About Face Results Are In!
FOUNTAIN STREET’S ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
ABOUT FACE
Juried by Michelle May and Payal Thiffault, founders of Juniper Rag.
Exhibition Dates: July 27- August 27, 2023
SoWa First Friday Art Walk: August 4, 2023, 5:00–8:00PM
Additional Events: TBD
CURATORIAL STATEMENT
Subjectivity is supreme in the professional world we live in. Our world as artists, marketers and promoters of art is one of image-making, creative editing and trend forecasting. With an overwhelming submission response to “About Face”, our immediate reactions and intuitive convictions, combined with the close study of artist statements dictate the results. Selecting art allows us to profoundly express personal preferences and strong aversions. In many cases, the strongest artist statements ultimately informed our final choices between the art we loved visually and art that resonated with the call. This emotional quotient started revealing itself immediately to us as we learned about the work and the artists. The visual stories selected are executed expertly, the descriptions of materials and processes were accurately described, and intentional statements were thoughtfully written.
“About Face” is a prestigious visual narrative that emerged out of five rounds of viewing and study. The collection dares to explore many varied ways this group of contemporary artists has represented identity in a cultural construct, existence in a litany of an unjust world, pain, loss and also as a celebration of self and empowerment. The show title references the “face”, and what we found in this selection of interpretations had to be a deep and resolute story of the human condition. While there is a continued relevance of portraiture in this collection, we reach beyond to connect on a mission-driven level. “Let your voice be heard” suggests personal intimacy and confrontation, cultural, political and personal engagement. The works submitted, many of which were large-scale and not all representational, brought us through channels of discovering the best that fit this narrative. We selected 6.8% of the 691, including different painting mediums, photography, sculpture, assemblage, textiles and groupings of small pieces which increased our goal number of just 30 works (4.25%) to 47 total pieces. Selection for this call was extremely difficult and competitive.
Included are mesmerizing self-portraits over time like Wishful Thinking by Jackie Liu, to depictions of family and people of the past, the works convey a range of hopes and aspirations, preoccupations and fears, and distinctive world views in critical, unvarnished and creative ways. Maybe She Went Out For a Walk? by Nathaniel Massari was riveting and a poignant illustration that begs so many questions. Death in Consumerism and The Erasure of the Natural by Dana Al Rashid provide absolute surprise, allowing the viewer to envision an ethnic tapestry in the distance and a symmetrical visual reminiscent of the formula of the tableaux of Wes Anderson as you approach, realizing the depictions are distinctively pop culture. Amplifying plurality and difference, the artwork does not reveal itself too easily and lays bare the complexity of historically marginalized communities and people facing personal, cultural and community challenges.
Historically, artists have been the voices of humanity and this show is an example and by viewing it we have the opportunity to know each other better. The power of “About Face” proposes that the multiplicity found in this exhibition is the face of the world that confronts us every day, emotional and vulnerable, telling a universal story of an experience that unites us.
Working with Marie Craig and Fountain Street was a wonderful experience. All aspects of the process were so well organized and the process was so very smooth. We can see why Fountain Street was voted Best of Boston. With 691 record-breaking pieces of art, we ere thrilled to jury one of their most ambitious calls to date. It was certainly the biggest call we have juried. We are honored and excited for About Face to open and we hope to see you there. Announcements for prize winners will be forthcoming. An in-person viewing is a must before we give final selections.
Congratulations to the artists selected. It was truly an honor viewing all the work in this call. Learning about the artists, their processes and reasons for making and sharing art are always such an incredible rewarding experience. We are full of gratitude to Marie, Tatiana and everyone at Fountain Street to have been trusted with this opportunity.
ABOUT FACE Accepted Artworks
Elisa Adams, Surprise!
Marines Adrianza, Murae
Dana Al Rashid, Death in Consumerism
Dana Al Rashid, The Erasure of the Natural
Elizabeth Alexander, A Mightier Work is Ahead: They Were Soldiers Indeed no.2
Susan Alport, "Portrait"
Susan Alport, "It's About Time"
yi believe, how to stay afloat
Trudy Borenstein- Sugiura, The Other/Brother
Trudy Borenstein- Sugiura, Thursday's Child
Sandra Cohen, Kilroy
Delaney Conner, Ugh
Delaney Conner, Love That For Me
Linda Diak, Franklin Habit
Natasha Dikareva, Witness
Dina Doyle, “Bleu Coeur”
Dimitri Dubuisson, Social Interaction
Julia C R Gray, On His Way Up, Manifesto Added
Julia C R Gray, SHE Coral, Charcoal Nebula Blue
Naomi Grossman, Connection
Casey Hayward, Your Protection (example 2)
Bob , Root Mask
Karen Khan, Imminent
Jackie Liu, Wishful Thinking
Nicole Maloof, The Freddy Jar
Nathaniel Massari, Maybe She Went Out For a Walk?
Kate Morgan, what was, what is and what will be
Denyse Murphy, Facing2
Carrie Nixon, H from Somalia (Young Immigrants Series)
Paul Plumadore, Anatomy Lesson #33
Paul Plumadore, Anatomy Lesson #37
Paul Plumadore, Anatomy Lesson #47
Paul Plumadore, Anatomy Lesson #49
Chelsea Revelle, Grooming the Thoroughbred
Karin Rosenthal, Conversation, 2022
Simone Scholes, Be Here Now
Fay Senner, Ancestral Healing
Robert Steffen, Limit Number 2
Diane Sullivan, I Dream of Bats
Robert Sullivan, Meditora
Robert Sullivan, Cognitia
Stephanie Todhunter, MINA: First Contact
Stephanie Todhunter, Fern is good at hiding
Gay Tracy, Adam's Apple, Breasts, Woman, Man
Ira Upin, Grant Park Lady
Nick Ward, Private Message #2
Bruce Wilson, Common Cause
ABOUT FOUNTAIN STREET
Fountain Street is a contemporary gallery in the SOWA art district of Boston, nestled among inviting shops, artist studios and galleries in a vibrant and diverse up-and-coming neighborhood. We exhibit a wide array of media from over 30 emerging and mid-career artists in our main and annex galleries, and 24/7 at our sidewalk video gallery. Founded by artists Marie Craig and Cheryl Clinton in 2011, our passion has always been about connecting art seekers and makers through thoughtfully curated exhibitions, juried shows, collaborative projects and installations. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is reflected in the media that we exhibit, artists and curators that we promote, and audiences that we seek to engage.
Fountain Street’s membership-based model allows artists to focus on artistic practice while also gaining experience in curation, business operations and critical dialogue. Under the leadership of co-founder and director Marie Craig and assistant director Tatiana Flis, Fountain Street was voted Best of Boston® 2019.
Fountain Street is a member of the Association of Women Art Dealers, Boston Art Dealers Association, South End Business Alliance (SEBA) and the SOWA Art + Design District of Boston. Fountain Street proudly supports the United South End Artists (USEA) and Mass Creative.
