A Spring Refresh

The spring haze.
The scent already in the air.
The moon and ume.

­—­­­­­M­atsuo Basho,
17th century haiku master

The transition to spring is always challenging for me. Especially if winter has crushed my expectations of snow and days upon days of fresh, cold air. I think we experienced that in the Boston area for about five minutes. There were several amazing night skies, though. Clear and shimmery where the constellations were so hazy and close they resembled clouds. I caught two shooting stars this winter—something I’ve been able to conjure since childhood.

All in all, I experienced winter more on gallery and museum walls than anywhere else. I had the pleasure of jurying the Duxbury Art Association Winter Juried Show, which runs through March 19 at Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, MA. (The Museum is also showing Let it Snow, a selection of prints from its permanent collection.) I was reminded as a juror of the immense talent in this region: I viewed more than 600 entries. The youngest artist was 15, I believe—and she was good. It was a great experience, and a wonderful escape into artists’ imaginations. Seeing the work in person at the opening—and, of course, discussing the work with the makers—was a season highlight for me.

Now, after working on the Emerging Artists feature and interviewing Massachusetts painter Jim Heskett, who’s delving into the dark side in his paintings, I am again enjoying night skies, and appreciating the skill it takes to explore and paint the dark. Heskett is one of the 10 Emerging Artists that we interviewed in the feature beginning on page 30. This collaborative editorial piece is my favorite spring ritual. Jim also introduced me to the word pareidolia, and I am grateful. Pareidolia is “the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern” as defined by Merriam-Webster. I now look at the night sky through a new lens.

As we continue to honor our writers, you’ll enjoy Susan Wadsworth’s Studio Visit with long-time ANE writer Christopher Volpe. His use of tar, oils, and literature is fascinating; his Loomings series is inspired by Melville’s Moby-Dick. Chris has a show running through April 14 at New England College’s Chester Gallery in Henniker, NH. He gives an artist talk with a reception following on March 29 beginning at 4 p.m.

The next night, March 30, Art New England will be celebrating AVA Gallery’s 50th anniversary amidst two shows curated by the Hood Museum of Art’s Virginia Rice Kelsey 1961s Director John Stomberg. From the Heart: Sachiko Akiyama, Chris Chou, Kayla Mohammadi and Tom Fels: Cyanotypes, Drawings, and Watercolors is previewed by Chris Volpe on page 53. All are welcome! Please RSVP to rita@artnewengland.com.

You’ll also find an essay on the recent Edward Hopper/Dike Blair show in New York by Osman Can Yerebakan who then tees up the Edward Hopper & Cape Ann: Illuminating an American Landscape opening this summer at the Cape Ann Museum. (Osman continues his essay in the May/June Museums
Issue.) And, of course, there’s the annual Spring Artist Directory. If you are contemplating making an art purchase this spring, look no further. The purpose of the directory is to spark a conversation between you and these artists. What catches your eye?

And as promised in the last issue, Art New England is introducing a few new voices. Please welcome Paige Farrell, Eric Sutphin, and Alix Woodford. You may also notice a few subtle, elegant design changes throughout the issue as well. And pops of color that I find fresh and exciting. I’d appreciate your feedback as we tweak and finesse.

As we say farewell to my favorite season, at least I’m comforted by the explosion of art and color on these pages, the thoughtfulness of our writers, and the passion and commitment expressed by this year’s Emerging Artists. And thank you, Emerging Artist Andrew Scripter, for the curious character gracing our cover. Learn about Andrew, his art and his zines, on page 39. I hope you’ll follow these artists, engage with them, and encourage the young artists in your life to keep creating. I want to see their work in these pages one day.

With gratitude,

Rita A. Fucillo
Publisher