by Elin Spring and Suzanne Révy
In this month when the days shorten, leaves abandon the trees, and temperatures drift downward, it is high time to seek sources of brightness and warmth. Here, we have gathered photography exhibits and events around Boston and beyond that are sure to lift your spirits. As always, we have organized things geographically for your convenience. Please be sure to check back throughout November, as we update our listings periodically.
SOWA – Boston’s South End Art Gallery District
“Look at yourself, 2019” © Alicia Rodriguez Alvisa (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas).
Gallery Kayafas – Photographer Alicia Rodriguez Alvisa joins the gallery in her first solo show, You Are Here, an exploration of identity and empowerment. Veteran photographer Jack Lueders-Booth’s Seven Selections from The Library of Congress Lowell Folklife Project features photographs of Cambodian immigrants in the Project Gallery. Anne Lilly and Joel Janowitz complete the exhibit with non-photographic work. On view through November 30th, 2019, there will be an Opening Reception on First Friday, November 1st, 2019 from 5:30 – 8:oopm. For more information, got to: http://www.gallerykayafas.com/home/
“Untitled” from The Library of Congress Lowell Folklife Project, 1987 © Jack Lueders-Booth (courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas).
BOSTON PROPER
“Cerulean, 2015” by Sally Gall (courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery).
Robert Klein Gallery – Sally Gall’s articles waving aloft become abstract celebrations of flight in her solo show, on view from November 7th – December 21st, 2019. There will be a Reception with the artist on Saturday, December 7th from 2:00 – 5:00pm. For more information, go to: https://www.robertkleingallery.com/
“Untitled (from New York Subway), 1977” by Alen MacWeeney (b. 1939), courtesy of the artist and McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College (Gift of David & Jennifer Kieselstein 2016, 1067).
McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College – Drawing on its collection of documentary photographs made on the streets or in the subways of New York City, Alen MacWeeney and A Century of New York Street Photography employs imagery from pre-digital times to ignite discussion regarding today’s clash between surveillance and privacy. On view through December 8th, 2019, the exhibit is curated by Karl Baden, Boston College professor and oft-confronted street photographer. In conjunction with the exhibit, there will be a panel discussion organized by Karl Baden entitled When Everyone Has a Camera: Street Photography, the Right to Free Expression, and the Right to Privacy in the Internet Age on November 13th, 2019.
For more information, go to: https://www.bc.edu/sites/artmuseum/exhibitions/macweeney/index.html?fbclid=IwAR04B7jpKFnvrrfbGruOpVHh_mLexBzf1PVNwa5Nq_Z1hDw8HenqX7j09rU
Gloria Swanson by Edward Steichen (American, born in Luxembourg 1879–1973), 1924, Photograph, gelatin silver print *The Howard Greenberg Collection—Museum purchase with funds donated by the Phillip Leonian and Edith Rosenbaum, Leonian Charitable Trust *© 2019 The Estate of Edward Steichen / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
*Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – Viewpoints: Photographs from the Howard Greenberg Collection is a celebration of the recent acquisition of this exceptional collection by the MFA. One hundred fifty enduring and endearing photographs highlight some of the most remarkable images of the 20th century and the fascinating stories behind them. On view through December 15th, 2019, this exhibit is worth several visits!
For our review, go to: https://whatwillyouremember.com/viewpoints-photographs-from-the-howard-greenberg-collection-at-museum-of-fine-arts-boston/
For the inside scoop on how the Howard Greenberg Collection landed in Boston, go to: https://whatwillyouremember.com/the-howard-greenberg-collection-comes-to-mfa-boston/
For more information on the exhibit and associated programming, go to: https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/viewpoints
The Magician, from the series Short Stories, 2013 Paolo Ventura (Italian, born in 1968) Photograph, digital print © Paolo Ventura, courtesy of the artist and Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York. Reproduced with permission. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
While at the MFA, Boston, don’t miss Make Believe, an exhibit of photographs inspired by fairy tales and its companion exhibit, Kay Nielsen’s Enchanted Vision, featuring his enchanting folk tale illustrations. The two shows embellish one another in a lively conversation across galleries. On view through January 20th, 2020.
For our review, go to: https://whatwillyouremember.com/shadi-ghadirian-paolo-ventura-hellen-van-meene-nicholas-kahn-richard-selesnick-make-believe-at-mfa-boston/
For information about these exhibits, go to: https://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/make-believe
Photograph © Deborah Anderson (courtesy of the artist and Leica Gallery Boston).
Leica Gallery Boston – Deborah Anderson’s solo exhibition Women of the White Buffalo features photographs she made during the filming of her documentary about Native Women from the Oglala Lakota Nation. On view from November 7th, 2019 – January 12th, 2020, there will be an Opening Reception with the artist on Thursday, November 7th from 6:00 – 9:00pm and a screening of the film on Saturday, November 9th from 7:00 – 8:30 pm (tickets required). For information, reservations and/or tickets, go to: https://leicagalleryboston.com/exhibitions/
Fort Points Arts Community (FPAC) Gallery (Atlantic Wharf Building) – California-based These Streets Magazine releases its Boston issue, featuring nine local photographers in an exhibition on view from November 1st, 2019 – January 10th, 2020. There will be an Opening Reception on Friday, November 1st from 6:00 – 10:00pm and a slew of associated programming thereafter. For more information, go to: https://www.fortpointarts.org/events-calendar/
“Leftovers, 2001” from the series How We Live by Stefanie Klavens (courtesy of the artist).
Suffolk University Gallery, Boston – Finding Home gathers a selection of photographers whose diverse work ponders the gripping desire for a sense of “home”: Christine Collins, Stefanie Klavens (above), David Hilliard, Eduardo L. Rivera, William Christenberry (from the Collection fo Arlette and Gus Kayafas) and Max Belcher (from the Collection of Cheryl Hirshman). On view from November 19th, 2019 – January 22, 2020, there will be a free, public Opening Reception on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 from 5:30 – 7:30pm, including a Gallery Talk with the exhibiting Boston-area artists at 6:00pm. For more information, go to: www.suffolk.edu/nesad/gallery
CAMBRIDGE AND SOMERVILLE
“Untitled (Central Square), 2019” by Karl Baden (courtesy of the artist and Howard Yezerski Gallery).
Gallery 344 (Cambridge Arts in the City Hall Annex) – Mass Ave, Cambridge features Karl Baden’s delightfully layered street photographs of Cambridge’s distinctive neighborhoods from the Charles River to the Arlington border in a rich and diverse photographic portrait of the City. On view from November 12th, 2019 – February 14th, 2020, the exhibit includes accounts of Baden’s experience in executing the project, a freely accessible digital photo archive, and a related Panel Discussion at Boston College on November 13th, 2019 (see above listing). There will be an Opening Reception on Monday, November 18th, 2019 from 6:00 – 8:00pm. For information, go to: https://www.cambridgema.gov/arts/publicart/gallery344/upcomingkarlbaden
The MIT Museum, Cambridge – After traveling around the world, the critically acclaimed exhibit The Polaroid Project: At the Intersection of Art and Technology opened at the MIT Museum on October 11th, 2019, approximately a block from where instant film was first invented. Exploring the art-technology relationship through the exhibition of both art and artifacts, the show includes work by a veritable hit parade of Polaroid photographers, from André Kertész to Andy Warhol. For more information about the exhibit and its terrific associated programming, go to: https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/thepolaroidproject
Lili Almog, Muslim Girl #14, 2009. From the series The Other Half of the Sky. Archival pigment print. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Fund for the Acquisition of Photographs, 2019.80. © Lili Almog; courtesy of the artist.
Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge – Crossing Lines, Constructing Home: Displacement and Belonging in Contemporary Art is a comprehensive multi-media exhibition featuring many photographs. Co-Curated by Makeda Best and Mary Schneider Enriquez, this multi-faceted, timely exploration of the trauma and transformation experienced by immigrants will be on view through January 5, 2020. For information, go to: https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/visit/exhibitions/5834/crossing-lines-constructing-home-displacement-and-belonging-in-contemporary-art
The Cooper Gallery at Harvard University, Cambridge – The Sound of My Soul presents a thorough retrospective of the jazz photography of Frank Stewart, curated by Ruth Fine. On view through December 13th, 2019, for more information, go to: https://coopergallery.fas.harvard.edu/
Yorgos Efthymiadis from the series “Faith in a City” courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas.
The Somerville Museum – Curated by Charan Devereaux, Faith in a City explores religion in Somerville, Massachusetts through music, photography, interviews and history. It is a way to better understand our community and the meaning and role religion plays across the city. The project will include concerts, talks, panel discussions and and an exhibit at the Somerville Museum. The exhibition includes photography by Yorgos Efthymiadis, Carlos Arzaga, Mara Brod, Charan Devereaux, Keiko Hiromi, Alonso Nichols, Claudia Ruiz Gustafson, Amber Tourlentes and will be on view from November 17th 2019 through January 26th, 2020. An Opening Reception is planned for Sunday November 17th from 2:00 to 4:00pm.
For more information and a list of additional events:
http://somervillemuseum.org/faith-in-a-city-exploring-religion-in-somerville-ma/
THE BURBS
“Bones and Breath, 2019” by Jackie Heitchue (courtesy of the artist).
Griffin Museum at Greater Boston Stage Company, Stoneham – Closing soon! Combining individual images creates stories, both those intended by the artist and those imagined by the viewer. In DoubleTake, guest curators Elin Spring and Suzanne Révy (yes! that’s us) have selected work by twelve photographers whose imagery in a variety of photographic genres, moods and formats suggests more than one meaning. On view through November 13th, 2019, we invite you to come do your own double take! For information, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/doubletake/
Olivia Parker, Self-Portrait, 2016. Inkjet print. © Olivia Parker (courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery).
Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), Salem – Closing soon! Order of Imagination:The Photographs of Olivia Parker features a broad selection of the photographer’s wonderfully inventive “still-life” photographs spanning her forty-plus year career, on view through November 11th, 2019.
For our review, go to: https://whatwillyouremember.com/order-of-imagination-photographs-of-olivia-parker-at-peabody-essex-museum-salem-ma/
For information about the exhibit and associated events, go to: https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/order-of-imagination-the-photographs-of-olivia-parker
“Handsome One, Thoroughbred Horse, Age 33” by Isa Leshko (courtesy of the artist and ClampArt).
Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester – In the Main Gallery, Isa Leshko’s solo exhibit Allowed To Grow Old pays homage to “the beauty and dignity of elderly farm animals and invites reflection upon what is lost when these animals are not allowed to grow old.” Other distinctive reflections on aging are displayed in adjoining galleries: Susan Rosenberg Jones’ Widow/er in the Griffin Gallery and Arianne Clément’s 100 Years, Age of Beauty in the Atelier Gallery. All are on view through December 6th, 2019. Join Isa Leshko for an Artist Talk and Book Signing on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 from 7:00 – 8:30pm. For more information, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/exhibitions/
Charles “Teenie” Harris, Girl Reading on Stack of Pittsburgh Courier Newspapers, c. 1940, Silver gelatin print, 12 3/8 x 16 7/8 inches, Gift of Arlette and Gus Kayafas. Photograph by Clemetns Photography and Design, Boston.
DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln – Photosynthesis encompasses a suite of three interrelated photography exhibits that consider diverse subjects – from botanical design to news reportage – in light of current ideas about truth in imagery. Truthiness and the News, All the Marvelous Surfaces: Photography Since Karl Blossfeldt and Peter Hutchinson: Landscapes of My Life will be on view through March 29th, 2020. For more information, go to: https://decordova.org/art/current-exhibitions
From the series “Summaville” by Scott Alberg (courtesy of the artist and NESOP).
New England School of Photography (NESOP), Waltham – Boston-based photographer Scott Alberg’s solo show Summaville is an investigation of a master-planned Las Vegas neighborhood begun in the 1980’s under the proposed and later rejected name of Summaville a place meant to be a “summary city” evoking past, present and future. On view through November 29th, 2019, the series includes abstractions, surfaces, found objects, and empty landscapes photographed over a period of ten years following the recession. There will be an Opening Reception with the artist on Tuesday, November 12th, 2019 from 6:00 – 7:30pm. For more information, go to: https://www.nesop.edu/events/the-garner-center/summaville/
“Mum and Laine in
front of family
portrait, Washington, D.C” 2011 by Sage Sohier, archival pigment print, 22” x 27.5” image on 28”x 33.75” paper, edition of 5
Courtesy of the artist and the Fitchburg Art Museum.
Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg – Photographers Sage Sohier and David Hilliard create a powerful combined exhibition in Our Parents, Ourselves, wherein images of each artist’s same-sex parent created over decades not only tell stories of physical and psychological changes but resonate with universal truths about parental relationships and aging. On view through January 5th, 2020.
For our review, go to: https://whatwillyouremember.com/our-parents-ourselves-sage-sohier-david-hilliard-at-fitchburg-art-museum-ma/
For information, go to: https://fitchburgartmuseum.org/sohier-hillard/
Renée Cox, Chillin’ with Liberty (from the Rajé series), 1998. Cibachrome print, 60 x 48 inches. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Long Gallery
Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover – The visiting exhibition, Men of Steel, Women of Wonder presents artistic responses to Superman and Wonder Woman, from their Depression-era origins to contemporary interpretations. This multi-media exploration of American values includes many photographs and will be on view through January 5th, 2020. For more information, go to: https://addison.andover.edu/Exhibitions/MOSWOW/Pages/default.aspx?in=Upcoming+Exhibitions#6
Andy Warhol, Mao Tse-Tung, 1972, color screenprint, National Endowment for the Arts Museum Purchase Plan, 1977.91.
© 2019 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA – Organized primarily from the Museum’s permanent collection, Photo Revolution: Andy Warhol to Cindy Sherman “assesses the trajectory of contemporary art through a comparison of traditional media, such as painting, prints, and sculpture, with photography and emerging photo-based art.” On view from November 16th, 2019 – February 16th, 2020. For more information, go to: https://www.worcesterart.org/exhibitions/photo-revolution/
ROAD TRIP!
“Imaginary Homeland 2” by Moira Barrett (courtesy of the artist and Davis Orton Gallery).
Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson, NY – Thoughts of Family and a Feeling of Home features the photographs of Moira Barrett, Karen Davis, Ellen Feldman, Cassandra Goldwater, and Miriam Goodman, along with related images by Maureen Beitler and Robin Michals selected through the gallery’s Portfolio Showcase International Call for Entries. On view through November 26th, 2019, there will be an Opening Reception with the artists on Saturday, November 2nd from 5:00 – 7:00pm. For more information, go to: http://davisortongallery.com/
From the series “Wild and Precious” by Jesse Burke (courtesy of the artist and ClampArt, NYC).
Newport Art Museum, Newport, R. I. – Forever Young: Representations of Childhood and Adolescence explores realities and myths of youth from the 18th century to the present. This multi-media exhibition includes work by an impressive roster of national and regional photographers like Sally Mann, Rania Matar, Arno Rafael Minkkinen, Abelardo Morell, Aaron Siskind, Paul Strand, Lucas Foglia, Judy Haberl, Jaclyn Kain, Susan Lapides, Jesse Burke (above), Zoe Perry-Wood, Suzanne Révy, Stephen Sheffield, and Maggie Taylor. On view through December 31st, 2019. For more information, go to: https://newportartmuseum.org/exhibitions/forever-young/
“The Ripple Felt Then and Now – 32 Years Later” © Deirdre Salvas (courtesy of the artist and RICPA).
Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts (RICPA), Providence, R.I. – With work by over one dozen photographers, Journeys Onward highlights the artistic explorations of veterans and their families in the context of their military experiences. On view through November 15th, 2019, there will be a special Open House during Providence’s Salute to Veterans at WaterFire this Saturday, November 2nd, 2019. For information about the exhibit and associated events, go to: https://www.riphotocenter.org/salute-to-veterans-at-waterfire-and-open-house/
EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS
“Eyes Of One On Another” at Arts Emerson, Boston.
Arts Emerson, Boston – Robert Mapplethorpe’s magnetic and controversial photographs are joined in an exciting multi-disciplinary performance Triptych (Eyes of One on Another), composed by Bryce Dessner (guitarist for GRAMMY Award–winning band The National), featuring libretto by korde arrington tuttle and poetry by Essex Hemphill and Patti Smith, and sung by the eight-person choral ensemble Roomful of Teeth. Performances only through this Sunday, November 3rd, 2019! For tickets, go to: https://artsemerson.org/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=AE5287B2-A39B-4902-81B1-CD258AB622AD
Left: © Craig F. Walker
Right: © Maryam Ashrafi
Documentary Matters, Belmont, MA – Co-sponsored by Social Documentary Network (SDN) and Digital Silver Imaging (DSI), Documentary Matters offers “visual storytellers exploring global themes” in free, evening presentations at DSI in Belmont, MA. On Tuesday November 12th, 2019 from 6:30 – 9:00pm, featured presenters will be Craig F. Walker and Maryam Ashrafi (above). On Wednesday, November 28th, 2019 from 6:30 – 9:00pm, featured presenters will be Michael Joseph, Tira Khan and Matilde Simas. For more information and free registration, go to: https://socialdocumentary.net/cms/documentarymatters
“Arnold Arboretum” by Rachel Loischild (courtesy of the artist and PRC).
Photographic Resource Center (PRC), Lesley University, Cambridge, MA – Rachel Loischild will lead an evening of art and conversation on the theme of Constructed Landscape at the next PRC Nights on November 13th, 2019 from 6:30 – 8:00pm in the Lunder Arts Building at Lesley University, lower level room 003. The PRC invites members with related work to join in the presentation. Non-members are welcome to attend. For more information, go to: https://prcboston.org/prc-nights-with-rachel-loischild/
© Rania Matar 2018
Northshore Photography Lecture Series, Newburyport, MA – On Wednesday, November 20th, 2019 at 7:00pm, photographer Rania Matar will present her moving work, followed by Q&A. Co-sponsored by Sweethaven Gallery and Firehouse Center for the Arts, for information and tickets, go to: https://www.firehouse.org/event/rania-matar/
Featured Image: “Boardwalk, 2019” by Gail Samuelson (courtesy of the artist). In DoubleTake group exhibition at the Griffin Museum at Greater Boston Stage Company, Stoneham, MA through November 13th, 2019.
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