Fitchburg Art Museum

After having it on my to-do list for the last few weeks, I finally went to the Fitchburg Art Museum. I bought an individual year-long membership for $35, which gets me several things: it would have cost me $7 to get in anyway; I got a free $8 mug; and I get free admission into ten other New England museums. A bargain any way you look at it.

So after talking to a couple of staff members, I headed off into the collections. I took a lot of notes as I went from piece to piece, and from room to room, finding inspiration in many places. I went from the American & European landscape, still life and portrait galleries, through the ceramics section (it was nice to see so much quality work without a "Made in China" stamp on any of it), to Eleanor Norcross's personal gallery. She had no lack of talent, and much of her stuff is very cool, but her greater contribution was founding the museum.

Then it was down the connector gallery, which was filled with African art, and it's many fascinating depictions of the human and animal forms. When I reached the newer building of the complex I headed downstairs first, to see the ancient art collections: Egyptian (including the mummy of a child and giant tomb wall reproductions); Greek and Roman sculpture and pottery; a small bit of Etruscan works, and a cool corner of art from the early Americas. It's easy to see why gold has caused so much strife over the millenia - the Costa Rican and Panamanian gold works caught my eye like a magnet, especially amidst all the dull and lusterless (but otherwise interesting in their own right) artifacts around them. Very cool. In the Asian Gallery it was interesting to see how Buddha's depiction has changed over the centuries and across the various cultures where he has had a strong influence.

I saved the upper gallery for last, since it featured contemporary local artists (the 75th Regional Exhibition of Art and Craft). There were many fine works from the surrounding towns of north central Massachusetts, including a few people whose names I recognized, in all forms of media. I had a guidebook with me listing all of the artists, so I was able to make many notes, and circle my favorites for further research. The ones that truly impressed:

• Arthur Bodwell, Segmented Vase (wood) - it's amazing that he could do that with wood.
• Brenda Cirioni, Spring Dance (mixed media)
• Linda Dagnello, Carmel's Kitchen (oil)
• Amy Kutka, Jaguar, Skulls, Quetzalcoatl (mixed media) - she graduated with my sister.
• Scott Niemi, Legend of the Three Juicy Peppers (oil) - a gargantuan (and humorous) painting of peppers.
• Elina Nykanen, Dessert (gelatin silver print) - an amazing photo of a beautiful woman in a small mirror.
• Margret Richard, Afternoon Light and Winter Thaw (pastel) - two amazing, yet unique, works by the same woman.
• Gary Ruuska, 206 Central and The Shadow (colored pencil) - this man is a veritable wizard of light, shade, and detail work. Both pieces were amazing.
• Sally Sargent, Westminster Table (mixed media) - a large interesting collage.
• Margot Stage, Great Blue 2 (fiber) - this giant image of dried foliage looked like an oil painting on first glance. Amazing.

Who knew there were so many talented people in my home county? I do now (haha). And there was no one else in the building except the aforementioned staff (five people), so it was a great way to observe, inspect, absorb and admire the body of work without the uncomfortable psychological press of other people. It was a fantastic and memorable way to spend several hours. I learned a lot, saw plenty of amazing things (and a few puzzling ones), and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I get lost in books all the time, but it was nice to be out in the world, yet still be able to feel that way. On the way out I snagged my free mug (a reproduction of Childe Hassam's The Pinafore, Isle of Shoals, Moonlight on its side), another with the museum logo, and a few postcards, and drove away happy and inspired.