Feast! thru April 21 at ArtsWorcester

Every year, ArtsWorcester teams up with the Fitchburg Art Museum to pick a theme and invite regional artists to respond to FAM collection works of art. 

Last year’s climate theme of “Impact” was my first foray into showing at ArtsWorcester, and I had so much fun responding to an external artistic prompt and seeing what other artists created that I waited eagerly for this year’s announcement.

This year was “Feast,” and you can see all 10 FAM works on loan via the ArtsWorcester website. Rather than find new ways to say it, I’ll paste my statement about the artwork I created here: 

{inspired by Jules Aarons, West End Meat Market, Matt Siber, McDonald’s, and Henry George Todd, Study of Strawberries}

Looking at the FAM artwork, I was struck by how separated the act of eating and feasting was from the environment and the way our food grows. The study of strawberries looked the most wholesome and brightly colored, and I thought of the pollinators and land necessary to grow them. In my own garden, I plant a floral feast to attract and entertain bees and butterflies so I may eat. This is in stark contrast to the cold industrial McDonald’s sign. Butterflies and bees as symbols of migration and workers, “they” is also a political call for equitable human rights.

For context, the inspiration images I took came from a still life study of strawberries (including their decomposition), an altered photograph of the McDonald’s logo and 24 hour drive thru sign (both floating) against a deep blue sky, and a photograph of the West End Meat Market in Hebrew and English (a melting pot neighborhood of many immigrant and lower income families that was demolished in the late 1950s; Boston City Hall and Government Center are among the public projects built on the neighborhood’s ruins).

I originally named the artwork “When They Feast, We Eat.” because that’s literally what it reads. But… I think instead (at least in my mind), I’m renaming it “Long Live the Pollinators.”

There are more than 100 original artworks on display now through April 21, 2024, in the Main Galleries at ArtsWorcester, located at 44 Portland Street in Worcester, MA. Gallery admission is always free. I highly recommend a stop if you’re in the area. 

If you happen to walk by after hours, you can still catch my piece in the windows. But it’s honestly worth going while the gallery is open to see all of the incredible work!

And if you’re out of town, but you want to see what was created for the show… the very kind, patient, and generous people at ArtsWorcester have uploaded everything to a Feast Exhibit page on their website. You can view it anytime, from anywhere.

PS: I don’t know dates yet, but 10 of the new original artworks will travel to the Fitchburg Art Museum later this year for a show with the 10 loaned inspiration artworks. Mine will not be part of the FAM show, but there are some *stunning* works that will be on the move!