Fiona Breslin reports from North Adams. The opening of Oh, Canada, MASS MoCA’s sweeping survey of Canadian contemporary art, was cause for celebration on Saturday, May 26, as work in all manner of media by more than 60 artists (including Hanz Wendt, with Jackie LaChance of Montreal) filled the museum’s galleries, providing a look into the lives and psyche of our neighbors to the north. Cross-cultural and cross-border encounters extended from the visual to the personal since nearly all the exhibiting artists attended the opening (and brought along friends and family), making it easy for gallery goers to speak with the artists about their work. Entertainment was provided by the Cedar Tavern Singers, a perky ukulele duo who performed an earnest/ironic song written specifically for the show, which can be seen in a video in the exhibition. The party carried on long into the night at a dance party featuring special guest DJ Brendan Canning, co-founder of Canadian rock band Broken Social Scene. Oh, Canada promises to be a blockbuster exhibition, one so diverse, expansive, and engaging that it deserves repeated visits; fortunately it remains on view at MASS MoCA through April 1, 2013.
Oh, Canada artists Craig Leonard and John Will in front of a sculpture by Leonard; academics James Manigault-Bryant, Dean Crawford, Darra Goldstein, Rhon Manigault-Bryant, and Tim Lebestky.
Kim Morgan and Bruce Anderson in front of a sculpture by Morgan; MASS MoCA curator Denise Markonish, who worked for years on Oh, Canada, with Gregor Wynnyczuk and artist Adam Frelin in front of Kim Adams' sculpture Optic Nerve.
Tony Terranova, Mark Woodward, green-rainbow party candidate Scott Laugenour, and artist Eric Drury; EQM, artist Brandon Graving, Halifax resident Mark Bovey, and David Deming.
Gallery goers enjoy a brief performance by The Cedar Tavern Singers on the museum's patio.
MASS MoCA's museum director Joe Thompson, marketing director Katherine Myers, and associate director for performing arts, Olli Chanoff; Suzanne Carte and Crystal Mowry with Oh, Canada artist David R Harper.
Michele Christie, Oh, Canada artist Brendan Fernandes, and Emily Hunt; the Canadian general consul's Aaron Annabel and artist Jennifer Campbell.
Architect Lisa Green with the Clark's Julie Chase and 1Berkshire CEO Stuart Chase; sisters Sophie Morris and painter Hannah Morris.
Liza Wendt, Claire Panella, Michael Panella, Michael Ego, and William Foley take a closer look.
Family and friends of Oh, Canada artist Hanz Wendt; Lucy Wendt, Zora Wendt, Jean Basiletti, and Ingrid Wendt; local artists Michael McCarthy and Giselle Hicks.
Gallery 51's Christina Short, gallerist Leslie Ferrin, IS183 executive director Hope Sullivan, and MCLA's Valeria Federici; Blu Zaretsky and Soyo Lee play around in Amalie Atkins mixed-media installation Three Minute Miracle: Tracking the Wolf.
Artists Sarah Anne Johnson and photographer Willy Somma in front of Johnson's work; artists Étienne Zack and Michael Snow in front of a painting by Zack.
From Montreal to MASS MoCA, Courtenay Mayes, artist Zoe Koke, musician Matt Israelson, and Emma Siemens-Adolphe enjoy the sunset in North Adams.
Written by
Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
