May 03 Friday
March 18 - May 3Opening Reception on Thursday March 28, 12:30-2:00pm.
Landi Hou practices papercutting, the traditional art form of meticulous cutting images from paper with scissors or a knife. The craft of papercutting is practiced by diverse cultures globally and ranges from simple designs to intricate and detailed patterns and scenery.
Hou’s approach to papercutting blends the characteristics of Eastern and Western techniques to craft her own unique designs. Her works emphasize sophisticated details and dynamic compositions.
Hou has led papercutting workshops and participated in major cultural events in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. In January 2024, she was awarded the Outstanding Chinese Heritage Advancement Award by the Chinese-American Heritage Association for her contribution to the community. One of the state senators attended the ceremony to present the award. Hou holds a master’s degree in computer science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She serves as a professional staff member, and adjunct faculty at CT-State Community College, Middlesex Campus. While her daily professional focus centers on education, her commitment to paper cutting serves as a reflection of her deep affection for this distinctive art form.
Pegasus Gallery is located within the library on the first floor of Chapman Hall
Explore the captivating worlds of mystery and wonder in this exhibition featuring highlights from the Norman Rockwell Museum’s Permanent Collection, which now holds almost 25,000 illustrations by prominent artists working across genres and time periods. On display are cover art for award-winning novels and mysteries, children’s book illustrations inspired by classic tales, fantastical anthropomorphic drawings, and heart-stopping editorial images.
Exhibit Link: https://www.nrm.org/2023/12/mysteryandwonder/
March 9 Members Receptionhttps://www.nrm.org/2023/12/mysteryandwonder/RSVP https://tickets.nrm.org/
In “Recycled Art/Art Recycled” the members of the Canton Artists’ Guild imaginatively explore diverse aspects of the meaning of recycling. Some have made art from recycled materials or created art that reflects the idea of recycling. Other artists have taken a previous piece of work and transformed it into something entirely new. Come see these intriguing takes on recycling in prints, drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures, ceramics, collages and fiber art. In upstairs galleries are two solo shows. “Mind & Nature” features drawings and paintings in which Harriet Caldwell explores the functioning of the human and animal mind. The incredibly intelligent ravens are a particular focus. Caldwell has a BFA from Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, where she taught for 18 years. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in many states. She has received multiple awards for her work, including a 2012 Fellowship from the Connecticut Office of the Arts, a 1996 Painting Fellowship from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, a grant from the Puffin Foundation and a Millay Resident Fellowship. Caldwell’s work has been included in “Tu non uccidere” [Thou Shall Not Kill] published in Bologna, Italy (2008) and in Poetica Magazine, Holocaust Edition (2014). “Pandora’s Box” series, the second solo show, features abstract and whimsical sculpture of Stephen Klema. Klema describes these as an exploration of “the processes of accretion and loss—one desire to contain against the other desire to expand; the polarization of forces echoing the constant push and pull from order to chaos and back again.” His sculpture is fabricated using abutting, overlapping and interlocking stained and painted elements intricately assembled to yield a coherent and evocative work. Klema received his MFA from the Hartford Art School, and his BFA from the Atlanta College of Art. He is a highly accomplished artist who has had indoor and outdoor sculpture in juried exhibits across the nation, with permanent installations in New York, Ohio, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Within our region Klema’s indoor sculptures have been shown at the Becket Arts Center, Five Points Gallery, Silvermine Galleries, the Mattatuck Museum, Farmington Valley Arts Center, Limner Gallery, Kehler Liddell Gallery, and Real Art Ways. An opening reception is on Saturday, April 20 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The public is warmly invited to attend this free reception.
May 04 Saturday
The whole family will enjoy these enchanting shorts, which include several kinds of animation, kid actors, talking dragons, sea serpents, engineering mice, and magic marbles. The program will run about an hour, after which we’ll get to meet some of the attending filmmakers, ask them questions, and maybe even touch the dragons! This screening also features the work of three student filmmakers, and includes (not necessarily in this order):
All the Marbles, directed by Melissa McClungBay Creek Tennis Camp, directed by Michele MeekDragon Agent-Wreckers of Boston, directed by Gordon LePage *Dragon Poets of Boston, directed by Gordon LePage *Mariposas, directed by Adrian CareyThe Toad in the Hole, directed by Oliver Brubaker **Today We Climbed a Hill, directed by Gordon LePage *Unsorted, directed by Daniel GönczyWaiting for Sea Serpents, directed by Ben Tobin
* Director Gordon LePage plans to attend the talkback, represent his films, and show the audience some of the puppets he created to make them** Director Oliver Brubaker plans to attend the talkback and represent his film The Toad in the Hole
All of these wonderful short docs were made by Massachusetts-based filmmakers, and they vary in tone from whimsical to breathtaking to inspiring to profound. If you’re interested in local film, you will not want to miss this event and the filmmaker talkback afterwards; plan to stay a little longer for that and enjoy some light refreshments between this screening and the 7pm show. This lineup includes (not necessarily in this order):
Closing the Gap, directed by Maura Smith & Kate Smith *Find the Veteran - The Green River Festival 2023, directed by Dave Sondrini *Finding the Words, directed by Alexandra Wagman *The North Cascades: An Elevated Journey, directed by Ben Avishai *Small Lives, directed by Colin Hodgson *
*All of the filmmakers plan to attend the talkback and represent their films
Horror films have always enjoyed a devoted audience. This year, we’re celebrating female filmmakers in the genre with seven blood-chilling, women-made shorts. This selection showcases a wide range of styles: expect these films to unsettle, tickle, frighten, upset, surprise, and confound you. Wherever each makes you tingle — be it the back of your neck, your gut, or your gums — you’re going to feel them! We’re going to have a great talkback with attending filmmakers afterwards, moderated by local talent Kt Baldassaro (writer and co-director of the absolutely unforgettable Girl in the Basement), during which all of your gnawing questions will be answered. This screening will include the films (not necessarily in this order):
Are You Alone in the House, directed by Lindsey DeLand *Bloodercream, directed by Elise ValderramaDon't Fall From Grace, directed by Carley Byers **Have a Good Day, directed by Lisa Soper ***Not Him, directed by Sarah YoungTeeth, directed by Rachel Thomas-MedwidWomen and Elephants, directed by Barbara Stepansky ****
* Writer/Director Lindsey DeLand and Producer Josh DeForge plan to attend the talkback and represent their film Are You Alone in the House** Writer/Director Carley Byers plans to attend the talkback and represent her film Don’t Fall From Grace*** Writer/Director Lisa Soper plans to attend the talkback and represent her film Have a Good Day**** Writer/Producer/Lead Actor Marlowe Holden and Lead Actor Scott Thomas plan to attend the talkback and represent their film Women and Elephants
May 05 Sunday