Inspired By The Ages
Work from the New England Mosaic Society
Attleboro Arts Museum
86 Park Street, Attleboro, MA 02703
Exhibition: April 10th – May 4th, 2024
Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm
Reception: Saturday, April 13th from 2pm – 4pm.
RSVP by April 12th, office@attleboroartsmuseum.org or 508-222-2644 x10.
ATTLEBORO ARTS MUSEUM:
The Attleboro Arts Museum involves audiences of all ages and backgrounds in the visual arts through diverse educational programs and engaging arts experiences. We work to support the creative and artistic development of both promising and professional artists. The Museum is a privately supported, non-profit arts institution whose core commitment to Arts for Everyone guides the Museum’s programs and operations.
Today’s mosaic artists are creating extraordinary works by using a range of materials and stretching traditional techniques.
Inspired By The Ages spotlights fifty pieces from artists throughout New England that have embraced this ancient art form and reimagined its potential.
The exhibition runs from April 10th through May 4th and is on view in the Attleboro Arts Museum’s Ottmar Gallery.
The exhibiting artists are all members of the New England Mosaic Society (NEMS), an organization that promotes and supports mosaics as a fine art.
Members range from emerging to professional and expand their knowledge of mosaics through education, sharing of information and involvement in exhibitions and community events.
Mim Brooks Fawcett, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Attleboro Arts Museum comments “Mosaic art combines timeless beauty and workmanship with durability. The artform is occasionally referred to as “eternal pictures” because of its strength and sustainability. It’s a remarkable example of art that transcends time for its aesthetic appeal and material composition.”
Inspired By The Ages ’exhibiting artists masterfully handle the stability of the discipline, while adding a softer, painterly quality to their work.
Viewers will find pieces such as Portrait of Max by Mike DiRado of Scituate, MA. This work, created on a wood panel, is a convincing representation of the face of a young man using marble, stone and smalti (colored glass or enamel).
A Branch with Apples by Kimberly MacDonald of Portland, ME also incorporates principles of light and shadow to capture dimension and form and clearly represents the durability of the medium. The piece is also built to feature the enduring symbolism of apples in the context of health.
The artist states, “The pale green branch, adorned with two bright red apples serves as a metaphor for the fragility of well-being, despite the contemporary advances in healthcare.
The tan shadows on the apple and black background echo the persistent struggles we face on the journey to wellness. I created this mosaic as a visual dialogue between the ancient and the modern, prompting reflection on the complexities of our ongoing quest for health and resilience.