News and Notes from MCC Artist Fellows
We compile a monthly list of presentations, honors, publications, and events featuring past and present MCC Artist Fellows & Finalists. As you’ll see, the news is good – not just about these award-winning artists, but also about the breadth and vitality of contemporary arts throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.
The MCC is proud to present the Commonwealth Reading Series, a series of readings featuring literary awardees from MCC’s Artist Fellowship Program, through February. Come hear some of this year’s fellows and finalists read their work in a statewide series, with events on Feb. 5 and Feb. 10 (Porter Square Books in Cambridge), Feb. 17 (Amherst Books in Amherst), and Feb. 25 (Forbes Library in Northampton). Read about all of the events.
Diane Arvanites-Noya and Tommy Neblett (Choreography Fellows ’04, ’08), aka Prometheus Dance, present Opposites at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center on Thursday February 19 at 2:00 PM. Opposites is an engaging interactive performance created to teach children about modern dance using the concepts of opposites, with live percussion by Francisco Molina, six members of Prometheus Dance and narration by Tommy Neblett.
If you are already thinking of warmer places and find yourself in Florida, the work of Vico Fabbris (Painting Fellow ’06) can be seen in an ongoing Gallery Artists exhibition at Reef Gallery in Key Largo, Florida.
Michael Gandolfi (Music Composition Fellow ’03) received a 2009 Grammy nomination in the Best Classical Contemporary Composition for his symphonic work The Garden of Cosmic Speculation (you can hear selections of the work on Michael’s website).
Donna Hbert (Traditional Arts Fellow ’08) performs in the Gaelic Roots Music, Song, Dance, Workshop and Lecture Series on Tuesday Feb 10, 2009, 6:30 PM at the Connolly House at Boston College. The free event will feature Donna’s traditional Franco-American fiddle music.
Colleen Kiely (Painting Fellow ’98) is exhibiting new paintings in the RISD New England Alumni Biennial 2009, showing at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown. The show runs through February 22, 2009.
Robert Knox (Fiction/Creative Nonfiction Finalist ’04) has a number of current and upcoming publications. Two excerpts from his novel-in-progress The Beautiful Idea are being published; the first is in the most recent issue of the California based literary journal Cadillac Cicatrix. The excerpt, titled “Dolly’s Hero,” is about the relationship between Italian immigrant and anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti (of the Sacco-Vanzetti case) and the young son of the family he boarded with in North Plymouth, Massachusetts, Beltrando Brini. Another excerpt, a description of a character’s encounter with an owl during a shambling attempt to run in the woods, is being published in the English periodical The Dawntreader. Furthermore, Robert’s creative nonfiction story “Once More to Long Island” was published in the 2008 issue of Tapestries: An Anthology.
The Foreigner by Francie Lin (Fiction/Creative Nonfiction Fellow ’06) has been nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award by the Mystery Writers of America. Francie’s category is Best First Novel by an American Author. The awards ceremony is April 30 in NYC.
Quodlibet, a chapbook by Chloe Joan Lopez (Poetry Finalist ’06), was a runner-up for the 2008 New Michigan Press/DIAGRAM chapbook contest, and will soon be published by New Michigan Press. Chloe will sign copies at the AWP conference in Chicago on Friday, February 13, and the book will be available through bookstores as of Feb. 12.
How Do You Spell Hope?, a new play by Melinda Lopez (Playwriting Fellow ’03), runs at the Central Square Theater February 13 to March 1. The play-for-all-ages shares true stories of overcoming obstacles to literacy and features puppets and actors in a world of giant pop-up books. Post-play conversations follow many performances, including a talk with Chris Abouzeid (Fiction/Creative Nonfiction Fellow ’04) on 2/13, Melinda on 2/21, and Wicked author Gregory Maguire on 2/28.
A drawing by Stephen Mishol (Painting Fellow ’08) was selected to be included in Principles and Perspectives in Progress at the Lee Gallery of Clemson University, February 11 – March 12, 2009. The show is a juried national exhibition of prints and drawings.
Andrew Mowbray (Sculpture/Installation Finalist ’05) exhibits at LaMontagne Gallery in South Boston February-March, 2009.
Caleb Neelon (Sculpture/Installation Fellow ’07), who in January created the award object for MCC’s Commonwealth Awards, was recently profiled by Greg Cook in the Boston Phoenix.
Dean Nimmer (Drawing Fellow ’96) wrote a book called, Art from Intuition, published by Watson/Guptill, that’s gone to a second printing! There will be a show of his work, and that of artists who contributed work to the book, at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, opening on February 18th.
Allan Reeder’s (Fiction/Creative Nonfiction Fellow ’06) short story “The Accident” has been published in Memorious. You can read the story online. Incidentally, Allan read a version of the story during the 2007 Commonwealth Reading Series – highly recommended reading.
Dawn Southworth (Painting Fellow ’90, ’82, Drawing Finalist ’04) and Dana Salvo (Photography Finalist ’01, ’87 ) are entering their 2nd year as owners of Clark Gallery in Lincoln, MA. The gallery exhibits contemporary art in all media by emerging, mid-career and established artists from the Northeast and nationally. Established in 1976, Clark Gallery is one of New England’s leading art galleries and a member of the Boston Art Dealers Association. Submissions from artists residing in Massachusetts and New England are encouraged.
“Pleasure Dome,” a solo exhibition of work by Laurel Sparks (Painting Fellow ’04) shows at the Howard Yezerski Gallery in Boston, through March 10. (Read a review of the show in the Boston Phoenix.)
Naoe Suzuki and Marguerite White (both 2006 Drawing/Printmaking/Artist Books Fellows), along with Maine artist Diana Cherbuliez, are showing in bound at the Clark University Schiltkamp Gallery, in Worcester. The show runs February 11 through April 10, 2009, with an artists talk (4:30 PM) and opening reception (5-7 PM) Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Rachel Perry Welty (Drawing/Printmaking/Artist Books Fellow ’04) has a solo show in New York at Yancey Richardson Gallery, running February 12-March 12, opening reception Feb. 12, 6-8 PM. (See images from the show.) She’ll also have work at Yancey Richardson Gallery @ PULSE New York, March 5-8.
Past Fellows Notes
Jan. 2009
Dec. 2008
Nov. 2008
Oct. 2008
Sep. 2008
Aug. 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
Mar. 2008
Feb. 2008
Jan. 2008
Dec. 2007
Nov. 2007
Oct. 2007
Are you a past fellow or finalist with an event, honor, or other bit of news you’d like to share? Tell us about it.