Another Award for One of Our Own!

Hi all,

As you know our faculty is made entirely of working artists who are active in their fields. This means that our painting teachers are painters, graphic design teachers are graphic designers and illustration teachers, they're, well, illustrators. Having this kind of a mentor in the classroom is one of the mantras that Montserrat holds near and dear. Our faculty members are amazing people to have in the classroom, but also amazing people and artists and art advocates outside of the classroom. Below is an excerpt from an article announcing that our very own Elissa Della-Piana of the illustration faculty won a very exceptional award. Read on!

The 4th Annual Edition of North Shore Magazine's Best of the North Shore, has awarded the Gallery Della-Piana of Wenham, the “Best Art Gallery on the North Shore!” Elissa Della-Piana, Associate Professor of Illustration at Montserrat, opened the gallery one year ago in Wenham, MA. Below she explains how she learned of the award.

 

“Their representative walked into the Gallery on Friday, July 17th - one day shy of our first anniversary - she was carrying a framed picture and a portfolio of 'papers'...I naturally thought she was an artist dropping in to show me her work. Instead, she gave me the framed certificate and letters, etc., about the award. What a happy thing for our little town ofWenham, and to all our artists - who have shown in the North Shore's Best Art Gallery!”

 

In an upcoming exhibit, the Gallery Della-Piana will feature 12 Equine painters and photographers. The exhibit opens August 19th and runs through October 17^th and will include photography by Montserrat Trustee, Bill Wasserman, among others.

If you are on the North Shore, stop by Gallery Della-Piana and congratulation Elissa on this great achievement!

 

Montserrat's Bear Gallery

The Bear Gallery is Montserrat College of Art's student run gallery. It is a nomadic space that hosts shows curated by students that include their own work as well as the work of alumni, faculty, staff and artists from around the region. The Bear Gallery was founded in 2007 by a group of students who conceptualized the idea of a student run gallery and then initiated it by finding a space. That space happened to be an old barber shop on Cabot Street. That group of students, myself included, went to the Barber shop and got the job done. We ripped out sinks, tore down walls, put up walls, scoured the basement for some cool furniture to use, swept, mopped, scraped, pulled up old tiling and whipped that space into shape! This type of collective movement shows the true spirit of Montserrat.

Below is the current call to artists from the Bear Gallery and we encourage anyone and everyone to submit work! Please visit the Bear Gallery's blog at www.beargallery.blogspot.com!

Crevasse: Call for Artists

Let's start this year off strong and put our talents into making pieces for the "Crevasse" show at the BEAR Gallery. The show will be hung August 25th and will last until September 11th. We'll be accepting submissions from August 20th through the end of orientation.

Things to think about when making your piece: What is a crevasse? What does it smell like? What does it do? What does it not do? Where are they found? Can you eat one? How big is it? Why is it? How would you explain it to a creature not from our society? What does it look like? What color is it? What is it's texture? Is it someplace that you go and hide?

Any medium you desire will be accepted. Please limit the size of your pieces to smaller than a kitchen table. If you're interested in submitting an installation piece that is an option too. Please come talk to Kellie, Michelle, Robyn, or Courtney if you have any questions or insights.

If you have any questions email beargallery@gmail.com.

Pre-College Program Begins!

Today, Montserrat welcomed more than thirty high-school students from around the country that are participating in our Pre-College Program.

 

The Montserrat Pre-College Program is for students who have the initiative for rigorous art instruction at the college-level. It is designed to challenge your assumptions, test your theories and encourage you to take your art in surprising new directions.

One of the best things about living on campus is being part of a community of artists your own age. Residents cook and dine as a community while living in our apartment style housing. To assist students and ensure that their stay is safe and enjoyable, resident assistants reside with Pre-College students. Our apartments are right across the street from the main college building and just two blocks from the beach!  Montserrat College of Art is an easy commute to major attractions in the Boston area including galleries and museums. Students enjoy Boston area cultural and natural resources by visiting major museums, galleries, beaches, and historical sites during weekend and evening hours. In addition, the Visiting Artist Series provide opportunities for professional artists and students to work on collaborative projects. If you'd like to learn more about Pre-College or be updated on what the students are doing visit the Pre-College Facebook Page!

We always look forward to having our Pre-College students on campus and hope they have a wonderful time while a student at Montserrat!!