Furniture, textiles, ceramics, and diverse works in many other mediums included.
BOSTON—Works by nearly 40 LGBTQ-identifying craft artists from around New England and across the country converge at the Society of Arts + Crafts (SA+C) for “PRIED,” a new exhibition curated by Izzy Berdan and Dave J. Bermingham of the Boston LGBTQIA Artist Alliance. The show runs April 25-June 30, 2019; a free public reception will be held on April 25 from 6-9 p.m.
“PRIED” aims to challenge the notion of “queer craft,” recognizing works that don’t focus solely on the makers’ sexual identity, but instead show how these artists wrestle with broader social issues and their places in the world. The title suggests both the annual celebration of the gay community’s achievements and the idea of delving uninvited into someone’s personal affairs.
“Each June, Pride Month is embraced as a means of release, hedonism, and validation,” Bermingham says, “but for many queer, trans, and non-binary persons, it is instead an opportunity to question notions of queerness, community, and sexuality, as well as our place in the public and private realms of our respective societies.
In the same way, ‘PRIED’ puts an intensive focus on LGBTQ craft artists, but challenges the viewers and craft connoisseurs who seek it out. If they’re willing to pull open the closet door, are they also willing to come to terms with the skeletons and, maybe, the glitter inside?”
The exhibition features work by artists in almost all areas of craft making, from textiles and pottery to woodworking, furniture, jewelry making, and more. Highlighted artists include:
- Vivian Beer: an award-winning, New England-based furniture maker who creates sleek and striking pieces, including benches and chairs;
- Larry Buller: a mixed-media and ceramics artist whose work touches on transgressive themes surrounding masculinity;
- Arthur Halvorsen: a ceramics artist working out of Mudflat Studios in Somerville, Mass., who creates large, lavishly vibrant pottery pieces;
- Brian Kenny: a multidisciplinary artist working in murals, textiles, video and performance, who will create an in-gallery mural for the show; and
- Matt Lambert: a jewelry and metal artist from Detroit, Mich., whose work questions traditional approaches to jewelry and adornment.
“By bringing ‘PRIED’ to the Society of Arts + Crafts, we’re underscoring how the many forms of craft can tell the personal and social stories of all types of people,” says Executive Director Brigitte Martin. “The artists in this exhibition offer unique perspectives on the objects and ideas we encounter every day. Izzy, Dave, and the Boston LBGTQIA Artist Alliance have developed an exhibition that starts with the idea of queer craft but ultimately speaks to everyone.”
The Society of Arts + Crafts is located at 100 Pier 4 Blvd., 2nd floor (entrance on Seaport Ave.). Gallery hours are Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Thu 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m.. Closed Mon. For more details, visit societyofcrafts.org or call 617-266-1810.
For more than a century, the Society of Arts + Crafts has connected artists with the communities who sustain them. SA+C commits itself to supporting craft artists, and advancing public appreciation of contemporary craft.
[From a News Release]
