By MATTHEW NASH It has been a few weeks since the Boston Foundation’s “Vital Signs” report (pdf) was released, and it is still a topic of conversation and heated debate. Among those who are on the lower-budget end of the…
Edward Winkleman had a piece yesterday about the arts under Obama, and what kinds of expectations people have about what this will mean. Will it simply be an expansion of the NEA? Will an Obama administration be more aggressive in…
The nice weather has encouraged me to get out of the house more than I usually would in January, so I’ve seen a lot of art recently and thought I’d share some of my favorites and encourage everyone to get…
The hot topic in the art blogs for the past few days has been collector Eli Broad’s decision to retain control of his vast and coveted art collection. It was widely expected that he would donate the body of work…
In a controversial decision, the Phoenix City Council has decided to proceed with a large public sculpture by Boston-based artist Janet Echelman. You can read the full story here. The short version, though, is that art and culture won out…
Sarah Hutt forwarded along this link to an article about Boston-based artist Janet Echelman’s troubles down in Phoenix. Although the city has dedicated $2.4M for a large-scale public art piece, which the article describes as “a floating jellyfish”, the city…
Was I the only one who was disappointed in the turnout and energy at this last First Friday? What happened to the festive atmosphere, the fast-paced conversation about the work, the frantic dash to try to see it all before…
By MATTHEW NASH Boston Sculptors Gallery is the kind of art venue that arises out of need, out of a desire for community, and out of shared creative interests. Prior to their current luxurious space on Harrison Ave, BSG was…
Today I received an email from our anonymous art dealer about my post titled “Where Have All The First Fridays Gone?”: In response to your comments regarding First Fridays being a “downer” lately, I thought I might add a few…
If you are a regular art-blog reader, you are probably already aware of the ever-expanding response to Peter Plagens’ roundtable discussion in the new Art In America with (and about) some of the most prominent art bloggers. Based on the…
By MATTHEW NASH Chris Tonelli is a poet, musician, and the motivation behind The So And So Series, a regular poetry event in Boston and Cambridge. They can often be found at The Distillery, The Lily Pad and Porter Square…
By MATTHEW NASH I’ve been down this road before. It begins with the uncomfortable feeling of leaving culture you understand, glancing nervously at the rear-view mirror as it fades further and further behind you. Eventually, when the city and the…
I had originally planned to write a review of the new issue of Aspect: The Chronicle of New Media for issue #71 of Big RED & Shiny, however now that I’m spending time with the disc it seems more appropriate…
By MATTHEW NASH I just wanted to take a few moments, here at the start of autumn, to open the doors of Big RED to all of you, our loyal Big RED fans. As you know, Big RED is a…
By MATTHEW NASH It’s hard to be optimistic about the apocalypse, yet much of the work in the group exhibition “After The End Of The World” feels, well… almost optimistic. The four artists in this exhibition each create worlds that…
By MATTHEW NASH On the corner of Westland and Mass. Ave, across from the Christian Science Church, Andi Sutton stands on a milk crate in front of a small crowd. She is describing her project, “Crosspollination,” and its relationship to…
It was confirmed this morning that Esther Anderson, longtime supporter of the arts in Boston, died this past week. She was 92. In a message sent yesterday, Dean Deborah Dluhy of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts summarized…
By MATTHEW NASH A few years ago, I gave my father a book of Dilbert cartoons. He gave it back. To me, Dilbert is an hilarious sendup of corporate culture, showing the ridiculousness of cubicle life and how impersonal it…
Earlier this week, Paul Lam of Locco Ritoro Gallery surprised many people by announcing that he would be closing the gallery. In its two years in the Harrison Street SoWa complex, Locco Ritoro has shown a wide variety of exciting…
