Fitchburg
Massachusetts
Fitchburg Art Museum Happenings Newsletter for February 2024
Arts and Entertainment
February 1, 2024
From: Fitchburg Art MuseumOpening in February
On Her Terms: Feminine Power Embodied
Opening February 3, 2024
On Her Terms: Feminine Power Embodied features New England artists who foreground the human body in their work to engage contemporary issues around women’s rights. Taking inspiration from concepts including the Woman Life Freedom movement, modern rap, historical gynecological tools, and Victorian hair weaving, these artists identify the body as a site of empowerment.
Supported by the Simonds Lecture Fund.
Click here to register for our Spring Exhibitions Opening Reception on Feb. 3 from 2 – 4 PM.
Portrayed by Eakins: Ella Crowell as Model and Student
Opening February 3, 2024
Ella Crowell (1873–1897) was an important figure in the art and life of her uncle, the renowned American artist Thomas Eakins (1844–1916). He famously painted her as a toddler in Baby at Play (1876) but was later held responsible for her mental decline and early death.
Click here to register for our Spring Exhibitions Opening Reception on Feb. 3 from 2 – 4 PM.
Africa Rising: 21st-Century African Photography
Opening February 24, 2024
Africa Rising is the inaugural exhibition of FAM’s new collection of 21st-century African photography, a sampling of the recent explosion of fine art photography on the continent. The exhibition includes 50 artworks by 33 artists from 17 of Africa’s 54 countries. Themes that recur across this visually stunning show include identity in the aftermath of colonialism, environmental exploitation and decay, female empowerment, and Afro-Futurism.
Supported by a generous grant from the Geneviève McMillan - Reba Stewart Foundation.
Click here to register for the Opening Reception on Mar. 2 from 2 – 4 PM.
Closing in February
Moving Objects: African and Oceanic Art
Closing on February 4, 2024
This exhibition, FAM’s exhibition of African and Oceanic Art, recognizes the significance and dramatic visual presence of work from Africa and the Pacific Islands through the exploration of the migrating object. In celebration of the generosity of FAM’s friends, whose donations have shaped the collection, the exhibition tracks each object’s journey to the Museum from its respective point of origin.
Now on View
Capital Vice: Politics of the Seven Deadly Sins
Now through June 2, 2024
Capital Vice highlights a variety of artforms in the Fitchburg Art Museum’s Permanent Collection (including street photography, silverware, and weaponry) to question how outdated notions of archetypal sin fit within a modern sensibility.
Ria Brodell: Butch Heroes
Now through June 23, 2024
Ria Brodell’s ongoing Butch Heroes series is a revelatory project of historic excavation and Queer reclamation. Since 2010, the Boston-based artist has conducted archival research to find records of people with whom they could recognize a personal kinship—people who were assigned female at birth, but presented as more masculine than feminine and didn’t abide by heterosexual norms. Drawing upon descriptive accounts and primary sources, Brodell creates real or imagined portraits of their subjects in the style of Catholic holy cards.
La bodega de mis sueños
(The bodega of my dreams)
Also on view
In this inaugural installation of public art on the museum’s façade, Cuban-American artist and educator Gabriel Sosa considers the stories of Spanish-speaking residents in Central Massachusetts, contemporary visual culture in downtown Fitchburg, and the complexities of the American Dream.
Ari Montford’s Freedom Arrows
Also on view
Ari Montford’s Freedom Arrows amplifies the arrow’s symbolism as tool, weapon, and message to explore Indigenous Black themes through the lens of the Native American experience of genocide. Within the museum lobby, a volley of hand-beaded arrows is suspended midair (as if just unleashed from unseen bows) and embedded in the walls. Dual concepts of protection and service, aggression and power blend with the arrows’ spiritual presence to create a space that provokes conversation about racial justice and narrative-making. Montford’s installation engages with the impact of structural racism, Indigenous trauma, and the process of creating safe spaces for restorative justice through their own voice as a Black Two Spirit Indigenous cultural practitioner.
Programs
Free First Thursdays and the Farmers Market
Thursday, February 1, 2024
12 – 7 PM
Every First Thursday, the museum is FREE for all visitors, 12 – 7 PM.
In February, we will have the Fitchburg Farmers Market from 3 - 5:30 PM.
Hosted by Growing Places, the market offers both SNAP and the Healthy Incentives Program.
Free First Thursdays is supported by an endowment given to the Fitchburg Art
Museum in memory of Martha Malm.
Artmaking Workshop for Youth
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
1 – 4 PM
Inspired by our current exhibitions, teaching artist Suzanne Hauerstein will lead participants in making their own works of art using various art materials and themes.
Free with Museum entry – just drop in!
Yoga in the Galleries
Tuesdays 6:15 – 7:30 PM
January 23 – April 30, 2024
Wind down your evening with a relaxing yoga flow. Learn to see the beauty within yourself while practicing yoga in a beautiful, supportive environment. Join instructor Dianne Tousignant who will guide you through breath awareness, warm-up poses, strengthening, and relaxation. All levels are welcome.
Instruction can be adapted for beginning students as well as those with more experience. Bring your own yoga mat and dress comfortably. $15 drop-in per class payable in class. Multi-class discount available.
If you prefer to register in advance, call 978-345-4207 or email [email protected]
Volunteer Opportunity: FAM Museum Guide
Museum Guides lead educational tours of FAM exhibitions for school and adult groups. Becoming a Museum Guide is a great way to learn about FAM exhibitions and meet people with similar interests in a stimulating art environment.
If you like interacting with people and have a love of learning, please contact Suzanne Hauerstein, Manager of Education Programs, by phone at 978-424-4542 or by email at [email protected]
Your Support Makes a Difference!
Whether you visit, attend an event, spread the word, or contribute, you make a difference at the Fitchburg Art Museum – for yourself and for the lives of others. You are impacting our community, our region, our artists, and our families.
Click Here for more information.