Hilltown Families 
Visual Art in Western MA: September Openings, Closings & Calls for Art
Visual Art in Western MA:
September Openings, Closings & Calls for Art
Explore Western MA through the lens of visual art! Featured here are September art openings, closings & call for art at galleries, museums and public meeting places across the region, including: D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield; Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield; Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke; and Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge.
Opening this Month
Small Worlds: Wassily Kandinsky’s Experiments in Printmaking
D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts
On View through January 15, 2017
Known as one of the pioneers of Abstract art, Vassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) lectured and wrote extensively in support of non-objective art, believing that total abstraction offered the possibility for profound spiritual expression. His paintings of 1913 are considered to be among the first completely abstract compositions in modern art history, as they made no reference to the natural world and were inspired by (and took their titles from) pieces of music. His nonrepresentational paintings paved the way for the development of the Abstract Expressionist movement that dominated American painting after World War II. Though Kandinsky is perhaps best known for his paintings, this series of prints shows his mastery of lithography, woodcut, and etching. Small Worlds: Wassily Kandinsky’s Experiments in Printmaking at the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts represents only a handful of public museums who own the complete series. Viewers are given the opportunity to learn how Kandinsky used each method to its best advantage in rendering his abstract compositions, creating a set of prints that showcases the unique aesthetic features of each printmaking style. The exhibit will be on view through January 15, 2017 in the Collins PrintGallery at The Michelle and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts. 413-263-6800. 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA. (FREE W/MUSEUM ADMISSION)
Farmers’ Castles by Robert Strong Woodward
Memorial Hall Museum
September 1, 2016 through October 30, 2016
Born in Northampton, MA, Robert Strong Woodward turned to painting as a profession after a gunshot wound paralyzed him from the waist down. He found refuge at his grandparents’ farm in Buckland, MA. Nestled in the Hilltowns and surrounded by rolling hills and farmlands, Woodward found beauty and inspiration in his neighbors’ barns. Farmers’ Castles by Robert Strong Woodward at the Memorial Hall Museum features the painting Farmer’s Castle, a dynamic canvas of the Warfield barn in Charlemont recently donated to Memorial Hall Museum by John Warfield Glaze and Shirley J. Glaze, and five privately-owned and rarely-seen paintings of Buckland, Colrain, and Charlemont barns. Using perspective to literally heighten the barn on the canvas and in our minds, Robert Strong Woodward (1885-1957) succeeded in dignifying this rural structure to a position of honor. Referencing Woodward’s painting Farmer’s Castle—a play on the maxim “a man’s home is his castle”—if a farmer’s land is his kingdom, then the barn is his castle. Essential for housing livestock, grain, hay, manure, and equipment, it is the center of the farm. Using perspective to literally heighten the barn on the canvas and in our minds, Robert Strong Woodward (1885-1957) succeeded in dignifying this rural structure to a position of honor. In a 1938 letter to art critic Royal Cortissoz, Woodward wrote “My paintings have something beyond – merely the representation of factual truth… All the tragedy, humor, and struggle of New England farm life are found in this painting of mine.” Viewers will share in the nostalgia and celebration of the barn, symbolic of the agricultural abundance in our community. The exhibit will be on view from September 1, 2016 through October 30, 2016 at the Memorial Hall Museum. 413-774-3768 (Ext. 80). 8 Memorial Street, Deerfield, MA. ($)
Holyoke Renaissance: Rising from the Ashes
Wistariahurst Museum
September 10, 2016 through October 29, 2016
Holyoke Renaissance: Rising from the Ashes at the Wistariahurst Museum features the work of three local artists celebrating the renaissance of the City of Holyoke. The exhibit by artists Debra Dunphy, Nancy Howard, and Kristine Villeneuve-Topor, will feature various views of the old industrial city and its architectural designs. Each artist has a distinctive style and has taken a different path in honing their artistic talents. Debra Dunphy is a self-taught artists who credits her style to years of teaching both oil painting and pastels in group classes she provides at her teaching studio in the city’s Canal Walk Art District. Nancy Howard earned a BFA in painting at the Rhode Island School of Design as well as her master’s degree in landscape architecture at the University of Massachusetts. She has a key interest in the role artists play in the vitality of urban life. Kristine Villeneuve-Topor didn’t begin to pursue her art until her early thirties. She became enthralled by the artistic process and began spending her free time in galleries, museums, and libraries. She learned to draw and paint by studying and absorbing the work of many different artists. The city of Holyoke is currently undergoing a transformation that is renewing much of the downtown after suffering from urban blight for decades. Works on display will include local landmarks and streetscapes from around the city and will be presented to shine a light on the beautiful art and architecture in the city. The exhibit provides a glimpse into the architectural history of Holyoke, while honoring the city’s growth and renewed vitality. The exhibit will be on view from September 10, 2016 through October 29, 2016 at the Wistariahurst Museum. 413-322-5660. 238 Cabot Street, Holyoke, MA. ($3 SUGGESTED DONATION)
Presidents, Politics, and the Pen: The Influential Art of Thomas Nast
Norman Rockwell Museum
September 10, 2016 through December 4, 2016
Thomas Nast (1840-1902) was a noted illustrator whose political cartoons had considerable influence over the nation 150 years ago. Known as “The President Maker,” Nast’s cartoons proved crucial in affecting the outcome of six presidential elections, which his favored candidates were known to win. The artist held presidential-hopefuls accountable for the issues of the day—from political corruption to imperialism, inflation, and civil rights. Presidents, Politics, and the Pen at the Norman Rockwell Museum will feature over 25 editorial cartoons by the “Father of the American Cartoon,” published by Harper’s Weekly between 1864 and 1884. The exhibition will include original artworks on loan from Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, a digital tour, as well as original Harper’s Weekly tear sheets donated to the Museum. The display will reflect the artist’s pointed opinions on the presidential candidates and campaigns of the day. As America focuses on the spectacle of this year’s presidential election, this exhibit offers viewers a look back at the 19th century to examine the impact that one of the nation’s greatest image-makers had over its politics. The exhibit will be on view from September 10, 2016 through December 4, 2016 at the Norman Rockwell Museum. 413-298-4100. 9 Glendale Road (Rt. 183), Stockbridge, MA. (FREE W/MUSEUM ADMISSION)
See more being featured on our
Visual Art Bulletin Board!
Closing this Month
TBA
See more being featured on our
Visual Art Bulletin Board!
CALL FOR ART
ARTISTS WANTED/CALL FOR ART
Submission Deadline: September 1, 2016: The Springfield Central Cultural District has just released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to place local art in three unconventional spaces in Downtown Springfield, including 1550 Main, SilverBrick Lofts, and New England Public Radio. One of the core missions of the Springfield Central Cultural District is to make the District a more attractive place for artists to live, work, and play. If chosen, artists will have a solo show in the heart of the Cultural District! 2D and 3D proposals are welcome. For detailed information and to submit a proposal, click here. Any questions may be submitted to the Executive Director of the Cultural District, Morgan Drewniany at 413-781-1592 or morgan@springfieldculture.org.
CALL FOR VISUAL ART/ALL MEDIUMS
Submission Dates: Friday, September 16. 12-7pm; Saturday, September 17. 12-4pm. 4th Annual Juried Art Show . The Amherst Historical Society is seeking artists of all mediums and levels of experience to present their own visual representation of what it means to move in, move out or move on. All modes of visual art are encouraged, including but not limited to paintings, drawings, prints, photography, sculptures, textiles, glass, ceramics, and collage. The art show celebrates the Historical Society’s moving in to the Simeon Strong House 100 years ago on October 1, 1916. Chosen works will be displayed between September 30, 2016 and December 11, 2016 as part of this annual art exhibition. The showcase gives artists the opportunity to display their art for a public audience while also taking part in the celebration of our local history. You can find submission information and entry forms by clicking here. You may also email the Amherst Historical Society at info@amhersthistory.org or call 413-256-0678. Amherst, MA (FREE)
