Art at the Attleboro Museum

I find myself at odds sometimes with the desire to be and the desire to make. Rest has felt necessary and good over Christmas... but being part of an exhibition such as the one now showing at the Attleboro Museum feeds energy back into me, pulls me back up like a friend's hand and encourages me to go back into the studio, however little time I call my own. Curated by Clara Lieu, the Director of the Jewett Art Gallery at Wellesley College, the work below is some of the large, eclectic, and dynamic work at the museum now through February 2.

Winner of a Juror's Choice Award, Susan Denniston etchings open the show.

Susan Dennistan:

Walk to the left and you're busy searching the wide diversity of works including Janyce Conklin's assemblage, Sharon Fortier-O'Dea's acrylic on wood, and Beth Johnston's encaustic.

Janyce Conklin:

Sharon Fortier-O'Dea:

Beth Johnston:

There's a dynamic range of sculptural and low relief works included in the exhibition. Virginia Fitzgerald's mixed media piece has the physical presence to call to you. Her wedding dress is beautiful, rhythmical, and distressed, made of old newspapers which one might want to lean over to read, bits of other lives caught and held stationary here.

Virginia Fitzgerald:

Charles Guay's work is whimsical, happily engaging the viewer with his creature's friendly faces and small scale.

Charles Guay:

CJ Steven's glass bead image is engaging, along with the quiet beauty of Niva Shrestha's oil painting, and Mary C Taylor's acrylic and pigment transfer which won a Juror's Choice Award. These pieces are meant to be seen in person, particularly because of their delicate surfaces.

CJ Stevens:

Niva Shrestha:

Mary Taylor, winner of a Juror's Choice Award:

The work varies from representational to abstract, from traditional to non-traditional materials with the connecting guideline of all hung works measuring forty inches or less. Jean Sbarro's work is painterly, gentle and lit, in contrast to the vigorous drawing of Patricia Berube's drypoint which won a merit award, along with my own charcoal drawing, also winner of a merit award:

Jean Sbarro Jones:

Patricia Berube, winner of a merit award:

Patricia Schappler, winner of a merit award:

Emily Hammel's mixed media piece has the visceral power to gather one, while Jay Wu's Peony in oil and Felicia Touhey's mixed media quiets one, pulling the viewer back towards contemplation.

Emily Hammel:

Jay Wu:

Felicia Touhey:

From the exuberant joy of Barbara Lee Seligman's mixed media fabric piece,to
Jason Cronin's graphic piece, there's something visually enticing around every corner!

Do yourself some good, let a hand pull you up and out into this magical world and go look!
The happiest of New Years to all of you!

Christina Beecher, winner of Best Representational: