Culture In Central MA: Creatures Real and Imagined

Friday, December 06, 2013

Susan Wagner, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Kathleen Galat Bowers, Grasshopper Scream, digital archival print, 2013—one of the works which will be featured in the Creatures Real and Imagined exhibit.

Central Mass. Culture Vulture is the portal for arts and cultural events in the region. The heart of Massachusetts provides a wide array of events in venues that range from refurbished architectural gems to full stadiums. Central Ma. Culture Vulture will shine a weekly spotlight highlighting one of the many diverse cultural opportunities.

ArtsWorcester's winter exhibit, Creatures, Real and Imagined, opens on Friday, December 6, and features some wild things! Eleven pieces, spanning four continents, three centuries, and several artistic media are on loan from the Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM), including contemporary photography, African sculpture, Chinese brush paintings, South American textile, and an Aubudon print.

In response to the loan from the Fitchburg Art Museum, local contemporary artists are exhibiting works in all media involving animals and imaginary creatures, or invoking the artistic qualities and themes of the FAM loan. Fitchburg Art Museum associate curator Mary M. Tinti will jury out eleven works to be shown at FAM in 2014.

"Although it's not at all holiday themed, a spirit of exchange and generosity pervades this entire event,” says Juliet Feibel, Executive Director of ArtsWorcester. “Fitchburg Art Museum made this exquisite loan of artworks to us, and our artists responded with their own works. Fitchburg gets to show off a bit of the riches of their collection, and our membership gets a chance at a museum credential. I absolutely love this exchange and the artistic benefits it produces."

Tyler Vance is one of the artists participating in the show. As he explains, "The ram’s head mask from Ivory Coast immediately caught my attention. It seemed to have some kind of ritualistic significance, so I thought why not create the ritual? The title of my painting is The High Priest Presides. The ram’s head is overseeing some ancient rite. The viewer has a window onto the event, but the scene isn’t fully revealed – the mystery that made the mask so compelling remains intact. I painted in oil on a section of an interior door."

Creatures, Real and Imagined begins with an artists' reception on Friday, December 6, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, during which Dr. Tinti's selections will be announced. After the opening, gallery viewing hours for the exhibit and the FAM loan will run Thursday through Saturday, 12:00 to 4:00 PM, December 7-21 and January 3-11, and by appointment. The reception and gallery viewing are open and free to the public. Free parking for the reception is available one block away at the Freemasons lot on the corner of Ionic Avenue and Beacon Street.

For more information, please visit artsworcester.org or call 508-755-5142.

Susan Wagner is the president of Susan Wagner PR. In this challenging economy, she brings an extra pair of hands and 30 years of expertise to affordable, responsive and results-driven communications services in Central Massachusetts. Services include professional writing, website branding, design and content management; collateral; social media account development and content; grassroots outreach, events and PR campaigns and launches.

Related Slideshow: 7 Art Galleries To Visit In Central MA

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Worcester Art Museum

55 Salisbury Street, Worcester

The Worcester Art Museum, often referred to by its acronym WAM, is the most acclaimed cultural attraction in the city of Worcester. The world famous "classic American museum" contains over 35,000 pieces of artwork spanning over 5,000 years. Currently on display is [remastered]: A reinstallation of the Worcester Art Museum's paintings from the 16th-18th centuries provides a new look at Old Masters.

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Worcester Center for Crafts

25 Sagamore Road, Worcester

The Worcester Center for Crafts’ Krikorian Gallery, in conjunction with Worcester State University, is committed to "sustaining craft as a vital part our community" through education, advocacy, and entrepreneurship. They are currently holding its Holiday Festival of Crafts 2013 this weekend.

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Fitchburg Art Museum

25 Merriam Parkway, Fitchburg

The Fitchburg Art Museum is one of the cultural treasures of North Central Massachusetts. Though not quite as famous as its cousin to the south, the Worcester Art Museum, the Fitchburg museum still houses an impressive permanent collection of art spanning 5,000 years. Check out their current exhibition: Still Life Lives! - A celebration of the vitality of the still life tradition and its themes of beauty, bounty, darkness, fragility, and fleeting moments, which runs through January 14.

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The Sprinkler Factory

38 Harlow Street, Worcester

The Sprinkler Factory is a unique gem in Downtown Worcester and a true center for all the arts. Once a manufacturing plant, the Sprinkler Factory now provides space for individual artists to form their own studios and contains areas for music, dance, and other fun activities. The massive atrium on the second floor in the middle of the complex is available for local artists to show their work. The public is welcome to browse the artists' studios and galleries. An upcoming exhibition entitled Indoor Games , runs from December 7 through January 25, captures the spirit of creativity during the winter months.

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Boulder Art Gallery

960 Main Street, Fitchburg

Since its opening in 2008 by founders by Ann and Peter Capodagli, the Boulder Art Gallery has been committed to showing original and vintage paintings, photographs, prints and sculptures from the region's most talented artists. A true variety of work from both new and established artists is on display in a multitude of mediums and styles; check out oils, acrylics, watercolors and pastels. Many pieces are also available for purchase.

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Aurora Gallery and GArtH Gallery (ArtsWorcester)

660 Main Street; 657 Main Street, Worcester

The Aurora Gallery and the “GArtH” Gallery of Art at the Hadley are run by the organization ArtsWorcester, and both show the work of local artists, many of whom are members of the group. For a list of current and upcoming exhibits, click here and here.

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Davis Art Gallery

44 Portland Street, Worcester

Since its founding in 2006, the Davis Art Gallery has made it its mission to promote the Worcester art community and create awareness of the local creative culture. One of the ways the gallery does this is by showing the work of local artists in a great variety of different mediums. Currently, you can see an exhibit by Emily and Robb Sandagata; Unearthed, which runs through February 7th.