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Small Works Salon 2019: Interior Spaces

Juror: Hilary Tait Norod

March 25 – April 19, 2019

Reception: Thursday, April 4, 6 – 8 pm

The spaces we inhabit are equally influential on and reflective of who we are and who we become. That becomes clear in this year’s Small Works Salon, where the theme asks artists to focus on their “Interior Spaces.” Over 110 artists applied to be in the show, and the selections by juror Hilary Tait Norod will go on display at the Chandler Gallery on March 25th.

Many of the chosen artists zero in on details of home: Emily Murdock’s “Outside from Inside” is a series of photographs following light in different times of day and in different rooms, and Patty DeGrandpre’s “The Sitting Room” is a diptych focusing on a single black chair. Others have a more abstract approach to the prompt, imagining boundaries and lines in spaces where there are none. Some evoke turmoil, like the burnt edges of Stephanie Roberts – Camello’s “They Never Shed A Tear”  or the crumpled sheets in “Bedscape” by Gary Duehr, while others are drenched in a calm, almost strange, solitude, like “At the Desk” by Rebecca Doughty.

In all interpretations of the prompt, there is a clear sense that whatever the artist put on the canvas isn’t everything they intend for you to see. Parts of these pieces draw you in deeper, past first impressions, to somewhere inside of you.

“Domestic objects can often serve as a stand in for ourselves,” Tait Norod said. “By balancing the object and abstract subject matter in this exhibition, the show will create a sense of personal intrigue and exploration, seeking out what is familiar and what is intangible.”

As this year’s juror, Tait Norod explained that, to make her selections, she looked at both the quality of the work and how it reflected the theme. She added that the choice was difficult, as so many of the submissions hit both these marks in thoughtful, unique and intriguing ways. Ultimately, her choices, however they may differ in style and execution, come together to form a cohesive experience.

“Although the work may be highly individualized, they all produce and invoke a warm accessibility for the viewer to attach their own personable stories to,” she said.

“Small Works Salon 2019” is on display at the Chandler Gallery from March 25-April 19. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 4 from 6-8pm. The Chandler Gallery is a program under the umbrella of the Agassiz Baldwin Community, a private, non-profit organization that has provided quality programs and services in the Cambridge community for over 40 years. Agassiz Baldwin Community also manages Maud Morgan Arts, a full arts program of classes and workshops for all ages. Maud Morgan Arts works to reflect the diversity of talents of the community, bringing people together to make art, share art, and support visual arts education.