By Suzanne Révy and Elin Spring
At last! We are shaking off the shackles of a raw and rainy New England spring. It is time to ease into the slower, less frenetic pace of summer! As such, we will present a comprehensive New England version of our “Best Photo Picks of Summer” in a few weeks, but wanted to take a moment to let you know about several exciting openings, events and one of our favorite “calls for entry” which are occurring in early June. Here they are, listed geographically:
LACONIA GALLERY, SOWA – Guest curated by Hank Hauptmann, director of Robert Klein Gallery, “Presence of Being” brings together sixteen stellar women artists working in photographic portraiture: Claire Beckett, Judith Black, Gohar Dashti, Marky Kaufmann, Kathya Landeros, Rania Matar, Laura McPhee, Iaritza Menjivar, Alyssa Minahan, Toni Pepe, Laura Beth Reese, Suzanne Révy, Sheron Rupp (above), Melissa Shook, Sage Sohier and Anabel Vázquez Rodríguez. On view through July 13th, 2019, there will be an Opening Reception with many of the artists on First Friday, June 7th, 2019 from 5:30 – 8:00pm.The gallery will host an Artists Talk on Thursday, June 13th, 2019 at 7:00pm. For more information go to: https://laconiagallery.com/2019/05/24/presence-of-being/
GALLERY KAYAFAS, SOWA – “Wounded Beauty” introduces the powerful work of Minoo Emami, an Irani painter, sculptor, photographer, and performance artist whose multi-media installation explores the consequences of war through the symbolism of bodily destruction. Intricately decorated, hand-blown glass prostheses and starkly affecting portraits of repressed women are among the works on view through June 29th, 2019, with an Artist Reception on First Friday, June 7th, 2019 from 5:30 – 8:00 pm. For information about the exhibit and associated gallery events, go to: http://www.gallerykayafas.com/
GRIFFIN MUSEUM AT SOWA – Lee Kilpatrick’s solo exhibit,”Together,” explores ways that the “life of the group starts to transcend the sum of its individuals” in panoramic sweeps that draw the viewer right into the bustle of group interactions. On view through July 21st, 2019, there will be a Reception with the artist on First Friday, June 7th, 2019 from 6:00 – 8:00pm. For more information, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/show/lee-kilpatrick-together/
THE FENCE WALKING TOUR, SOWA – Join Griffin Museum Executive Director Paula Tognarelli and some of the participating artists for a free walking Tour of THE FENCE on Saturday, June 8th, 2019 from 2:00 – 4:00pm. Meet at the corner of Albany and Thayer Streets in SoWa. For more information, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/event/walking-tour-fence-sowa/
GALLERY NAGA, BACK BAY – The heartwarming, multi-media group show, “House-Trained: Contemporary Depictions of Dogs,” features photographs by Sage Sohier (above) Cig Harvey, and the inimitable William Wegman. On view from June 7th – July 13th, 2019, there will be an Opening Reception on First Friday, June 7th, 2019 from 6:00 – 8:00pm. For more information, go to: https://www.gallerynaga.com/exhibition/upcoming/
PHOTOGRAPHIC RESOURCE CENTER, UNIVERSITY HALL, LESLEY UNIVERSITY, CAMBRIDGE – The PRC hosts “Transmutations,” its first curated exhibition since the move to Cambridge as a resident partner at Lesley University. Guest curator Sarah Pollman explains “Photographic meaning evolves and mutates when pictures travel across time, between people and places. “Transmutations” traces what happens in these exchanges…as photographs are constructed, deconstructed, manipulated and adorned” by the six exhibiting artists: Caleb Cole, Dell M. Hamilton, S. Billie Mandle, Larry C. Volk and Courtney Nimura with Trevor Powers. On view through August 11th, 2019, there will be an Opening Reception on Thursday, June 6th, 2019 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. For more information go to: https://prcboston.org/transmutations-may-aug-2019/
“CREATING NARRATIVES” PANEL DISCUSSION, GRIFFIN MUSEUM, WINCHESTER, MA – Beginning with a presentation of images in the Roma & Traveller issue of ZEKE magazine, an expert panel with Margareta Matache, Mary Evelyn Porter, Glenn Ruga, and Chad Evans Wyatt will consider how documentary photography can be used to either confirm or erode stereotypes of groups outside the majority culture. This free, public event will take place at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA on Tuesday, June 11th, 2019 from 7:00 – 9:00pm. for more information, go to: https://griffinmuseum.org/event/creating-narratives-zeke-magazine-representation-roma/
CALL FOR ENTRIES, SOMERVILLE TOY CAMERA FESTIVAL – If you are a “lo-fi” photo fan like us, it’s time to rev up your engines and submit up to five entries to the 2019 Somerville Toy Camera Festival exhibiting this fall. Juried by photographer, gallery owner and book publisher Gordon Stettinius, the submission deadline in Monday, June 24th, 2019. For all the details and guidelines, go to: http://www.somervilletoycamera.org/call-for-entries