Carrying its mission into the public forum, Big Red & Shiny will host a discussion on art & community moderated by Katherine French, Director of the Danforth Museum.
Community art specifically refers to art that takes place within a community setting, but does this art also have to be in dialogue with its community? Artists living within housing coops can affect their surroundings, but is it their responsibility to do so? Social media enables us to reach a global audience, but does it limit meaningful collaboration with local participants? Boston is a city comprised of neighborhoods and perhaps uniquely positioned to inspire art that represents these neighborhoods. Resident artists sometimes create projects as catalysts for change, but should this be their primary goal? How can artists and institutions best work together to engage new audiences who have had no previous experience with art, and to ensure that engagement continues?
EVENT DETAILS:
The Big Red Forum will take place in the Bartos Theater on the lower level of MIT's List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge.
Saturday 27 October, 2012 at 5pm until 6:30pm
Moderator:
Katherine French, Director of the Danforth Museum, Framingham, Massachusetts
In 2007, Katherine received an award for curatorial excellence for Joan Snyder, A Painting Survey, 1969-2005 from the New England chapter of the International Association of Art Critics, and was named Best Curator of Locally Made Art at the 2010 Boston Art Awards. Under her direction, the Danforth Museum of Art has been named an Outstanding Cultural Organization by the Massachusetts Arts Education Collaborative. Prior to directing the Danforth Museum, Katherine was the Gallery Director at Montserrat College of Art, and the 808 and Sherman Galleries at Boston University.Panelists:
Louisa McCall, Co-Director of Artists in Context, Cambridge
Artists In Context supports the research-based, multidisciplinary, embedded practices of contemporary artists and other creative thinkers who seek to invent alternative approaches to existing societal challenges.
Louisa was Program Director at the LEF Foundation from 2000-2008, where she oversaw the investment of $4.3 million in 420 artist and organizational projects and created special strategic initiatives for independent film production, artist support systems, and public art, architecture and design.
www.artistsincontext.org
Jenny Gibbs, Dean (Associate) of Graduate Programs, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Boston
Jenny developed the curriculum for 'Professional Practice for Artists: A History and Practicum' for MassArt's MFA program. This course, now in its second year, has led to a number of small but ambitious pop-up shows in the city of Boston and elsewhere. Formerly, Jenny was the Executive Director of the Lacoste School of the Arts in France/Bard College; Director of Outreach and Special Programs at New York University; the Director of Programs in Studio Art, Appraisal Studies of Fine and Decorative Arts and Arts Administration also at New York University, and a fine arts specialist at Christie's auction house in New York. Jenny studied art history at New York University's Institute of Fine Arts and at Sarah Lawrence College.
Richard Graf, Fort Point Consulting
Richard specializes in the redevelopment of existing property, from urban districts to individual buildings. He has been a primary partner in the development of major historic projects in Boston, Lowell and the Blackstone Valley with completed valuations of over three hundred million dollars. His firm, Fort Point Consulting, uses this expertise to advise individuals, corporations and governments, typically working at the juncture of physical planning and real estate economics.
Since the mid 1980’s he has been deeply involved with artists’ live/work buildings - first as a participant, and later as a developer. Since 2005 Richard has served as real estate advisor to Massachusetts ArtistLink, a state-wide initiative of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He is a registered architect and a graduate of The Cooper Union and the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Free and open to all.
RSVP on Facebook (not required but it helps us gauge numbers)
Directions to the Bartos Theater List Center for Visual Arts at MIT, Cambridge MA
