On view: April 17  –  May 5, 2018

Opening reception: Friday, April 20, 6-8PM

Featuring works in sculpture, installation, video, and painting by current students and alumni of the Lesley MFA in Visual Arts program, this exhibition examines the significance that medium brings to an artist’s intent, highlights the interdisciplinary aspect of program, and aims to create a diverse platform representative of  contemporary arts discourse.

Curated by: Hilary Tait Norod and Rebekah Bonner

Featuring: Bethany Behr, Rebekah Bonner, Mary Carlisle, Kathline Carr, Carrie Crane, Aimee Cotnoir, Bryson Dean-Gauthier, Nina Earley, Jeri Eisenberg, Susan Emmerson, Dominique Gagnon, Nancy Hart, Christina Hunt-Wood, Liselott Johnson, Michael King, Susan Hopp, Rita Maas, Hilary Tait Norod, Marat Paransky, Stacey Piwinski, Bill Porter, Tim Powers, Kiera Reese, Nancy Roy-Meyer, Catherine Scala, Cynthia Scott-Johnson, Carolyn Sirois, Samantha Smart, Anna Spence, Dayna Talbot, Mark Teiwes, Wen-Hao Tien, Dianna Vosburg, and Sarah Bates Washburn

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

This exhibition examines the importance of medium to the thesis of an artwork. Featuring current students and alumni of the Lesley University MFA in Visual Arts program, these works address ideas such as the importance of process, challenging the definition of a medium, re-contextualizing imagery across disciplines, modern interpretations of historical art forms, and many more. Often humorous, sobering, or ironic, this thought-provoking work highlights the interdisciplinary aspect of the program, creating a dialogue relevant to the contemporary arts discourse.

Mary Carlisle’s sculptures explore the legacy of early industry and the tensions that emerge between our current context of global production and the traditional forms of manufacturing that still privilege both hand-made objects and their makers. For “Remembrance: A Worker’s Altarpiece”, Carlisle uses alternative processes to combine mill tools with clay. The repetition of the clay process mirrors the repetitive tasks of the mill hands, who tended their posts as rhythmically as one would say the rosary, evoking a sense of ritual and reverence.

Stacey Piwinski’s intricate weavings consider the passage of time, the tactility of the material, and interpersonal relationships. Using items of clothing that were given to her, Piwinski weaves portraits that represent the essence of a garment’s owner. These garments are shredded, cut, twisted, torn and re-contextualized into a handwoven fabric. Every choice in the process is crucial and the work is a visual representation of the social exchange between the subject and the artist. In her large tapestry “Bernie”, Piwinski weaves together material and personal explorations of memory into a portrait of her late uncle, crafted from pieces of his 1960s era leather jacket.

Employing pill capsules and bottles, Michael King’s work comments on the challenges of and dependency on drugs and medication in the United States. His mixed media piece “Beat” features orange pill bottles, melted and cast into to the shape of a human heart, and glows with a green light. In a society where addiction is commonplace but highly stigmatized and concealed, Beat asks us to take a moment to consider how close to home this epidemic truly is.

ABOUT THE CURATORS

Rebekah Bonner recieved a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Brownsville, an MFA in Studio Art from Lesley University, and is a recipient of the Lesley University MFA in Visual Arts Scholarship. An interdisciplinary artist with a passion for artist promotion, Bonner is co-founder of the “ArtSpeakr” artist interview series, and a committee member of the Lesley MFA in Visual Arts alumni effort “Group 6”.

Hilary Tait Norod, Director of Galatea Fine Art in Boston, received a BS in Studio Art from Skidmore College and was awarded the Jesse Soloman Award for Painting and Presidential Scholarship from Lesley University, where she will complete her MFA in June 2018. An active participant in the local Boston arts community, Norod is a strong advocate for the development of artists. In 2016, she re-established an art loan program at the Cambridge Art Association, and has served as art consultant for “Cambridge Eats & Beats” for the past 4 years.