Water Colors: Fountain NY 2009 Like the vessel that holds it, the Fountain Art Fair is stripped-down, but glaringly eccentric.

"The Fountain Art Fair prides itself on independence, so much that this year, for its third anniversary, organizers decided to host it on a barge afloat in the Hudson—a symbolic separation that underscores the show’s desired freedom from the more traditional fairs down the avenue. Clean, white-walled cubicles with neatly lettered placards are traded in for more organic layouts that spill over their boundaries, paired with grease smoke from the kitchen grill churning out hot dogs and clam chowder......"

For more of this review by Amanda Scigaj, please visit:

http://www.nyartbeat.com/nyablog/2009/03/water-colors-fountain-ny-2009/

(comfort)

A Domestic History of Beverly, MA (comfort), an installation by Valerie Rafferty on view March 3 - March 29, 2009.

A discreet tribute to the community, (comfort) was constructed with materials that once belonged to the households of Beverly. Over the course of four months Rafferty collected pillows and seat cushions that had been left out for the trash. With the stuffing emptied at floor of the installation, the worn and tarnished fabrics are hung and displayed without garnish. While recording a material history, the work is also a testament to this cultural exchange between Montserrat students and the Beverly community.


"To be honest, I think it began as a reaction against painting itself. I began to notice that there was a trend at Montserrat toward painting and very modernist ideals. This frustrated me, as I was very interested in exploring other materials and ideas in other ways. I began as a painter and photographer and, in a roundabout way, I think the school forced me to question the use of certain materials and they way that materials and objects are typically used.

Frame 301 was a very challenging, yet rewarding space to work within. You basically have 14 inches of depth to move between the window and wall, making it very difficult to paint and install work. It became a completely performative experience for me. I had never been forced to work inside one of my pieces the way that I had to that day. I actually really think the window would lend itself to performance more than any other type of work because, as an artist, you are encased inside the space, yet completely on display for anyone and everyone to see. " Rafferty, March, 27 2009.

For more images and information visit: http://www.montserrat.edu/galleries/

MONTSERRAT EXHIBITION SPACE “FRAME 301” AWARDED GRANT FROM BEVERLY CULTURAL COUNCIL

Montserrat College of Art is pleased to announce that alternative display space, Frame 301, has been awarded a grant from the Beverly Cultural Council (BCC). This grant will enable Frame 301 to attract a wider array of local, national and international artists by providing partial shipping and travel expenses for featured artists.

As a part of the new initiative supported by the BCC grant, this blog was created as a forum for discussion and critique of alternative display spaces in the Greater Boston area. As a gesture from the college to the community, Frame 301 wants to invite and engage in a dialogue that with Beverly citizens and the creative public at large. Students, visitors and members of the global community are invited to share throughs on Frame 301 exhibitions, other unconventional installations and their ideas for incorporating the visual arts into daily life.

Frame 301 has a stimulating line-up planned for the coming months, including the edgy, text-based work of Canadian artist Angela Silver and the imagines machines of West Coast sculptor and mixed-media artist Margaret Realica. For more information on upcoming installations, visit http://www.montserrat.edu/galleries/.