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There is a judicious balance between tools and ephemera of the industry as well as a superb and insightful mix of works from the museum’s collection that further enhance and illustrate this history. Most intriguing was the manner in which granite and the quarries inspired artists.  

The Clark Art Institute presents an exhibition on mid-nineteenth-century French artists who looked beyond realistic subject matter. Their work encompasses the Gothic nostalgia of architectural photography, the social critique embedded in searing allegorical illustrations, and the literary connections with fantastical art. Shadow Visionaries: French Artists Against the Current, 1840–70 i

An attorney is dispatched to the creepy marshlands of eastern England to clear up the estate of a recently deceased widow. The attorney faces resistance from the local populace, a mountain of unexpected papers to be reviewed, and worse yet, earmarks of the supernatural - furnishings moved when no human is around and appearances of an apparition.

Building on the extraordinary momentum and record attendance generated by the 2023 exhibition Edward Hopper & Cape Ann: Illuminating an American Landscape, the Cape Ann Museum is pleased to announce a new landmark exhibition, Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea, on view from June 30 through September 27, 2026. 

While at the American Theatre Critics Conference in NYC, I attended four shows. By coincidence, the common theme of revisiting or reunion emerged. Women's relationships and rights surfaced as another binding element. Reviews of each play will appear separately.

Lizzie wants to learn more about her deceased mother who was committed to women's liberation. The scene shifts between her mother's "conscious raising" group in Ohio in the '70s and Lizzie's interviewing group members in present time.

Nobody but Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr. could have written such a remarkable book. Drawing on a lifetime as a curator and scholar he has provided a sweeping critical analysis of the field of American Art from Colonial times through the present. With complete authority he rampages through an intriguingly well written and argued book that pulls no punches in telling it like it is.

COSMOS Gallery’s  Unexpected #25 – Unwrapped will feature numerous and diverse artwork by The New England Experimental Art Group. The group is renowned for their innovative pursuit of contemporary art, with no constraints on technique or materials.

Artadia, a non-profit grantmaking organization and nationwide community of visual artists, curators, and patrons,  announces the 2025 Boston Artadia Awardees: Sónia Almeida, the Wagner Foundation Boston Artadia Award recipient; Brittni Ann Harvey; and Sopheak Sam. 

The Clark Art Institute announces that Lara Yeager-Crasselt has been appointed to serve as the first Aso O. Tavitian Curator of Early Modern European Painting and Sculpture.

This musical, even more so than when it opened in 1998, forces us to confront some truths that we would prefer to ignore. It points out that America has not always lived up to its ideals and, in fact, has at times rejected them.

The Druid theater is mounting Samuel Beckett’s Endgame at the Irish Arts Center in New York.  The set is striking. It is curved like the inside of the two garbage cans sitting on the stage, covered by cloth at the start.  Inside tthe actual cans are two stumps–a happily married couple, Negg and Nell, played here by Bosco Hogan and Marie Mullen (one of the founders of Druid). 

Honored for Oh, Mary!, a hysterical, historically inaccurate Broadway hit that reimagines Mary Todd Lincoln, the 16th president’s wife, as a perpetually tipsy, attention-starved First Lady who longs to be a cabaret singer. Performed in drag by Escola (who also wrote the play.

Wagner's final opera boasts some of his most organic music and lyrics in a tale of redemption. The piece demands enormous resources of every kind, and San Francisco Opera has produced a matchless experience that excels in every way.

Much of bartending at Chez Haynes was about words, about the conversation, the ‘craic’ as the Irish say. It was also about theatre. The place was dressed like a stage and there were people coming and going, making their entrances and exits all through the night. With just a comment thrown in here and there, suddenly there was a real entertainment.

The Demon of the Book does not dissuade us from learning; on the contrary, it thrives on our love for it. It tempts us to believe that by memorizing scriptures and mastering doctrines, we have mastered the Dao itself. This barrier turns knowledge into a gilded cage.

Resulting from Colonialism and looting some 90% of traditional African art is not to be found in Africa. Only recently has there been an awareness of this inequity. Noah Kane-Smalls is an administrator at Williams College Art Museum with some 20 years in the field. Here with passion and precision he lays out the issues and what needs to be done.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), has reached a historic agreement with the known descendants of David?Drake (also known as Dave the Potter) regarding two monumental stoneware vessels in the MFA’s collection that were made by the enslaved potter and poet. The Museum has restored ownership of both works, returning one to Drake’s family and purchasing the other back.

Through the efforts of the Boston Public Art Triennial, the City of Boston’s civic life and built environment have been enhanced and strengthened. Bravo!

Gabriele Münter: Contours of a World will focus on her heightened Expressionist production from around 1908 to 1920, while also highlighting her later developments. The presentation will comprise some sixty paintings and nineteen of her early photographs across three galleries.

In every sense Marion Diacono, who died today, was truly unique and remarkable. As a gallerist he had a deep and lasting impact but few of the A list works he showed remained in Boston. Italian born with a global vision his program was light years out of reach for earth bound and generally reactionary collectors, curators and critics. While they came to look mostly collectors failed to open their wallets. There were token sales to the MFA and at that time the ICA did not collect.

The theatrical version of the movie "All About Eve" differs around the edges but carries the same impact. The fading star Margo Channing faces the rise of the talented but unprincipled Eve Harrington.

To open its season, Palm Beach Dramaworks in West Palm Beach is presenting a praiseworthy production of Katori Hall's moving and funny fantasia, "The Mountaintop."

It has been estimated that 7 Million people in the USA participated peacefully and joyfully in one of the more than 2.600 events in all of the USA and also around the globe! The Anti-Trump League is growing!

This year's productions showcase a dynamic range of theatrical styles and voices, featuring contemporary works alongside student-created performances that push creative boundaries.