Address Unknown: Traces of Hope
Athan’s Café Art Gallery, Brighton
407 Washington Street, Brighton, MA
October 8, 2014 – March 28, 2015
Public reception – November 2, 2015
Unbound Visual Arts, Inc., is very pleased to announce the opening of Address Unknown: Traces of Hope, curated by Heidi Lee and Susan Loomis.
Address Unknown: Traces of Hope represents hope and resiliency in the plight of homelessness. Each of the three artists share an experience with homelessness and through their creativity, aspire to provoke the audience into thinking about the social conditions of the Boston community. By participating in the Common Art program offered by Ecclesia Ministries on Newbury Street in Boston, the artists have developed a sense of kinship and support, and it is revealed in their art. Having a network of supportive peers and possessing hope, can be important factors to both preventing and fighting chronic homelessness.
Allen Chamberland’s papercut drawings present a literal interpretation of his surroundings, yet what lies beneath the intricate details of positive and negative space, are his observations of the gap between opulence and poverty. Whether they be ordinary locations or historic landmarks, these places that Allen renders are also spaces where individuals find shelter and refuge. Boston is a home for individuals experiencing various financial circumstances – ranging from living in luxury to destitution, and Allen wants society to be aware of this disparity.
Bill Flowers creates with mixed media to provoke a dialogue of issues and challenges that individuals who are homeless cope with in the United States – not only financially but emotionally. Despite individual circumstances, humans deserve respect and sincere attentiveness from one another. He titles his series “We the People” to suggest that the nation address homelessness and unite with empathy, as a unified people that cares about and takes care of each other.
Dianne (Iyan) Freeman’s 2-D works consist of abstract compositions of bright colors and graceful lines that resemble interwoven fabric. Akin to her life, her art represents the tribulations and complexities that she has endured, yet, despite her suffering, Iyan still remains hopeful. Like so many artists, creating art is a crucial method for both emotional and physical resilience.
Randy Fenstermacher‘s work is highly premeditated, carefully laid out, and provides insight to his views of the metaphysical. He often works in water based media, such as watercolor. His stylized imagery symbolizes the ideas that are most essential. Randy is rarely found without his watercolor kit, large pallet for painting at the Pru, and watercolor paper, with which he may construct a lucky crane at a moments notice.
Heidi Lee, a board member of Unbound Visual Arts, resides in Jamaica Plain. She is the Artist in Residence for the Common Art program, where she guides and instructs the participants seeking sustainability through the creation and selling of art. She coordinates regular exhibitions for the program throughout the Boston area, including Common Art’s involvement in City Heart, a citywide art fair and sale for those affected by homelessness and poverty. She also teaches at Boston Trinity Academy, a middle to high school in Hyde Park, MA. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Painting from Gordon College and a Master of Education with a concentration in Visual Arts from Lesley University. Her studio is in Watertown and she teaches art privately from her home in Jamaica Plain.
Susan Loomis, is a founding member and Treasurer of Unbound Visual Arts. Loomis received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an MBA from the University of Phoenix Greater Boston campus, and a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Lesley University. She currently lives and works in the Boston area, as Assistant to the VP of Administration and Budget Coordinator for Lesley University and is also a PhD candidate in Educational Studies at Lesley. Susan also serves on the Brighton-Allston Historical Society Board of Directors. Fervor for visual arts and community continues to permeate in all of her service.