Visual Art

Arts

Going To Pots: "Sangha," More Than A Thousand Miniature Vessels By Kathryn Walker

By Shawn Hartley HancockPhotos of pottery and shop by Kelby Lawson Sangha, the Sanskrit word for community, is an appropriate name for the stunning installation of miniature earthen pots, each decorated by artist Kathryn Walker, that are on view through November 30 at Pergola, the luscious home store in the

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Arts

The Rising Son of Genji’s World in Japanese Woodblock Prints at Vassar

By Robert Burke Warren Throughout time and across the globe, cultures rise, fall, and evolve with one constant: storytelling. While some stories die with their tellers, others are durable and mutable enough to claim immortality. Westerners often cite Shakespeare and epic poet Homer as masters, yet our culture overlooks the

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Arts

A Palace of Memory: Anselm Kiefer Invades MASS MoCA

Kiefer's "Velimir Chlebnikov," series at MASS MoCA; all photos courtesy of the Hall Art FoundationBy Nichole Dupont There is nothing lighthearted about an Anselm Kiefer exhibit. The literal weight of his medium — lead, concrete, dirt — can be felt and seen in the near-monumental scale of his

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Arts

Beyond Borders: The Art of Kenro Izu

By Robin Catalano After three decades of seeking his muse in far-flung locales, from the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria to Canyon de Chelly in Arizona, photographer Kenro Izu is looking for inspiration closer to home — as in, his backyard. The peripatetic artist, renowned for capturing sacred places in

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Arts

Islam Contemporary? A Journey Into Past, Present, Future, and Action

By Nichole Dupont Don't let the New England landscape fool you as you ascend the corner steps to Pittsfield's Lichtenstein Center for the Arts. There is nothing about what's happening inside — the recently opened Islam Contemporary curated by Brandeis graduate and native of Pakistan,

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Arts

At Vassar: "Pictures of Nothing" Is Really Something

By Robert Burke WarrenMary-Kay Lombino, curator for the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College, is confident that visitors to the acclaimed museum are ready for Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art from the Permanent Collection. The show runs from July 12 to September 8, and features nine decades of

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Arts

Don't Turn Your Face To The Wall

By Nichole Dupont We've all had at least one some time in our lives. Perhaps it was that dour portrait of great grandmother Agnes in her mourning attire, sitting over the mantle. Or worse, an entire stairwell laden with stern faces and eyes that seemed to be judging

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Arts

At Vassar: Focus on the Polaroid Years

“Industry is best," said scientist, visionary, and prolific inventor Edwin H. Land, “at the intersection of science and art." His revolutionary Polaroid SX-70 camera, marketed from 1972 to 1981, epitomizes this maxim. While Land invented instant photography in 1947, the elegant, portable, and inexpensive SX-70 brought to full

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Arts

Let There Be Light: Electric Paris Shines at the Clark

There's no question that April in Paris is on the top of the list in terms of romantic destinations. But Paris at any time of the year isn't too shabby either. The legendary City of Light is featured in Electric Paris (on display now through April

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Arts

Art by Serendipity: Isha Nelson Gallery Brings Light

Step one foot into the Isha Nelson Gallery on (Great Barrington's haute highway) Railroad Street and you will not want to leave — not too soon anyway. The gallery, which had a soft opening at the beginning of December, is an aesthetic amalgamation of bohemian chic meets pristine cathedral.

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Arts

Collage Convention: Cutting It Up in North Adams

The dead of winter is a time when many shivering denizens of the Rural Intelligence zone —especially the more zealous fans of the toasty comforts of a wood stove — become more familiar with the contents of their wood sheds. Used as a verb, “woodshedding” is a term jazz musicians invoke

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Arts

Speaking Through Clay

For nearly two decades, Dan Bellow was a wordsmith. You might say it’s the family business. The son of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Saul Bellow, he worked the circuit of Northeast newspapers, covering crime in Albany, city government in Pittsfield, and state politics in Burlington, Vermont. But side

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