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Despite pandemic, Wellesley Society of Artists brings paintings out into the world

November 21, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Free Library, fall 2020It’s been a long time since new art has graced the lobby of the Wellesley Free Library. In the first show to be hung there since the pandemic restrictions began, The Wellesley Society of Artists (WSA) showcases the diverse talent of 45 WSA Exhibiting Artists and includes paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor and mixed media. The show has been judged by Pat Walker, artist, teacher and art administrator. The works will be on display through November. Photos of the paintings can be viewed at [email protected] and on the group’s Facebook page.

First place award winner

Frederick Kubitz took first place for his painting Miss Bea, Georgia Shrimp Boat. The juror noted that when standing close to the painting, the viewer can see mastery of oil painting technique, strength of composition, and skilled placement of the lights and darks and warms and cools, which hold up from across the room.

Wellesley Society of Artists
Frederick Kubitz took first place for his painting Miss Bea, Georgia Shrimp Boat. Photo credit: WSA

Second place award winner

Recipient of the second place award is Jodi Traub for her painting Lush Gardens. The juror described was impressed by the beautiful marks, the layers of different colored plants, and the use of color and light pull, which pull the viewer into Traub’s pastel drawing.

Wellesley Society of Artists
Recipient of the second place award is Jodi Traub for her painting Lush Gardens. Photo credit: WSA

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Filed Under: Art, Wellesley Free Library

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Artists transform four more Wellesley electrical boxes

November 12, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Don’t be shocked if you notice an increase in art around Wellesley. Four local artists have taken paintbrushes in hand to beautify  electrical boxes in town, following the successful makeover last spring of three other formerly drab, now glamorous, infrastructure  necessities.

The Wellesley Public Art Committee spearheaded the logistics of the project, and funding was provided through Wellesley’s Local Cultural Council (a branch of Massachusetts Cultural Council); the Community Fund for Wellesley; and also by property manager Federal Realty for the box in Linden Square. Artists have recently put the the last of the paint on the community pride project.

Here’s a look at Wellesley’s newest enhanced electrical boxes:

ARTIST: Alexander Golob, whose other works in town include murals in Linden Square
LOCATION: In front of St. John school on Washington Street
CONCEPT: Everyday life in Wellesley in serene and welcoming blues.

Wellesley electrical box
“In this project I found myself gravitating toward intricate craft work,” Golob says. “Maximalism can be overwhelming but here I’m trying to show it as really refreshing, with the blue and white as a breath of fresh air. I want people to see their experiences represented here, creating a monument to home and comfort during a time when we all feel a little discomfited.”

 

Wellesley electrical box
Golob went with a highly decorated and labored art that he says builds off of folk art traditions—Italian Majolica ceramics in this case.

 

Wellesley electrical box art
The box is covered with poetry, thoughts, and photographs crowd-sourced by local community members who submitted entries to Golob themed on how Wellesley is home to them. The Swellesley family was honored to have our poem accepted for inclusion as part of the project, our first group effort at artistic expression. I got the credit on the box, but just know that Bob Brown and Duncan Brown were full members of Team Poetry.

ARTIST: Qiuyuhong Lu, originally from Shanghai, is studying at Boston University, pursuing a dual degree in Painting and Psychology
LOCATION: Crest Road and Linden Street
CONCEPT: Beautiful Wellesley Town Hall gets a soft-focus treatment, with lush sunset colors.

crest electrical box
We already know that Town Hall can’t take a bad picture. Thanks to Qiuyuhong Lu, we now know that it looks even more lovely in the hands of a skilled artist. She says she’ll be back in town soon to take care of a few finishing touches.
Wellesley electrical box
Boston University student Qiuyuhong Lu, originally from Shanghai, China., is the artist behind the gorgeous color palette of purples and pinks that surround Town Hall and fade into the Wellesley town-scape below the iconic building. The BU class of 2021 illustrator is pursuing a dual degree in painting and psychology.

ARTIST: Julie Vari-Nikolewski
LOCATION: Linden Square
CONCEPT:  Contemporary, abstract work, exploration of color and shapes.

linden square electrical box side
We love the way the shapes wrap right around the edges of the electrical box, inviting viewers to take in the painting from all vantage points.

linden sq electrical box


ARTIST: Carolyn Mackin, who when she’s not painting outside on the edge of Wellesley Square, works from a light-filled studio on the third floor of her home built in 1898.
LOCATION: Central Street and Weston Road
CONCEPT: A reminder that we don’t have to travel far distances to have a transformative experience. We can find excitement and adventure within our local community, and even within ourselves. We just need to dig deep and be open.

There was a little drama with Carolyn’s project, culminating in a directive from the Wellesley Public Art Committee to paint over her finished work and try again. It seems her original go at the project strayed too far from what Mackin outlined in her application. The Committee said she deviated too much from her proposal in terms of scale, and that the finished work must be amended to match her submission.

Here’s the latest iteration of her work, a dreamy mystical world. Mackin says the work is finished, and the Committee has granted its final approval.

Wellesley electrical box, Carolyn Mackin

Here’s what the Committee gave the thumbs-down to:

Wellesley electrical box, Carolyn Mackin
We don’t know much about art, but we liked this one, too.

swellsley ad art

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Filed Under: Art

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Commonwealth Ballet Company to perform for Wellesley via Zoom

November 11, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Commonwealth Ballet CompanyThe Commonwealth Ballet Company will present a reading of the classic tale The Nutcracker at the Wellesley Free Library on Saturday, November 21, 11am – 11:45am. Several ballet dancers from the Company will help bring certain parts of story to life in their elegant and colorful costumes as the story is read aloud.

Afterwards, the dancers will stay on the call to answer questions about dancing and their costumes. All ages welcome.

Find the registration link on the WFL events calendar.


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Filed Under: Art, Holidays, Wellesley Free Library

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Get a CLUE: Wellesley Theatre Project live streaming mystery Nov. 13 & 14

November 11, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

Clue, Wellesley Theatre ProjectIt’s a dark and stormy (virtual) night, as Wellesley Theatre Project (WTP) presents Clue streaming live through ShowShare on November 13th and 14th at 7pm. Tickets are $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online now at http://wellesleytheatreproject.org.

You’ve been invited to a very unusual, virtual dinner party. Each of the guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well . . . dead. So whodunnit? Join the iconic oddballs known as Scarlet, Plum, White, Green, Peacock, and Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up. Based on the cult classic film and the popular board game, Clue is a madcap comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist..

Clue features a talented cast of thirteen students between the ages of eleven and sixteen. Cast members reside in Wellesley as well as neighboring communities including Natick, Needham, Newton, Cambridge and Wayland.

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Filed Under: Art, Entertainment, Theatre

Beyond Wellesley: this South Natick, Massachusetts garden brings on the drama

October 15, 2020 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

“When you love something, you don’t look at your watch or the clock. You don’t think about the time. When you love something you just do it,” said Karen Coffman as we looked out at her South Natick garden all dressed up for fall in purples, yellows, oranges, reds, and browns. “I put in the time in the garden, and I love it. I also have really good help. My husband is strong, built like an offensive lineman, and is willing. We’ve lived here since 1995, and I’ve been gardening the whole time.”

Natick garden, Karen Coffman
South Natick gardener, Karen Coffman. She grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri and comes from a long line of mid-western farmers. Karen says  she’s the first generation off the farm. “I learned a lot about the instincts of gardening from my parents.”

Karen hasn’t always had her dream garden. For 11 years before she landed in South Natick, she and her husband called Wellesley home. She liked the town, but found the gardening an exercise in frustration. “There were just too many trees shading my property,” she said. “I couldn’t get the six hours of sun per day that I needed without chopping down my neighbor’s trees. I told Lonnie I needed more sun for a garden.”

She found the perfect property that abutted acres and acres of apple orchards and, most importantly, it was a place where she could get direct sun for the necessary 6 – 8 hours per day. Still, the 1⅓-acre space wasn’t exactly ready for its close-up. “When we got here we cut down 37 swamp maples,” Karen said.

Natick garden, Karen Coffman
Deciduous trees, evergreens, shrubs, grasses, and perennials are layered to create a painterly effect.

With the shade eliminated, the sun poured onto the lot. That was one box checked.

Next, there was the matter of the lack of organic matter. “You know how they say in real estate it’s all about location, location, location?” Karen asked. “Well, in gardening it’s all about the soil, the soil, the soil. The soil was so poor here I knew nothing would grow.”

So she had truckloads of the offending dirt hauled away. “Then I ordered the best loam and filled the yard back in. My budget was 75% spent and I hadn’t bought a single plant. But I had to do it. The land tells you what to do if you pay attention.”

Once the dirt deed was done, another box was checked off. Karen was just a couple more steps away from realizing her dream.

Natick garden, Karen Coffman

Soil and sun are all very well and good, but a garden can’t grow without water. Since, as you can probably tell by now, Karen goes big or goes home, she had an 850-foot well drilled. “With the kind of investment I was making in this garden, I wasn’t willing to just let everything go during periods of drought.”

With the infrastructure in place, it was time to have fun and bring on the drama. Not a problem for someone who trained as an opera singer for 12 years. In fact, both Karen and her husband Lonnie trained at Indiana University. After graduation, they went to New York City and tried to break into the business.

Natick garden, Karen Coffman
Karen sources most of her plant materials from Fran’s Flowers. “Fran believes in people first,” she says.

“I did the starving artist bit for three years. Then I came to a fork in the road and made a decision to go into the tech  industry, I went into business and entered the sales side of things. I had sold pianos before, and had been good at it then. I found I was still good at sales and that’s what I built my career around.”

But she never lost her love of all things theatrical, and compares the topography of her garden to a raked stage. That’s a set that slopes upward, away from the audience, giving those at the back a better view than if all the seats were at the same level, which explains why so much of the garden is visible from no matter where you stand. As I looked out from the back deck, I could see how the garden layout moved from orchestra pit to mezzanine to balcony.

Unsurprisingly, this was not by accident. Karen considers herself a student of gardening, but says, “I’m not a designer. Never claimed to be one. So I got help from someone who knew what he was doing.”

Natick garden, Karen Coffman
Over 70 boxwoods make up the hedge at the back of the property.

Enter landscape architect Thomas Wirth who fit in 40 specimen trees to replace the felled maples; added a koi pond; used the existing gazebo as an architectural element; and created flow and balance throughout.

Although the garden was professionally designed, it’s continually evolving. Karen adds here and subtracts there as the muse dictates and aesthetics allow. “My major considerations when planning and working in the garden are height, texture, bloom time, and maintenance,” she says. “It’s an experiment, number one. It’s a puzzle, number 2. If something doesn’t work, if it’s only pretty for a brief bloom time and then ugly for the rest of the year, out it goes.”

As you can see, she’s ruthless. Karen says it’s the only way and cites her decades in executive recruiting as good preparation for ripping out uncooperative plants. “Now that was a ruthless business,” she says.

Natick garden, Karen Coffman
The gazebo, tucked away behind the koi pond, came with the property. A dwarf variety of Sargent Crabapple tree frames the scene.

My tour over, Karen sends me off with a red Solo cup full of dahlias and other autumn gems that she clipped with her number 2 Felcos as we strolled the grounds.

“Don’t forget to let me know which plants you want divisions from,” she calls out as I leave.

Oh, don’t worry, Karen. That’s an offer nobody could refuse.

MORE PICTURES:

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Filed Under: Art, Environment, Gardens, Outdoors

Visit virtual Wellesley Society of Artists fall show

October 14, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

From the Wellesley Society of Artists:

The Wellesley Society of Artists fall show normally held at the Wellesley Community Center is currently online and will run until Dec. 1. Similar to the spring show, which drew more than 1,000 viewers, the fall show features the work of 51 WSA Exhibiting artists.

Juror for the show is local artist and Page Waterman Gallery manager Ryan Black. He has designated first, second and third place winners as well as honorable mention awards.

First place award winner is Cynthia Demir for her painting “Woman with White Pitcher;” the juror believed the artist had made fantastic use of the medium of pastel, using contour lines with some forms, but completely abandoning them in other areas, as if the subject dictates what needs to be painterly and atmospheric, and what needs to be narrative and draw the eye.

WomanwithWhitePitcher(1)
Cynthia Demir’s “Woman with White Pitcher”

 

Recipient of the second place award is Lori Mehta for her painting “A Load Off Your Shoulders;” the juror felt there is a boldness to the painting that commands attention; he saw the piece as breaking so many rules and norms and leaning into so much of what painters have traditionally attempted to avoid in figure work, only adding to the narrative promised by the title.

Linda Zug was awarded third place for her painting “Fruit and Flowers.”

Honorable mentions went to David Holt for “Boston’s Theatre District,” Michele Clamp for “Black-Shouldered Kite,” Yvonne Posa for “Phase 2 on Fabric Row,” Dina Gardner for “Poetry in Motion” and Joan Onofrey for “The Ladies.”

The WSA fall show was partially funded by a grant from the Wellesley Cultural Council.

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Wellesley Cultural Council grant applicants will really need to be creative this time around

October 1, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Cultural Council’s grant application process opens Oct. 1 for those who need funds to present “programs in the arts, humanities, or sciences for the cultural benefit of the people of Wellesley.” are encouraged to apply to the Wellesley Cultural Council for funding support. The deadline is Monday, Nov. 16, 2020.

The twist this year is that those applying will need to think of how to engage the public without necessarily bringing them together physically due to COVID-19 restrictions. More guidance on COVID-19 related considerations.

The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, which allocates funds to community cultural programs like the Wellesley Cultural Council.

Fun fact: Mrs. Swellesley was a 2016 recipient of a Wellesley Cultural Council grant. I called my project “Wellesley Dump Art.” 


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