Contemporary Art

Exhibitionista: “Turmoil and Transformation” at the Hera Gallery and Educational Foundation

April 2, 2021 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to be showing “Torrent and Tangle: Keep your House In Order” in the:

“Turmoil and Transformation” show at the Hera Gallery and Educational Foundation, a non-profit, artist-run organization that has continued to stimulate discussion and challenge perceptions for over 40 years. This creative space has allowed countless artists a place for transformation, exploration, and community with one another which has been BRINGING CREATIVITY TO THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1974

“2020 was a year that was filled with worldwide turmoil. The Pandemic. Another reckoning with racism and police brutality. Climate Change, wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts. The undermining and politicization of science. The widening political divide. An election with voting rights, healthcare, immigration, paid sick leave, income inequality, living wages, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA rights, our environment and the future of democracy at stake.

Is this turmoil leading to transformation? And what kind of transformation is it going to be?“

Hera Gallery/ Hera Educational Foundation presents work that addresses the current turmoil and visions of our future. What are the emotional, physical and spiritual effects of the turmoil and how might they manifest into the transformation? What does our world look like and what might it look like post-2020. Will transformation reflect the multiplicity of voices of America? How will our future be transformed by the current chaos?

The juror, Francine Weiss is the Senior Curator at the Newport Art Museum in Rhode Island where she curates exhibitions of contemporary art, photography, and American art. Her recent exhibitions include “Andy Warhol: Big Shot,” “The Shapes of Birds: Contemporary Art of the Middle East and North Africa,” and “Domestic Affairs” among others. Her past positions include Curator at the Photographic Resource Center (Boston, MA), Acting Assistant Curator in the Department of Photographs at the National Gallery of Art (Washington DC), Curatorial Fellow at the deCordova Sculpture Park & Museum, and Curatorial Fellow of American art at Harvard University Art Museums (both in MA) among others. She has taught art history at Wellesley College, Simmons College, and Boston University (all in MA) and has taught and advised students in the MFA program at the Institute of Art and Design at New England College. Dr. Weiss has a Ph.D. in American studies, specializing in art and photography, from Boston University and a B.A. from Wellesley College in English. She has received fellowships from the Smithsonian Institution (Washington DC), Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Research Center (NM), Center for Creative Photography (AZ), The Huntington (CA), and Harry Ransom Center (TX). She has published widely on photography and American art.

See the virtual exhibition, and hear the artist talks here!

Torrent and Tangle: Keep Your House in Order, (aerial view) 2019, 10.5 x 25 x 18”, mixed media (book board, lace, ribbon, mulberry paper, hemp cord, watercolor paper)

Read about the show here !

Exhibitionistia: “A Thousand Words” at Core New Art Space

April 2, 2021 By Debra Disman

I am honored to be showing “Window Treatment” as part of the “A Thousand Words” show at Core New Art Space!

“A Thousand Words” presents works that tell a story. Realistically, abstractly or expressionistically inspired by literature and legends, poetry and parables, novels and narratives, myths and metaphors, artworks have their own fictions, fables, folklore or fairytales. Artworks can be worth a thousand words. The submitted works were judged on overall impact, content, composition and mastery of techniques, as well as attention to creativity and craftsmanship.”

Worth “A Thousand Words”

March 31, 2021 By Debra Disman

It was a pleasure to participate in Core New Art Space‘s exhibition:

Juror, Richard Chamberlain, pursues several lines of work in visual and performing arts and is a published poet as well. He was looking for: “….works that tell a story. Realistically, abstractly or expressionistically inspired by literature and legends, poetry and parables, novels and narratives, myths and metaphors, artworks have their own fictions, fables, folklore or fairytales. Artworks can be worth a thousand words. The exhibited works were judged on overall impact, content, composition and mastery of techniques, as well as attention to creativity and craftsmanship.”

Below are images of the show, including my work, “Window Treatment“, a sculptural artists’ book,
perhaps evoking the film, “Rear Window”.
What stories go on behind these windows?!

Exhibitionista: INSIGHT at the Cape Cod Museum of Art

March 3, 2021 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to be showing in The Cape Cod Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, INSIGHT. When spoken, this word can be broadly understood as – Insight, In Sight and Incite.

Grace Hopkins, gallery director at the Berta Walker Galleries in Provincetown, and Wellfleet, MA served a s juror.
523 artworks were submitted by 272 artists from 30 states across the country for INSIGHT. Only 65 artworks have been selected from 60 artists in 16 states.
A note from the juror:
“Narrowing down the artwork for this exhibition was challenging. I first had to digest all 500+ submissions as a whole before any threads of meaning could be drawn between the works, and a final cohesive subset could be chosen. As a gallery director I am regularly confronted with an aesthetic puzzle. But, when you throw in the added thematic complexity of INSIGHT and the sheer number of works submitted, making a final selection was both a demanding and rewarding exercise in distillation. I want to thank everyone who came forward and placed their artwork into this pool. Another juror, with different values and sensibilities would have solved this very differently. Your collective vision, ability and insight moved me.”
-Grace Hopkins, Juror, Artist and Gallery Director, Berta Walker Galleries

View Virtual Reception and Video featuring statements from the artists, juror Grace Hopkins and CCMoA Director of Art, Benton Jones.
I am showing MAXIMUM SECURITY, 2018, 15 x 18 x 10.25″, Sculptural Artists’ Book, Mixed Media (Book board, wood, mulberry paper, paint, canvas, watercolor paper and hemp cord).

WATCH VIRTUAL RECEPTION SEE ALL THE WORKS hear the ARTISTS SPEAKING ABOUT THEM!

VIRTUAL RECEPTION PART 2!

Chasing Ghosts V: Piercing the Veil through Remembrance, Legacy & Beyond…

November 17, 2020 By Debra Disman

Chasing Ghosts V: Piercing the Veil through Remembrance, Legacy & Beyond…

At Verum Ultimum Gallery in Portland.

Juried and curated by Jennifer Gullia Cutshall

“This show emphasizes the idea of revealing the unseen or the soul in a work of art. The term ghost may be interpreted in many ways, not necessarily meant to be a literal elucidation. This year’s interpretation might be loaded with the added turmoil of current social, health, environmental, and political climate. The exhibition asks artists: “Does your process manifest an identity within your work that somehow speaks to the past? Do you express your deepest fears or concerns through your work? Do current political, health, and environmental concerns follow you into the studio and shadow or define your work? What ghosts or parts of the past leave their mark on your work? Is a legacy revealed through your work or your process? Is memory a vital vehicle of expression for you? Do you inadvertently honor something from your past or concern for the future through your work? ” — Jennifer Gillia Cutshall

Verum Ultimum never seeks to drive the work, the only hope to unveil unique visions.

Verum Ultimum Gallery has engaged audiences of artists and collectors since its founding in Northeast Portland in 2013.

The brainchild of artist Jennifer Gillia Cutshall, Verum Ultimum (meaning the ultimate truth) showcases work that demonstrates the deepest connection to the creative process.