It's been a while since I've updated the blog or the website. The last exhibition, Ellen Shattuck Pierce's FLOOR PLAY drew a great number of people to the gallery and was well received by visitors. At the end of her exhibition, I was going to show some of my own work, but our family was hit with H1N1, and let's just say life got in the way. Instead of dwelling, I'm moving on to the next exhibition, VOICES: Mother's Who Create. Last year's exhibition drew hundreds of visitors and we will work to do the same again this year.
I curated the Balance: Mother's Who Create exhibition last year because I was fed up with reading statistics. I know that hardly any mother-artist's work is shown in the major galleries and museums. I know that women's work is sold for less at auction. I know that women are marginalized in the text books. There are only so many statistics I am willing to read without doing something about it. We can talk until we're blue in the face about the disparity in numbers, but unless we take action to change those statistics, they are useless.
I was sick of sitting on the sidelines and wanted to take an active role in being a part of the solution. One thing we need to do as women, as artists, and as mothers, is to stop talking about the inequities and do something about them. This year's exhibition, VOICES, is the continuation of that action. I invite you to be a part of the rising tide of mother's voices in the arts.
11.30.2009
11.10.2009
Donna Dodson's Newest Exhibit...and announcing The Elephant Tribe jewelry collection!
Donna Dodson: Elephant Tribe at Boston Sculptors Gallery
November 11-December 20, 2009
Opening reception: Saturday November 14th, 3-5pm
SOWA First Friday Reception: December 4th, 5-8pm
Gallery hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 12pm-6pm
Boston Sculptors Gallery • 486 Harrison Ave. • Boston, MA 02118 • 617-482-7781 • bostonsculptors.com
Announcing: The Elephant Tribe jewelery collection
Saturday November 14th thru December 20th 2009
Knight&Hammer jewelry designer Joseph Knight was immediately captivated by Donna Dodson's sculptures. For Knight, it merged ancient cultural ideology with modern linear lines, and resonated with the core tenants of his own design aesthetic. Dodson & Knight began their collaboration with the goal of taking her modern tailsmen and interpreting them as desirable statement jewelry for today's woman. Sharing a commitment to better the world, lead them to partner with Dr. Stuart Pimm, founder of Saving Species. Knight&Hammer and Donna Dodson are proud to present "Elephant Walk"; a one-of-a-kind necklace/belt and "Elephant Princess"; in a necklace and earrings, as the first limited edition series benefiting Saving Species. All jewelry is created by American craftsmen in fine sterling silver
November 11-December 20, 2009
Opening reception: Saturday November 14th, 3-5pm
SOWA First Friday Reception: December 4th, 5-8pm
Gallery hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 12pm-6pm
Boston Sculptors Gallery • 486 Harrison Ave. • Boston, MA 02118 • 617-482-7781 • bostonsculptors.com
Announcing: The Elephant Tribe jewelery collection
Saturday November 14th thru December 20th 2009
Knight&Hammer jewelry designer Joseph Knight was immediately captivated by Donna Dodson's sculptures. For Knight, it merged ancient cultural ideology with modern linear lines, and resonated with the core tenants of his own design aesthetic. Dodson & Knight began their collaboration with the goal of taking her modern tailsmen and interpreting them as desirable statement jewelry for today's woman. Sharing a commitment to better the world, lead them to partner with Dr. Stuart Pimm, founder of Saving Species. Knight&Hammer and Donna Dodson are proud to present "Elephant Walk"; a one-of-a-kind necklace/belt and "Elephant Princess"; in a necklace and earrings, as the first limited edition series benefiting Saving Species. All jewelry is created by American craftsmen in fine sterling silver
9.11.2009
Ellen Shattuck Pierce, opening reception Saturday, September 12, 2-5pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Jocelyn Almy – Testa, Director
The Little Art Gallery Under the Stairs
jocelynalmy@tlguts.com
781-715-1445
RE: OPENING RECEPTION ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2009, FROM 2-5 PM AT THE
LITTLE GALLERY UNDER THE STAIRS, LYNN.
FLOOR PLAY: WORKS BY ELLEN SHATTUCK PIERCE
(Lynn, MA – AUGUST 21, 2009 ) - - FLOOR PLAY– an exhibit showcasing relief prints and an
installation of floor tiles created from linoleum carvings by Ellen Shattuck Pierce will be on display at The Little Gallery Under the Stairs in the LynnArts, Inc building in Lynn, MA, thru October 10, 2009.
The public is cordially invited to an opening reception for FLOOR PLAY, a solo exhibition of Ellen Shattuck Pierce's new works, scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2009, from 2-5 pm.
In her FLOOR PLAY exhibit, print media artist Ellen Shattuck Pierce recycles linoleum carvings into a tiled floor. While inking linoleum blocks, Shattuck Pierce preferred looking down upon their shiny surfaces more then printing them on paper and placing them on the wall. Her linoleum floor consists of thirty 12 x 12" tiles, each individually pieced together from a fifteen year collection of the artist's used linoleum. "Floor Play" both embraces and subverts traditional ideas of polished kitchen linoleum by providing a glossy and menacingly carved floor. In addition, a suite of six related relief prints are on view.
In addition to the opening reception, the artist will also host a gallery talk about her work on September 26th at 1pm , during the Meet Me Dowtown Festival, hosted by LynnArts, Inc. , in collaboration with the City of Lynn. The Little Gallery under the Stairs will be open to visitors during the festival, and will also have a booth outside.
The Little Gallery Under The Stairs opened in June, 2006 in the lower level of the LynnArts Building in Central Square, Lynn, MA. The Little Gallery under the Stairs, also known as T.L.GUTS is the only independently owned for-profit gallery in Lynn, MA. Gallery owner Jocelyn Almy-Testa, says, “This little gallery gallery is a space where people get to tell their personal journies through visual arts, just as we did moons ago on the cave walls.” The gallery is also home to two art studios as well as an artist resource room where members of the gallery share artist's tools.
Almy-Testa specializes in artists whose works act as story tellers, conveying stories, journeys or points of view which are easily relatable to a larger audience, and cross cultural boundaries to express shared qualities of humanity.
The FLOOR PLAY exhibit is on display at The Little Gallery Under the Stairs thru October 10, 2009. The gallery is located in the lower level of LynnArts Inc., 25 Exchange Street, Lynn, MA 01901.
Gallery hours: Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm, Saturdays 10-6pm, and by appointment. Free to the public.
For more information about this exhibit and upcoming workshops hosted at the gallery, email:
jocelynalmy@tlguts.com, call 781-715-1445.
### END ###
Contact:
Jocelyn Almy – Testa, Director
The Little Art Gallery Under the Stairs
jocelynalmy@tlguts.com
781-715-1445
RE: OPENING RECEPTION ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2009, FROM 2-5 PM AT THE
LITTLE GALLERY UNDER THE STAIRS, LYNN.
FLOOR PLAY: WORKS BY ELLEN SHATTUCK PIERCE
(Lynn, MA – AUGUST 21, 2009 ) - - FLOOR PLAY– an exhibit showcasing relief prints and an
installation of floor tiles created from linoleum carvings by Ellen Shattuck Pierce will be on display at The Little Gallery Under the Stairs in the LynnArts, Inc building in Lynn, MA, thru October 10, 2009.
The public is cordially invited to an opening reception for FLOOR PLAY, a solo exhibition of Ellen Shattuck Pierce's new works, scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2009, from 2-5 pm.
In her FLOOR PLAY exhibit, print media artist Ellen Shattuck Pierce recycles linoleum carvings into a tiled floor. While inking linoleum blocks, Shattuck Pierce preferred looking down upon their shiny surfaces more then printing them on paper and placing them on the wall. Her linoleum floor consists of thirty 12 x 12" tiles, each individually pieced together from a fifteen year collection of the artist's used linoleum. "Floor Play" both embraces and subverts traditional ideas of polished kitchen linoleum by providing a glossy and menacingly carved floor. In addition, a suite of six related relief prints are on view.
In addition to the opening reception, the artist will also host a gallery talk about her work on September 26th at 1pm , during the Meet Me Dowtown Festival, hosted by LynnArts, Inc. , in collaboration with the City of Lynn. The Little Gallery under the Stairs will be open to visitors during the festival, and will also have a booth outside.
The Little Gallery Under The Stairs opened in June, 2006 in the lower level of the LynnArts Building in Central Square, Lynn, MA. The Little Gallery under the Stairs, also known as T.L.GUTS is the only independently owned for-profit gallery in Lynn, MA. Gallery owner Jocelyn Almy-Testa, says, “This little gallery gallery is a space where people get to tell their personal journies through visual arts, just as we did moons ago on the cave walls.” The gallery is also home to two art studios as well as an artist resource room where members of the gallery share artist's tools.
Almy-Testa specializes in artists whose works act as story tellers, conveying stories, journeys or points of view which are easily relatable to a larger audience, and cross cultural boundaries to express shared qualities of humanity.
The FLOOR PLAY exhibit is on display at The Little Gallery Under the Stairs thru October 10, 2009. The gallery is located in the lower level of LynnArts Inc., 25 Exchange Street, Lynn, MA 01901.
Gallery hours: Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm, Saturdays 10-6pm, and by appointment. Free to the public.
For more information about this exhibit and upcoming workshops hosted at the gallery, email:
jocelynalmy@tlguts.com, call 781-715-1445.
### END ###
9.01.2009
Claudia Waters' current exhibit at the Attleboro Arts Museum Congratulations Claudia!
“8 Visions”
Exhibition: August 12 – September 12, 2009
Opening reception: Friday, August 14; 7 – 9 pm
Jurors Hope Turner, Founder/Owner of the Arden Gallery, Boston, MA and Leonie Bradbury, Director/Curator, Montserrat College of Art Galleries, Beverly, MA have chosen eight powerful and diverse member artists for this annual group show.
2009 "8 Visions" Artists
Clare Asch - Marlboro, MA
Laura Harvey - Green Harbor, MA
Jenny Jope - Middleboro, MA
William Martin - Warwick, RI
Sarah Mott - Attleboro, MA
Cynthia Nelson - Narragansett, RI
Barbara Ottmar - North Attleboro, MA
Claudia Waters - Montclair, NJ " Claudia was a participant in the Balance: Mother's Who Create Exhibiti
Attleboro Arts Museum 2008 “8 Visions” Jurors
Ms. Leonie Bradbury
Director/Curator, Montserrat College of Art Galleries, Beverly, MA
Originally from The Netherlands, Leonie Bradbury graduated Summa cum Laude with a B.A .in Art History from the University of Minnesota in 1998. Followed by a M.A. in the History of Art from Boston University in 2001. As the Director, Curator of Montserrat College of Art Galleries, she curates contemporary art exhibits that feature a range of artists of national and international note. She has received two curatorial awards from the Association of International Art Critics.www.montserrat.edu/galleries/
Ms. Hope Turner
Founder/Owner, Arden Gallery, 129 Newbury Street, Boston, MA
Hope Turner is the founder and owner of Arden Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts. For 21 years the gallery has focused on exhibiting an eclectic mix of contemporary artwork by nationally recognized artists. The gallery mounts monthly shows of a wide range of styles and genres ranging from traditional to innovative artworks.
During this time Hope has been a curator of art exhibitions and a juror of art shows. She has traveled extensively to catalogue and to inventory a substantial collection of artwork. Private collectors, as well as corporations, have depended on her for advice and direction in creating unique art-inspired environments. www.ardengallery.com
Exhibition: August 12 – September 12, 2009
Opening reception: Friday, August 14; 7 – 9 pm
Jurors Hope Turner, Founder/Owner of the Arden Gallery, Boston, MA and Leonie Bradbury, Director/Curator, Montserrat College of Art Galleries, Beverly, MA have chosen eight powerful and diverse member artists for this annual group show.
2009 "8 Visions" Artists
Clare Asch - Marlboro, MA
Laura Harvey - Green Harbor, MA
Jenny Jope - Middleboro, MA
William Martin - Warwick, RI
Sarah Mott - Attleboro, MA
Cynthia Nelson - Narragansett, RI
Barbara Ottmar - North Attleboro, MA
Claudia Waters - Montclair, NJ " Claudia was a participant in the Balance: Mother's Who Create Exhibiti
Attleboro Arts Museum 2008 “8 Visions” Jurors
Ms. Leonie Bradbury
Director/Curator, Montserrat College of Art Galleries, Beverly, MA
Originally from The Netherlands, Leonie Bradbury graduated Summa cum Laude with a B.A .in Art History from the University of Minnesota in 1998. Followed by a M.A. in the History of Art from Boston University in 2001. As the Director, Curator of Montserrat College of Art Galleries, she curates contemporary art exhibits that feature a range of artists of national and international note. She has received two curatorial awards from the Association of International Art Critics.www.montserrat.edu/galleries/
Ms. Hope Turner
Founder/Owner, Arden Gallery, 129 Newbury Street, Boston, MA
Hope Turner is the founder and owner of Arden Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts. For 21 years the gallery has focused on exhibiting an eclectic mix of contemporary artwork by nationally recognized artists. The gallery mounts monthly shows of a wide range of styles and genres ranging from traditional to innovative artworks.
During this time Hope has been a curator of art exhibitions and a juror of art shows. She has traveled extensively to catalogue and to inventory a substantial collection of artwork. Private collectors, as well as corporations, have depended on her for advice and direction in creating unique art-inspired environments. www.ardengallery.com
8.14.2009
Questioning and Answering
Over the past week, I have been taking some time for myself, time to decompress from the past year's serge of activity at the gallery and in life in general. One of the things I have been reflecting on is how to keep growing the gallery while maintaining a balance in my life, which is quite ironic after the exhibit held in the beginning of the year.
One of the things I had to face was my deteriorating health due to exhaustion and neglect. I used to get by on just a few hours sleep. After all, with babies waking in the night it was normal to get by on such little sleep. But over the past few weeks, my body said, "enough" and I had to listen.
So after the gallery talk last Saturday, and the Art Salon Boston on Sunday, I decided to give myself a vacation from all things gallery related, as much as I could anyway, and try to regain a semblance of what life would be like without the influence and influx of gallery work. It was unbelievably hard to do, and I'm not quite sure I pulled it off as well as I thought I could.
The truth of the matter is, the gallery is like a fifth child. It needs to be nurtured, spoken to and with, physically cared for, and like a child, it's relationships need to be fostered. And as in motherhood, or parenthood I should say, the rewards or end pay aren't immediate, and you have to put faith in the presumption that good work will eventually yield good results.
Sometimes I wonder, in the back of my mind, why I still plod on, in the middle of a recession (or towards the end if you believe the New York Times - I'm still waiting to see a difference) while bigger and more notable galleries are folding under the pressure of low sales and attendance. But I chose to start this gallery because I am passionate about the promotion of ideas through art and can't imagine a line of work that doesn't involve working with artists. I don't know what else I would do, if not this.
At the end of the day, though, I need to think about the long late hours and how they affect my health and my family. With two toddlers no longer napping, and a new school year beginning, the thought of the work ahead is exhausting in itself. A quiet part of me is whispering "slow down" and another voice is yelling, "GO!".
When I was a competitive runner, my friend Megan and I would cheer for each other with just that one word, with as much depth and determination as we could muster. The sound of her voice bellowing that one word has stuck with me, through births, through the passings of friends and family, through those spots in life when things seem they can't get any better or worse, I hear her voice pushing me forward, telling me to "GO!" I hear her now.
I choose to keep going, but it isn't really a choice at all. This gallery is a part of me, and a part of my family. My children have grown up here. I have countless hours, not to mention dollars, invested in education, professional development, networking, relationship building, and the physical business itself. How does one stop their life's work mid stream? That's a question I can't find an answer for, not that I've been looking. A better question would be, "What is my most important work?"
I asked my son how he felt about the hours I spend working on the gallery, and whether he felt neglected at all, sharing me with my work. He very quickly responded, "No." Anyone who knows William knows he is an old soul, wise beyond his years. He doesn't want to be responsible for me not doing what makes me happy. I think we forget sometimes, as adults, that we have the same needs as our children: the need to learn, to explore, to be loved, to love, to enjoy ourselves and have fun, to wonder, to contemplate, to spend time alone and to have meaningful relationships, to make meaningful contributions to our family and community, and to be physically nurtured. My most important work is of course, raising my children, but it is not my only work. Thank you foremothers.
My mental vacation is over, if it ever began. I am ready to move forward, push forward with promotions for Ellen Shattuck Pierce's upcoming exhibit, Floor Play, which moves the focus of the viewer from the wall to the floor, finish up with the website, work on the new member's pages and get the online gallery figured out, amongst many, many other to-do's.
In order to get all of these pressing tasks done, I will be working a full work week in the gallery next week. My husband and I are switching positions. He will be working from home with the kids, and I will be in the gallery. I'm sure by the end of the week we'll have a better perspective of each other's lives, and of our own. Maybe, just maybe, some of the questions I ask myself, my internal conflicts, will come closer to resolution, or maybe I'll just have more brain space and relaxed shoulders as a result of a shorter to-do list. Either way, at the end of each day, I know that with my new-found respect for my physical limitations, I'll be grateful for my family, my work, and all of the people in my life who support and encourage me to GO!
Thank you.
8.07.2009
Extended Hours at TLGUTS
This summer, I have met many new and fantastic people who have come to the gallery to see IMPORTANT THINGS, and to see what the buzz is down here. I am going to open the gallery for the week of August 18th -22nd for those who want to see the show and need to come during the week, but feel a little shy about calling and making an appointment to see the gallery.
The operating hours will be:
Tues Aug 18th 10am -5pm
Wed Aug 19th 10am -5pm
Thurs Aug 20th 1pm - 8:30 pm
Fri join us at the Peabody Essex Museum for Free Fun Friday!
Sat Aug 22nd 10am - 6pm, artist pick up
I will be at the gallery during those hours preparing for the fall/winter line-up, including Ellen Shattuck Pierce's Floor Play exhibit, an exhibit of photographs by moi, and then Salonified -a salon style open exhibit for the holiday season. The itty-bitty gift shop will be open, the Important Things exhibition will be in it's final week, and the artist resource room will be open for use.
I will also be available for those who wish to bring sample inventory for consideration for the itty-bitty gift shop. I am currently working on the August newsletter (our newsletters are sent out mid-month), so you will be hearing more about what's happening soon.
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