Fitchburg
Massachusetts
Fitchburg Art Museum Happenings Newsletter for October 2024
Arts and Entertainment
October 1, 2024
From: Fitchburg Art MuseumNow Open
Bob Dilworth: When I Remembered Home
Now through January 12, 2025
Our fall exhibition features the vibrantly colored, richly layered, monumental portraits of Bob Dilworth. Dilworth incorporates layers of paint, paper, and fabric to create images that merge portraiture, landscape, and abstraction into tender representations of the people and places he loves. Recently, Dilworth has been inspired by the challenges and possibilities of fabric as a primary medium and the Fitchburg Art Museum is proud to present this new work together for the first time.
Also On View in October
G.O.A.T.: The Sports Photography of Walter Iooss
Now through January 5, 2025
G.O.A.T.-meaning “greatest of all time”-highlights the Fitchburg Art Museum’s expansive collection of sports photography by Walter Iooss.
Iooss photographed professional sports with the passion and perception of a true fan, capturing iconic moments in sports history for over sixty years. His ability to read a game and identify player strategy allowed him to photograph jump shots, home run swings, and end zone catches with cinematic flair—a skill that earned him over 300 Sports Illustrated covers.
Over his career, Iooss photographed some of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, shaping the visual culture of American sports and with it the celebrity status of players including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, and Derek Jeter. G.O.A.T. considers how Iooss captured the joys, devastations, pressures, and anticipations of professional sports using light, movement, and color to craft visual narratives that continue to captivate us.
This exhibit is sponsored by Country Bank.
Africa Rising: 21st-Century African Photography
Now through February 23, 2025
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. 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.
Ari Montford’s Freedom Arrows
Ongoing
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.
La bodega de mis sueños
(The bodega of my dreams)
FAM Public Art
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.
Learning Lounges
Visit our Learning Lounges! These family-friendly interactive spaces offer multiple ways to explore the themes and techniques within our exhibitions. These activities are open-ended and can be done alone or with family and friends.
Learning Lounges are generously supported by The Cathedral Fund and the Geneviève McMillan–Reba Stewart Foundation.
Community Gallery
A Place Called Home: The Ebenezer Keyes Conservation Project
On view through October 27, 2024
Jessica Robey explored and documented the Ebenezer Keyes Conservation Area (in Gardner) as the North County Land Trust Artist-in-Residence from 2023-2024. Robey considers the historical and environmental factors of the site in her multi-media photographs.
October Programs & Events
Free First Thursday
Thursday, October 3, 2024
12 – 7 PM
Visit at night and explore the Museum in a different light. Every First Thursday, the museum is free for all visitors, 12 – 7 PM.
Free First Thursdays is supported by an endowment given to the Fitchburg Art
Museum in memory of Martha Malm.
Hidden Treasures
Thursday, October 17, 2024
1 – 3 PM
This free art program is for individuals who have early- to middle-stage Alzheimer's disease or related dementia, and their caregivers. Join our Museum Guides for enjoyable learning and interaction through gallery discussions and artmaking.
Hidden Treasures is developed by the Fitchburg Art Museum in collaboration with Life Care Centers of America, The Highlands.
Advanced registration required, please contact Suzanne Hauerstein.
This program is sponsored by Fallon Health.
Artist Talk: Bob Dilworth
Saturday, October 19, 2024
2 – 3 PM
Join us in the galleries with artist Bob Dilworth to discuss his exhibition, When I Remembered Home. Meet the artist and learn about the subjects, memories, and labors of love that go into the creation of his momentous works of art.
Curator's Talk for G.O.A.T.: The Sport Photography of Walter Iooss
Thursday, November 7, 2024
4 – 5 PM
G.O.A.T.—meaning “greatest of all time”—highlights the Fitchburg Art Museum’s expansive collection of sports photography by Walter Iooss whose iconic images were on over 300 Sports Illustrated magazine covers. Join FAM’s curator Emily Mazzola to capture a moment in time for this action-packed exhibition.
Guided Tours
Want to learn to look closely and dive deeper to explore our current exhibitions? Guided tours consist of exploring works of art through close-looking and conversations that engage participants in meaningful learning experiences.
We are happy to help you organize a tour experience for your group led by our professional Museum Guides.
Community Partner Events
StoryCraft
Wednesday, October 9 & 16, 2024
6 – 8 PM
Storytelling is more than just a skill – it’s a superpower! Join Maria Marilagros, a 2X TEDx storyteller, for a storytelling workshop that will ignite your creativity, captivate your audience, and transform the way you communicate.
Sponsored by the Fitchburg Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, this two-part event is free to attend.
Registration is required.
Save the Date!
Night at the Museum: The G.O.A.T. Gala
Saturday, November 16, 2024
6 – 9 PM
The Fitchburg Art Museum’s G.O.A.T. Gala celebrates its FAMily and embraces team spirit. Surrounded by photographs of some of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, this lively sports-themed evening is set to be the Greatest of All Time!
Community Partner News
Fitchburg Arts Community
Exciting News! The Fitchburg Arts Community, the three-building campus across Elm Street from FAM offering 68 units of affordable artist-preference apartments, is under construction and scheduled to open in January 2025. NewVue Communities is developing the project at 52 Academy Street in partnership with FAM.
To learn more about the project and complete an interest form, please use the QR code seen here, click the button below, or email [email protected] for more information.
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.
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.
Thank You!
See Us in the Press
How Fitchburg is Funding Art and Beating the Odds (So Far)
Art New England
Picturing a continent in the present tense
Boston Globe
On your mark. Get set. G.O.A.T.
Boston Globe
The G.O.A.T. of Sports Photography
What Will You Remember?
What Will You Remember?
13 art exhibits to explore this fall
WBUR