artscope magazine: January/February 2010 Welcome Statement: Brian Goslow, managing editor Letters to the Editor roundtable - Three Professionals. One Question. cornered: a conversation with an art exhibition attendee FEATURED ARTIST GEORGE NICK - Reflections of an impermanent world Not Your Typical Photo Place - PHOTOPLACE GALLERY TARO SHINODA: LUNAR REFLECTIONS ODDLY PRETTY PAINTINGS - HANNAH COLE TANGIBLE EXPERIENCE: BRIAN KEITH STEPHENS Belonging and Longing - Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: Works on Paper FIXED CHAOS at Montserrat SILENT CIRCLES: THE HEALING - Barbara Gagel FEATURE - Evolution: Five Decades of Printmaking by David Driskell FEATURE - Historic Japanese Kiri-E and Contemporary Tibetan Thangka GOLDEN LEGACY: Original Art From 65 Years Of Golden Books DECEIVINGLY SIMPLE - Charles Duback: Collages EMMA AMOS: HEROES AND FOLK GHOSTS OF THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE: ZUGUNRUHE wanderlust - The (Right) Brainpower Triangle: The Finest Free Art in Somerville and Cambridge community - THE KATE: A Little Gem With A Movie Star Name industry focus - BUY WHAT YOU LOVE education - SPACE TO DISCOVER: MASSART/FAWC LOW RESIDENCY MFA Capsule Previews

wanderlust - The (Right) Brainpower Triangle: The Finest Free Art in Somerville and Cambridge Mark Drummond Davis Connecting the universities of Tufts, Harvard and MIT, the so-called Brainpower Triangle, also spans two of the most art-infused cities in America: Somerville, haven of bike-modifying hipsters and young aesthetic radicals, and its more staid cousin Cambridge, home to hyper-educated retirees and more mid- to late-career artists. Together, the cities serve up a hearty buffet of art that’s easy on the pocketbook. So fuel up with a sizeable Saturday brunch and get started at the top of the triangle, on the roof of Tufts’ Tisch Library. Accessing the best rooftop vista in Somerville ironically entails a quick visit to Medford. The Somerville city line bisects Tuft’s Tisch Library, and the stairs to the roof lie just on the other side. Before April 26, 2009, a nice view was all the Tisch rooftop had to offer. These days, you might find your glance gravitating more toward the roof itself. On that date, Tufts completed its three-year transformation of the space from a quarter-acre of grass to a multiuse plaza honoring Alex Mendell, a sophomore who died in 2003. Fusing the landscape architecture of M. Paul Friedberg with the sculptural vision of artist Jackie Ferrara, “Alex’s Place” features an elegant sundial, an amphitheater and a shimmering stainless-steel trellis. From the library, walk to the entrance of Tufts’ Aidekman Arts Center and continue down a long corridor to Somerville’s largest exhibition space: the Tufts University Art Gallery. If you’re feeling less efficient and more whimsical, you may alternately walk to the actual gallery façade at Aidekman’s rear, which bears a color palette curiously reminiscent of ancient Babylon’s Ishtar Gate. The interior merits this epic entry: inside you’ll discover a two-story, high-ceilinged gallery with three exhibition spaces offering a hefty helping of local, national and international talent. Past exhibitions include 200 knit nylon paratroopers by Korean artist Do-Ho Suh, Ilya and Emilia Kobakov’s faux-archaeological installation “The Center of Cosmic Energy,” and high-tech interactive animations by Boston-based Brian Knep. Somerville’s next obligatory stop is the Nave Gallery near Teele Square; it’s the most innovative space in town. Don’t be confused when you arrive at the address and find yourself in front of Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church. The gallery, founded by pastor-sculptor Karl Gustafson, is inside right next to the sanctuary. With this minimal-rent location, Gustafson and his all-volunteer administrative team (dubbed ARTSomerville) have the freedom to put together risky, experimental shows and even to invite guest curator proposals. The shows’ titles testify to their cerebral, exploratory nature: “Geomorphics,” “Physical Digital,” “Surprise the Tender Alphabet: Image Meets Text.” If you’re in Somerville any time besides the first weekend in May, then your tour may have already covered the city’s best art. Otherwise, you’ve barely scratched the surface. That weekend, Somerville hosts one of the largest open studio events in the country. Over 300 artists show at 100 plus venues, including the converted multi-story industrial buildings on Vernon Street and in the Brickbottom District. But that’s another article; besides, you’re probably eager to move on to Cambridge. From Davis Square, take the MBTA Red Line subway train to Harvard Square, land of bookstores, burrito chains, ice cream parlors and art galleries. Harvard University’s Carpenter Center is the first essential stop, and not just for the architecture. The only building in the United States designed by Le Corbusier, this cast-concrete pride of Modernism has hosted world-class exhibits of the likes of William Pope.L, Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Cai-Guo Qiang. Be sure not to miss the architectural miniatures of the building on the second floor landing. A bowshot away on Arrow Street, the Pierre Menard Gallery — named after a Jorge Borges short story and founded by Lame Duck Books antiquary (and Borges cognoscente) John Wronowksi — exhibits local and foreign work often involving literature and book arts. A recent show “Somewhere Far From Habit: The Poet & The Artist’s Book” showcased the eye-popping codical concoctions of nationally lauded book artists like Buzz Spector, Audrey Niffenegger and Hedi Kyle. From Davis Square, take the MBTA Red Line subway train to Harvard Square, land of bookstores, burrito chains, ice cream parlors and art galleries. Harvard University’s Carpenter Center is the first essential stop, and not just for the architecture. The only building in the United States designed by Le Corbusier, this cast-concrete pride of Modernism has hosted world-class exhibits of the likes of William Pope.L, Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Cai-Guo Qiang. Be sure not to miss the architectural miniatures of the building on the second floor landing. A bowshot away on Arrow Street, the Pierre Menard Gallery — named after a Jorge Borges short story and founded by Lame Duck Books antiquary (and Borges cognoscente) John Wronowksi — exhibits local and foreign work often involving literature and book arts. A recent show “Somewhere Far From Habit: The The Poet & The Artist’s Book” showcased the eye-popping codical concoctions of nationally lauded book artists like Buzz Spector, Audrey Niffenegger and Read the entire article in our magazine pages...