Beckoning Byways!

With the imminent flurry of holiday activities, I wonder if you’d consider taking a moment to nourish yourself and your hungering visitors with the spiritual lift of some delicious photography.  In addition to the rich museum and gallery offerings in Boston, there are some current and upcoming exhibits in smaller venues that offer wonderful treats.  Here are a few I think you’ll like. And they’re all calorie-free!

Thibault Roland exhibit at the Garner Center in NESOP, Boston.

Opening TONIGHT, November 19, 2015, at the Garner Center, New England School of Photography (NESOP) in Boston’s Kenmore Square, from 5:30 – 7:00pm, see “Aquae”, 11 serene waterscapes by Thibault Roland.  His combination of long exposures and minimalist compositions create quietly captivating B&W images, the perfect antidote to frenzied holidays. The show is on view through December 18, 2015 (https://www.nesop.com/garner_center.asp).

“Princess Party” with photographs by Blake Fitch at Miller Yezerski Gallery in SoWa, Boston.

Indulge your little girl (or the little girl in you) at “Princess Party” this Saturday, November 21, 2015 from 2:30 – 4:30pm at Miller Yezerski Gallery in SoWa, Boston’s South End gallery district.  Probing photographs from Blake Fitch’s series “Dress Rehearsal” consider the ways in which “princess culture” influences gender and cultural identity without ever sensationalizing or sexualizing her subjects.  The party is sure to be a fun family event and the exhibit will be up through December 22, 2015 (http://www.milleryezerskigallery.com/exhibition/1794/).

From the series “Body and Soul” by Ralph Mercer at Galatea Fine Art in SoWa, Boston (courtesy of the artist).

Also in the SoWa gallery district, Galatea Fine Art is hosting solo shows by photographers in all three of their galleries.  Ralph Mercer’s series Body and Soul blends female nudes with nature in a celebration of sensual beauty in spiritual, metaphysical meditations. David Weinberg’s Forbidden Fruit explores cycles of life and death through luscious still-lifes featuring pomegranates, an ancient symbol of fertility and prosperity.  The Waters of Life: A Refuge is Justin Freed’s immersive, multi-media installation designed to fulfill the “primal need for a sense of respite, a place of serenity and heightened awareness.” All three exhibits will be shown through November 29, 2015 (http://galateafineart.com/).

Photograph by Guler Ates from the exhibit “Seeing the Elephant” at the Bakalar & Paine Galleries, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston (courtesy of the artist).

The Bakalar & Paine Galleries at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) are hosting a spectacular, comprehensive pair of exhibits featuring photographs of India.  Looking In, Looking Out features 19 celebrated Indian photographers from the Gaur Collection, while Seeing the Elephant offers perspectives on India from 12 non-native photographers.  MassArt is located on Huntington Avenue, near the MFA, Boston.  This unique offering will be exhibited through December 5, 2015 (http://www.massart.edu/Galleries/BakalarandPaine/Looking_In_Looking_Out.html and http://www.massart.edu/Galleries/BakalarandPaine/Seeing_The_Elephant.html ).

Justin Goodstein’s “Haymarket” is on view at Bunker Hill Community College.

Justin Goodstein’s lively study of Boston’s historic marketplace, Haymarket: The Soul of the City, is being exhibited at Bunker Hill Community College through December 18, 2015, along with a gallery talk, book signing and film screening on December 3, 2015 (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1210023319012776&set=a.200037623344689.61381.100000153592118&type=3&theater ).

“Sheila Borges of the Neighborhood Restaurant and Bakery on Bow Street, owned by her family since 1983.” photograph by Charan Devereaux (courtesy of the artist).

Charan Devereaux’s Union Square at Work, is a year-long creation of over 70 portraits and accompanying narratives collected from Somerville’s oldest commercial district, in an ongoing exhibit at the Somerville Museum (http://www.somervillemuseum.org/UnionSqatWork.pdf).