2006 YEAR IN REVIEW

By BIG RED

It seems to be a New Year's tradition to include a list of the best or worst of the past year, and we at Big RED & Shiny are happy to oblige. At the end of 2006 we asked a long list of our writers, editors, and supporters to contribute their thoughts. Just for good measure, we also asked a few curators and other smart folks. Below are the results of our completely unscientific, totally biased and somewhat random list of the best and worst from last year.

Summary
If there were any consistencies to our results, they are in the categories of Artist To Watch in 2007 and Gallery to Watch in 2007. Without a doubt, Jane D. Marsching was a clear favorite in the former category, while Axiom Gallery and the Rhys Gallery were tied for the latter. For other categories, the field was wide.

Galleries

Galleries to watch in 2007
Axiom
Rhys Gallery

Best commercial galleries
Samson Project
Gallery Kayafas
Judi Rotenberg

Best University galleries
Bakalar Gallery, Mass College of Art
Fogg Art Museum

Best non-commercial galleries
Axiom
Art Interactive
GASP

Gallery we will miss the most in 2007
Green Street Gallery

Exhibitions

Best museum or college/university show of 2006
Sam Durant at Mass Art
John Malpede and Harrell Fletcher at CAVS, MIT.
Edwin Wurm at the Rose
Dissent at the Fogg Museum

Best group show of 2006
Peeling Back the Curtain, at Rhys Gallery
A Forest, at Space Other
Crafty at MassArt
Art Show Down at Art Interactive

Best commercial gallery show of 2006
Mary Ellen Strom at Judi Rotenberg
Dave Cole at Judi Rotenberg Gallery
Joe Wardwell at Allston Skirt

Best alt-space show of 2006
Arthouse! In A Jamaica Plain Condo
Art Cake: The Delicious Transient New Medium at Axiom
PURE
Henrik Håkansson Cyanopsitta spixii Case Study #001 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Artists

Artists to watch in 2007
Jane Marshing (a clear favorite)
Catherine D’Ignazio/Institute for Infinitely Small Things
Mark Chariker

Breakout artist of 2006
Kelly Sherman

Miscellaneous

Worst of 2006
Art School Confidential

Most over-hyped/overrated/most-over-anticipated event of 2006
The "New" ICA, Boston

Special thanks to our Big RED contributors and editors, as well as Leslie K. Brown of the PRC, Kathleen Bitetti of Artists Foundation, Bill Arning of the List, and Rosie Branson Gill of the Berwick.

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For another perspective on these end-of-the-year lists, see Charles Giuliano's "Feeling Listless: Those Year End Awards (A Critic’s Apathy)" at Maverick Arts.