received awards early on from The Boston Globe, with a blue ribbon Art Award while in high school for her multi-media woodblock and watercolor pieces. Doreen has a degree in Interior Design and has been a renowned lighting designer for over 20 years.. She is the founder and owner of Lux Lighting Design, an independent lighting design firm. She has lived in Belmont, MA for over 30 years and has several generations of family that has lived here before her.

"Abstract painting is from a world of unknown beauty and emotional expression. I am guided in the creative process through only an innate sense of beauty, harmony and balance. The various tools I use to apply and move the paint result in a rhythmic texture. I am always pleased to see the various scenes that are revealed.”
 

Michael Cox Photography 

Michael Cox Photography

Michael Desmond Cox has a photojournalistic style which allows him to capture true moments in photographs. Michael has over 20 years of experience as a production artist which gives him a comprehensive understanding of the use of photographs in print. Michael grew up in the seaside town of Scituate, Massachusetts and has lived in a variety of locations within the United States and across the globe. Michael has been a resident of Belmont for more than 7 years and has two wonderful children whose images he captures daily. 

This exhibit focuses on the unique businesses that call Belmont home. 

Artist Reception:

Thursday, December 18, 2014, 6-7:30pm

Gallery @ BMC, 9 Lexington St., Belmont

 


Etchings

Artist: Erika Hartwieg

 
I was always attracted to etching prints because of the richness and expressiveness of the line and the quality of a print from a metal plate. I purchased my first print from a mail order in 1962.
 
In 1971 when I came to work at MIT, I learned pottery in the Student Art Association (SAA). In a neighboring studio I was introduced to the techniques of printmaking for bartering with pots. I began with small black and white prints from copper plates, but soon left to my own devices and started to use zinc plates, which are easier to etch. Soon I explored my own ideas and the possibilities with colors and now very often combine two or three different color plates to one picture. Also solar plates offer a lot of possibilities combined with drawings. Another printmaking variation is combining photographs with etching techniques. I have now my own studio in my house.
 
Member of Cambridge of Art Association since 1990
Member of Belmont Art Association since 2012
 
To learn more about the pictures, please contact ehartwieg@gmail.com.
 

Artist Reception:

Thursday, October 16, 2014, 5-7pm

Gallery @ BMC, 9 Lexington St., Belmont

 

Dog Eared Photography

Artist: Philip Bundman 

Dog Eared Photography is a custom portrait studio here in Belmont. I specialize in eye-opening photographs of dogs and people.
 
What can I tell you… dogs make me laugh, and they make me cry.  Dogs wear their emotions on their sleeves.  If they had sleeves.   I like it when they run over, jump up, put their paws on my shoulders, lick my face.  I hate that lick, but I love it.  You know what
I mean. 
 
I love photographing dogs and people, and I love the wonderful feelings and great memories the portraits create for people.  I try to capture a single moment, a fleeting feeling (for both dogs and people) so we can come back to it whenever we want.  Treasure it.
Dog-eared, so-to-speak.
 
A good photograph records the beauty that’s in the details, and in the light.
It awakens feelings of wonder.
 
A portrait goes a step further – it captures some of what glows from within,
the complexity and richness that makes dogs individuals, makes them who they are.
And it captures their I just can’t help it personalities. 
 
Please take a look - light, detail, personality.
 

Artist Reception:

Thursday, September 25, 2014, 6-7pm

Gallery @ BMC, 9 Lexington St., Belmont


"A Marginal Existence"

I’ve named my art show ‘A Marginal Existence’ taking the name from a collage I made in the 1980’s that consisted of an ornate border surrounding the phrase, ‘A marginal existence is better than none.’ It’s a pun on the fact that designing the margins is a significant part of my artwork.

    The central images in my collages are often photocopies of late 19th, or early 20th Century advertisements known as ‘trade cards’. I love resurrecting these precursors to contemporary ads so they may be once again appreciated for their artistry and wit. These images are supplied to me by relatives who deal in rare books and also, with permission, from the Baker Library collection at the Harvard Business School.

     I studied art briefly in college before withdrawing due to mental illness. Afterwards, I continued making graphic art such as birthday cards and posters. I came to like working with paper simply because there’s less of a  clean-up involved than there is with paint. But in many of my collages I still strive to achieve the effect and look of paint. I purchase the marble paper I use locally from Chena River Marblers in Amherst, Massachusetts. 

     If you’d like to send me a comment, or have any questions regarding this show feel free to email me, Aaron, at aaron.needle@gmail .com. 

 

Low Art Tile

"Low Art Tiles"
 

Richard Pennington, 63, a former Boston Globe reference librarian, received his Master of Library Science degree from Simmons College. He and his wife lived in Chelsea from 1992 to 2005, in an 1886 Victorian house with two Low tile fireplace surrounds.

 

Artist's Reception:Low Art Tile Book

Tuesday, February 25th @ 6:30pm to 8pm
Gallery@BMC, 9 Lexington Street

Richard Pennington will also give a presentation
in Studio A, to be recorded for television on
Thursday, Feb. 27th at 6:30pm
The public is invited, and Mr. Pennington
will be signing copies of his book:


LOW ART TILE: John Gardner Low &
The Artists of Boston's Gilded Age

 

Low Storefront

Richard Pennington moved to Belmont in 2005.  He has been intrigued by the history of Low's art tiles since 1997, and his research in ongoing. He is the author of the 244 page, full-color book, Low Art Tile – John Gardner Low and the artists of Boston’s Gilded Age.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Anne Katzeff: Works

Anne S. Katzeff / Works

Nov. through Dec 31, 2013

Artist Statement:
I have been drawing and painting since I was a child. I would sit for hours drawing mandalas with my colored pencils, entranced by the geometric shapes and rich colors. It wasn’t until recently, however, that I started to call myself an artist. That self-defining moment coincided with my falling in love with pastels. I began working with pastels right after I began swimming with wild dolphins. I wanted to be able to convey through my art the emotional, ethereal quality of this deeply spiritual experience.

The vibrant colors and wonderful textures of pastels drew me right back into that ocean world as I painted.

Soon I was led to paint other “landscapes” in nature that moved and inspired me. The Earth is sacred to me. When I begin a painting, the moment the pastel touches the paper, my mind slows down, and I enter a peaceful, meditative state. As I paint, I become deeply immersed in my surroundings, and the joy of playing with color and light fills me. These are sacred moments—when I feel both awe at the beauty around me and humility at being part of something greater than myself.

What I try to do with my paintings is evoke the richness of a particular moment, with all of its sensations and emotions. Art is my way of honoring a special place or experience, usually in the natural world, and of celebrating the wonders of the universe. In my artwork, I step away from my rational mind and allow my spirit to create the art. The completed painting is about what is in my heart as well as what I see with my eyes.

For more information about the artist, go to her website: www.askdesign.biz
Or email anne@askdesign.biz

 

 


In Vacuo: A show by Julie Chen Merritt

September 1 - October 31, 2013

Tao Te Ching-
The wall all around
A clay bowl is moulded:
But the use of the bowl
Will depend on the part
Of the bowl that is void.

My father suffered a stroke just as my first photography show was to open in Boston in 1991. It was a very difficult, bittersweet time, and I was young and irrational - angry at him for “ruining” my time to shine. My accomplishment felt empty. My heart felt empty. My expectations of a career felt empty. Was this another sign of his disapproval?

I slowly worked through my disappointment and the grief after his death. Soon after, I began to see the many valuable things that emerged from this emptiness, from the vacuum that had consumed my world, and the vacuum into which my father had disappeared. This series of images were what came out of that period of uncertainty, and my glimpse across that void.

I wanted to explore the body in abstracts. It reflected the way I felt then about my body, and myself…not fully whole. Additionally, this work explores my journey to see what I missed when seeing something whole instead of in detail. I had the realization of how fragile life is and how life is made of many stages and parts; and how often we don’t reflect on the important details of someone until they are no longer there. As Kafka said “We photograph things in order to drive them out of our minds.” “He should know that true empty space is where the clouds of uncertainty have completely dissipated.” -- from Miyamoto Mushashi’s The Book of Five Rings-The Scroll of Heaven.


Close Up Portrait BHS Photography WorkConnections: A Tribute to Paula Lerner

Belmont High School Photographers Show

August 1 - August 31, 2013 & Reception on August 1 at 6:30pm

In the winter and spring of the 2012 - 2013 school year, the students in Belmont High School's Photography III Honors class undertook a group project to shoot in the style of the late Belmont photographer, Paula Lerner.  Each student studied Ms. Lerner's photography through her publications and chose an aspect or aspects of her portfolio to explore and attempt to emulate.  Each student wrote reflectively on Ms. Lerner's style and worked with her or his peers to evaluate the progress made from frame to frame and roll to roll. As they worked to understand another photographer's style, the students gained insight into the development of their own vision and voice.  The images are the culmination of this exercise as well as the beginning of a tribute to its source - Paula Lerner.

This exhibition of student work, "Connections:  A Tribute to Paula Lerner" is the result of the generosity of many parties.  It began with the donation of a collection of camera and darkroom equipment to the Belmont High School photography program by Paula Lerner.  Ms. Lerner, a Belmont resident, gave her equipment to the student photographers at Belmont High School shortly before she passed away, and in an attempt to both acknowledge and honor her generosity, Andrew Roy, one of the photography teachers at Belmont High School, wrote a grant proposal to the Foundation for Belmont Education to supplement the donated equipment as well as pay tribute to the life, work, and generosity of Paula Lerner.  The Foundation for Belmont Education approved the grant and through their funding and support, the students created a new collective body of images inspired by Paula Lerner's photography and, in some cases, photographed with her equipment.  The administration of Belmont High School further supported this endeavor and, finally, the Belmont Media Center has provided additional support through the promotion and hosting of this exhibition.  Without the generosity and support of so many, the work you see today would not exist, but it all began with the selfless gift of Ms. Paula Lerner.  It is in her memory and in tribute to her life that we present "Connections:  A Tribute to Paula Lerner".  Thank you for becoming part of this ongoing gift.


Marina Massiddo - Turkey FlagA Debut for Marina Massida

June 1 - July 31, 2013 & Reception on June 5 at 6:30pm

Local painter, Marina Massidda’s colorful work - featured in her debut exhibition, located at the Belmont Media Center - spans countries, culture and time. Her favorite subjects come from traveling far and wide, and often involve people. She loves “to capture interactive scenes” that depict a “very humane aspect of a [particular] culture”; looking for moments that are too often overlooked in the bustle of everyday life. Ms. Massidda uses a vibrant and alluring color palette to harmoniously integrate her subjects into each piece.

Beginning young, Ms. Massidda has developed what she calls a “lifelong hobby” into a passion that she hopes to continue when she begins her undergraduate studies this coming fall. She can’t remember a time where art wasn’t an integral part of her life – starting with beginner’s painting lessons at the Museum of Fine Arts during middle school, then summer painting academies, and most recently, three years of AP Art at Belmont High School. Ms. Massidda intends to major in fine art, but has not yet publicly decided at which college or university.

Any inquiries can be directed to Ms. Massidda at marinamassidda95@gmail.com.


How I See It: A Hipstamatic Photographer's Journey

April 1 - May 31, 2013 & Reception on April 4 at 6:30pm

BMC is proud to present local photographer Diane Hardy from April - May 2013.  The photos for "How I See It" were taken over the course of the past 2 years at locations in New England, California, New York, Florida and Belize by Ms. Hardy.  Each photo was taken with her iPhone - yes, her iPhone!


Images 2 Di 4

The photos for "Images 2 Di 4" appear as Ms. Hardy captured them.  The featured images have not been altered in any way with post-processing, giving each image a distinct look in this age of photoshop.

Ms. Hardy has always had an interest in capturing beautiful, well-balanced and inspiring images.  While she has never pursued photography in the classical sense, by using fancy cameras, lenses and processing methods, Ms. Hardy has always been interested in capturing captivating and intriguing images.  It was in 2010, that Ms. Hardy came upon the iPhone app, “Hipstamatic”, which then truly ignited the desire to pursue photography.

Hipstamatic is an app that simulates an “old school” analog camera that allows you to select from a variety of digital lenses and films for capturing dramatically different images.  Being able to have all of this flexibility in the compact size and portability of an iPhone is a bonus!

When Ms. Hardy is not spending time capturing on photography, she pursues the art of balance as a yoga teacher at boutique yoga studio, Find Your Balance Yoga in Lexington, as well as offer bookkeeping services to creative companies.


Chenery Student Works on Art

 

Global Perspectives, Social Responsibility, Local Identity: A Belmont Student Show

March 1 - 28, 2013 & Reception on March 11, 2013 at 6:30pm

BMC is proud to be presenting a show with the Chenery Middle School art students in March 2013.  Chenery Middle School has a skills based visual art curriculum, informed by global art and social awareness. 

This diverse and expansive show features how students learn big picture concepts like social acceptance and activism, how art works in industry, how cultures are connected by the art making that they do, and many further concepts.  Additionally, the teachers develop students' 21st century thinking skills, creative problem-solving, teamwork, and generation of art around conceptual ideas.

This show is a culmination of that curriculum "thus far" in the 2012-13 school year, with an emphasis on the global and social work we do locally.

 


Edibles by Amantha Tsaros

January 1, 2013 - February 28, 2013 & Reception on January 17, 2013 at 6.30pm

Gallery@BMC Amantha Tsaros

Oh, the magnetic power of cake.  They help us mark major events, celebrate a special occasion or even drown our sorrows.  In her new series, Amantha Tsaros has used cake flavors and descriptions as an emotional trigger to explore the sensual qualities of paint on canvas. 

The inspiration came the cakes of Mama Bakes Cakes of Winchester, MA.  Using the recipes, titles and flavors as a starting point, Ms. Tsaros created works that are sweet, bold and stormy depending on the mood or qualities that the individual cakes inspired. 

Artist's Statement:

Amantha Tsaros was born in Boston, MA.  She studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she earned a BFA and MFA.  During this time, her artwork focused on dramatic black and white printmaking and watercolor.  After moving to the superbly green suburbs of Lexington, MA in 2006, Ms. Tsaros was seduced by the beauty of the lush green forest and vibrant flowers surrounding her studio.  She picked up brushes and has since focused on bright and dramatic color combinations in her paintings.  Her works have been featured across Massachusetts and US, including the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA.  To learn more, click here.

 


Linda Christian-Herot's Mother's DayBMC Holiday Art Exhibit featuring landscape, portrait and still life paintings of Linda Christian Herot, David Covert and Marcia Cooper and Diane Covert.  Gallery @ BMC Reception on December 6, 2012 at 6.30pm at the center.

Marcia Cooper has produced a collection of contemporary landscape and portrait paintings that capture a sense of well-being, often with figures places within the surrounding scenery.  There is a subdued thythm in the playful shapes and earth tome colors of the natural land formations in her landscapes.  To learn more, visit http://www.marciacooperart.com.

Linda Christian-Herot has focused on oil paintings in recent years.  She enjoys plein-air painting as well as still life and figure.  "It is all about having a passion for color.  This gives one an unlimited vocabulary." - Ken Kewley, an inspiration for Ms. Christian-Herot. 

David Covert paints landscapes as a point of departure.  They are each strongly based on actual places and time.  He reduces the amout of detail in the work, so the viewer is encouraged to apply their experience to fill in the scene with recollections of places that are significant to them.  To learn more, visit http://www.dcovert.net/gallery

 


Friday Figures | An Exhibit by Billie Bivins

Friday Figures
July 20 - Aug. 24, 2012
Artist's Reception > Friday, August 3rd @ 6pm to 8pm

Artist Statement:
While studying to become an art therapist, I enrolled for my first oil painting class.  Immediately I was drawn to this medium.  Oil painting is forgiving and readily adapts to whatever you bring.  I think of oil painting as a 3-dimentional medium – sculpting with paint – particularly when you use a palate knife rather than brushes.  The palate knife also keeps me from obsessing over details, an easy opening for my internal critic, since I am not accomplished at rendering.

For several years I have worked with David Andrus at the Cambridge Center on Brattle Street.  He has a great studio oil class on Friday nights, painting from live models, which adds a powerful aspect to making art.  My process is typically the same, where for three hours I move through a variety of emotions, including, but not always, enthusiasm, trepidation, frustration, horror, criticism, excitement, discovery, despair, and, if I’m patient and push through, accomplishment and satisfaction.

Bruce Moon, a pioneering art therapist and writer who inspired me early in my studies, states, “If you are an art therapist you must make art.”  In my work where I counsel clients and support them in their emotional and life journeys with talk therapy and non-verbal processes, it is vital that I stay connected to my process and allow myself to be as open and vulnerable to growth as I encourage my clients to be.

Billie Bivins is a Board Certified Art Therapist and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.  In addition to working at the Guidance Center in Cambridge, where she provides therapy for teens and adults, she also has a private practice in Belmont.  At the Belmont Media Center Billie has produced over 50 shows of Make Art…Feel Better, a show which examines, extols and exhibits the creative process.


Lisa Gibalerio: A Study in Portraits

May 12 - June 16 , 2012
Artist's Reception: Thursday, May 17th, 6 - 8 PM

Artist Statement:
"Shortly before my third birthday, my mother became gravely ill with Lupus, a chronic and debilitating illness. It follows that the most central figure in my world was a person whose health was constantly vulnerable. I grasped early on a sense of how fleeting life is.

When I was 12, I received my first camera as a Christmas gift. Then as now, taking pictures was about preserving memories and freezing images.

I remember realizing long ago that while the people I love will not always be around, I can cherish the photographs I have taken of them. Photos became a source of comfort in the face of permanent separation.

So, I guess you could say, that death has been a driving force for me as a photographer. But I prefer to think of photography as a quest to capture life, to seize a moment in time, and hold on to it forever.

These portraits of my family and friends represent such moments in time.
I hope to see you at the exhibit."


Aaron NeedleAaron Needle: Collage Degree

Monday, April 2 to May 4, 2012
Artist's Reception: Thursday, April 5: 6 pm - 9 pm
Aaron Needle:
"I am the youngest child of a literary family from    Newton. I've loved making collages since the 5th grade when I pasted a simple loop of figurines encircling the title of the Beatle's song, 'Come Together' to a piece of construction paper. My recent collages were actually intended as preliminary images to print greeting cards from, but have come to be main focus of what I do.

Essentially my art consists of photocopied old and rare printed advertisements and old book covers and blending them with my own borders composed with high quality marbled paper. I am striving to creatively enhance these treasures of early graphic design while resurrecting them from relative obscurity.
My collages were made to be appreciated as art, but also to hopefully inspire viewers with the rich content of their written words and imagery."


Art Night: Home and Away                              
January 23 - February 24 2012
A multi-media exhibit exploring both home and away

Read about this exhibit on Belmont Patch

 

 

 


Legacy of Ski History

The Legacy of Ski History

Focusing on Austria’s Influence on American Skiing
A BMC Interactive Free ExhibitNov. 19 - Jan 20th
Prepared & presented by Ian Scully

Featuring award-winning documentary film series, photographs & written works. With emphasis on the birth and development of the 10th Mt. Division, the United States’ first division of mountain troops, and some of New England’s iconic ski areas: Franconia and the Mt. Washington Valley in New Hampshire, Stowe, including the Trapp Family Lodge and Cross-Country Ski Center, and Stratton, Vermont.

For more information about Ian Scully, go to: culturefilms.com
 


Diane Covert : The X-Ray Project & Why They Left
Exhibit: September 12-October 21, 2011

The X-Ray Project is an installation of radiographs, x-rays and CT scans, of survivors of terror attacks.  All of the radiographs were provided by the two largest hospitals in Jerusalem, Hadassah Ein Kerem and Shaare Zedek Medical Center.  Jerusalem is an international city and people from all walks of life are represented here.  They are Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and atheists; they are old and very young, some are well-off and some are poor; they are from various ethnic backgrounds.

The X-Ray Project has traveled to more than thirty colleges, universities, medical schools, galleries and hospitals in the United States.  This is a partial installation of the exhibit.  You can learn more at x-rayproject.org

Why They Left is a project that has to do with why groups of people sometimes flee their host country.  The first phase is focused on the experiences of Jews in Eastern Europe during the latter part of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century.  There were three major waves of pogroms, violent anti-Jewish riots, which led to loss of life conservatively estimated in the tens of thousands.  I have documentary photographs of the largest wave of pogroms (1918-1921), images made by the perpetrators, by surviving relatives, by town officials, and by medical staff.  These images make it clear why Eastern European Jews fled.  Most American Jews are descendants of individuals that left Ukraine and other parts of greater Russia in the pogrom years, roughly 1880 through 1921.


Kenny Heitz &

Peter Donnelly

 

Exhibit: Late July - September 2, 2011

 

 


MGNE

 

Monotype Guild of New England

Artist Reception: June 11th @ 4pm to 6pm

Exhibit: Tuesday, May 31st - Friday, July 15 2011
MGNE Annual Meeting:  Saturday, June 11th @ 11am


Warren Croce

 

Warren Croce: The Face Book

Tuesday, April 19 - Friday, May 20th
Opening Reception:  Friday, April 22nd 6-8 PM

 

 


Fairley & Ford - February 2011

Irene FairleyIrene Fairley

People, Places, and Patterns

In this exhibit, Fairley is featuring her printmaking.
Some of the monotypes and solar etchings are based on freehand drawings from life, while others derive from landscapes she observed or photographed on her many walks around New England or her travels abroad. 
The works on display show her focus on both natural and urban landscape, as well as her continued interest in the human figure.

  

 

Patrick Ford

Fences and Other Landscapes

The landscape of the Antrim Coast and Glens in Northern Ireland is at times so wild and forbidding as to seem devoid of human life.
But there are signs that its human inhabitants are close at hand.
There are fences that keep people and their animals in (or out); gates through which they may pass; telephone poles and wires through which they maintain their contacts with others; roads and paths that enable their passages.
These paintings develop that theme: essentially, the landscape, rugged and compelling as it is, but bearing the unmistakable signs of human habitation.

In 1971 when I came to work at MIT, I learned pottery in the Student Art Association (SAA). In a neighboring studio I was introduced to the techniques of printmaking for bartering with pots. I began with small black and white prints from copper plates, but soon left to my own devices and started to use zinc plates, which are easier to etch. Soon I explored my own ideas and the possibilities with colors and now very often combine two or three different color plates to one picture. Also solar plates offer a lot of possibilities combined with drawings. Another printmaking variation is combining photographs with etching techniques. I have now my own studio in my house.
In 1971 when I came to work at MIT, I learned pottery in the Student Art Association (SAA). In a neighboring studio I was introduced to the techniques of printmaking for bartering with pots. I began with small black and white prints from copper plates, but soon left to my own devices and started to use zinc plates, which are easier to etch. Soon I explored my own ideas and the possibilities with colors and now very often combine two or three different color plates to one picture. Also solar plates offer a lot of possibilities combined with drawings. Another printmaking variation is combining photographs with etching techniques. I have now my own studio in my house.