A LETTER

The arrival of spring means a lot of things around town. The colleges and universities are on the verge of finals, after which the city will empty out like a bar after last call. With the departure of the students, so does much of the rest of the city disappear, and things will be quiet for a time.

Each year, before the students leave, we are treated to a number of exhibitions of student work. Almost every college and university hosts at least one show of graduating students, and many of them put on a series of exhibitions hilighting the best of their student work. This issue, Ben Sloat takes a look at one of these, an exhibition of graduating MFA candidates from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.

Keeping track of this abundance of shows can be hard, and I've been trying to post exhibition dates on our blog (a task which I'll resume tomorrow). Many group shows are promoted by schools or individual departments, while some are promoted by the artists themselves. I would encourage all schools, or even individual artists, to post your shows in our listings so that our readers can see your work. Of course, I'll also encourage our readers to check the listings to find out where you can see these young artists showcasing their ideas and talents.

Aside from the student shows, there have been some other events of note. The ten Artadia grant recipients opened an exhibition at the Mills Gallery, and on the same night ASPECT: The Chronicle of New Media Art launched their eleventh issue. Big RED's James Manning was there, camera in hand, to captures some pictures for us.

Last but not least, we are excited to announce that Big RED editor-in-chief Matthew Gamber will be returning to Boston after three years in Savannah. His return heralds a new age at Big RED, and we are excited to have him play a more active role in discussing, promoting and critiquing art here in New England. Gamber will return in June, and I invite everyone out to help me line his path with palm fronds and rose petals (or shower him with free beer) to welcome him home.

This is Big RED & Shiny #81.

All images are courtesy of the author.