Destination: Pioneer Valley

DESTINATION PIONEER VALLEY

PIONEER VALLEY

DESTINATION PIONEER VALLEY

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hen Thomas Cole painted View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm in the 1830s, the masterpiece not only influenced future generations of landscape painters, but it commemorated one of the Pioneer Valley’s most majestic vistas. The depiction overlooks the Connecticut River’s unusual arch called Hockanum Bend, and Cole’s painting became widely known as The Oxbow.

The Connecticut River guides the heart of the Pioneer Valley, nourishing the abundant agricultural community as well as supplying life-long inspiration for artists and writers.

More than a century later, much of this breathtaking scenery can still be seen. Picturesque mountains are a theatric backdrop to small college towns that are driven by local arts, farm-to-table menus, prominent museums, and sustainable practices. A two-hour drive west of Boston, the region provides an alternative to the city, where days are paused and enriched by nearby surroundings and its innovative residents. Follow I-91 or drive on Route 5 for a leisurely excursion and witness firsthand the vibrant fall leaves, meadows, and diverse beauty that harkens back to the time of Thomas Cole.

Begin at Springfield, the southernmost city of the Pioneer Valley, where an adventurefilled day awaits families and art connoisseurs at the Springfield Museums. Visitors have access to a courtyard that interlinks four museums steeped in science, history, visual arts and Asian decorative pieces, as well as the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden.

The Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts boasts an array of Impressionist works, Dutch and Flemish portraiture, American and contemporary art, and is home to the largest collection of Currier & Ives lithographs. Current exhibits include Small Worlds: Wassily Kandinsky’s Experiments in Printmaking (through January 15, 2017) and Stories and Seeds: Botanical Illustrations by Blanche Cybele Derby (through April 9, 2017). A fifth museum called The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss is slated to open in 2017 as a fitting hometown tribute to the beloved writer and illustrator. Children and adults will be immersed in artistic insight from the Springfield Museum’s

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Roger DiTarando, Goats and Kids, cast bronze and welded fabricated copper, goats: 34 x 34"; kids: 18 x 22–24". © Roger DiTarando. Permission granted by Paradise City, Inc 2016.

ever-expanding workshops and presentations.

A thirty-minute drive North of Springfield leads to the bucolic grounds of Mount Holyoke College. The college, situated in South Hadley, is recognized as one the most beautiful campuses in the nation by the Princeton Review.

Established in 1876, the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum displays visual arts from across the globe, chronicling cultures, geographies, and religions. Visitors have the opportunity to view the comprehensive collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by artists such as Kara Walker, Chuck Close, and Kiki Smith. The Joseph Allen Skinner Museum, a subsidiary of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, is a short walk away. This former 1846 congregational church was relocated to its present site and contains a multitude of compelling artifacts. Combined with the holdings of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, the college owns more than 24,000 works of art, decorative pieces, and culturally related material. Currently on view,

2016

140 Unlimited (September 6, 2016 through May 28, 2017) highlights 140 artworks that were acquired after a five-year-long alumni fundraising campaign. New acquisitions include pieces by Christopher Wilmarth, Binh Danh, and Pieter Hugo, among others.

To the northeast, up the Connecticut River, sits the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. The Carle, located in a lovely apple orchard in Amherst and adjacent to Hampshire College, is a wondrous 40,000-square-foot space dedicated to the art of the picture book.

Its galleries showcase images created by distinguished national and international illustrators.

In addition, a theater, a children’s interactive studio, and an enormous picture book library are utilized for educational purposes. The museum appeals to every age due to assorted events and programming. Don’t miss current exhibits Americana on Parade: The Art of Robert McCloskey (through October 23, 2016) and Louis Darling: Drawing the Words of Beverly Cleary (through November 27, 2016).

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PIONEER VALLEY Northampton, the cultural center of the Pioneer Valley, was home to innovative printmakers, sculptors, illustrators, and bookbinders in the second half of the 20th century. The late artists Leonard Baskin and Elliot Offner taught at Smith College’s art department.

Nowadays the remarkable printmaking and bookmaking community thrives in nearby towns such as Easthampton and Florence. Each locale embraces old industrial brick buildings that are now converted into artist studios. A sense of energy and renewal continues back at Smith College where the curving walkways are lined with lush hardwood trees, and a bustling downtown Northampton is evident in the distance. Like the other four colleges in the vicinity, Smith provides an ideal setting for students to acknowledge the past while developing pro-

gressive ideas to ensure a bright future.

The Smith College Museum of Art is one of Northampton’s largest attractions, bringing in more than 33,000 visitors each year.

The building is composed of four expansive floors of gallery space and a new media gallery. A recent 2.5 million dollar endowment will establish a brand new curatorial position solely focused on contemporary art. The Cunningham Center for the Study of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs inside SCMA allows visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal with more than 20,000 original works on paper. The museum typically integrates shows that respond to global concerns, such as Eric Avery’s exhibition AIDS WORK (through December 11, 2016). Outside the museum’s walls, other events hosted at Smith

College help sustain a vibrant locality, such as the Poetry Center’s acclaimed reading series that occurs each semester.

After a visit to the Smith College Art Museum, experience Northampton’s retail, galleries, and dining nightlife. During the breezy fall days one should stop by the Oxbow Gallery, a collective owned and operated by 36 artist-members. Monthly rotating exhibits include works that represent all types of media. Members depict everyday scenes as well as being attuned to the larger world perspectives. Their mission is, “to show serious art of local and regional artists, without overriding concern for commercial value and to provide a venue for lectures, films and discussion forums for the sharing of ideas and information relating to the visual arts.”

OXBOW GALLERY

B eg g i n g t h e Q u est i o n New Pa i nt i n g s by

G a r y Ni swo nger Niswo n g er ’s n ew p a i nt i n g s , o i l o n p a n el a r e exp lo r a t io n s o f co lo r, m a r k a n d i m a g i n ed fo r m .

Se pte mber 1–25, 2016

O p e n i n g: Fr i d ay, September 9, 5–8 P M

Spend a day in old New England.

Pleasant Street MHCAM.ANE ad.7-25-16.qxp_Layout 1 7/25/16 12:01 PM275Page 1

Lower Lake Road South Hadley, MA 413-538-2245 artmuseum.mtholyoke.edu

Visit Historic Deerfield, an authentic 18th-century New England village in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts.

Explore our historic houses and world-famous collection of early American furniture, ceramics, textiles, metalwork, and crafts.

It’s a celebration of New England heritage.

Join us Columbus Day weekend, October 8 & 9, 2016, for the ADA/Historic Deerfield Antiques Show.

Northampton, MA 01060 | 413-586-6300

140 Unlimited

Recent Acquisitions in Honor of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum’s 140th Anniversary | September 6, 2016–May 28, 2017

Old Main Street, Deerfield, MA 01342 •413-775-7214

www.historic-deerfield.org

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PIONEER VALLEY The Oxbow Gallery maintains a core group of landscape artists. Painter Gary Niswonger portrays terrain with vivid strokes of color, condensed into geometrical forms. He carries his passion for the landscape wherever he travels, stating, “As a painter of landscape I find myself confronting the seasons of the year. My interest is painting the landscape wherever I am.” The Pioneer Valley boasts richly pigmented foliage, which appeals to painters and leaf peepers alike.

Residents have the tremendous opportunity to experience each season to its fullest.

In 1851, accomplished Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind performed in Northampton and eventually returned to the area for her honeymoon. She famously proclaimed Northampton as, “the paradise of America.” The motto has endured and is thoughtfully revived at one of

Northampton’s most anticipated events of the year. The Paradise City Arts Festival has magnetized art patrons to the area during Columbus Day Weekend. For more than two decades this semi-annual fair has transformed the valley into a mecca for appreciators of creative media, becoming one of the most prestigious shows of fine and functional art. The 260 exhibitors sell high-end visual art, jewelry, ceramics, furniture, and sculpture, ensuring that attendees will always find something to bring home.

Accompanied by live jazz music and restaurant vendors, The Paradise City Arts Festival indulges visitors with an enjoyable encounter, time and time again. Considering the city’s galleries, cultural events, and museum it is hard not to be inspired by the happenings occurring in Northampton.

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

As the season changes, one’s mind may turn to creating warm winter accessories. If your interests include fiber arts, why not consider a trip to WEBS, America’s Yarn Store. Based in Northampton, WEBS offers an exceptional array of workshops and classes for the beginner to the experienced. Their 21,000-square-foot store supplies the entire nation with specialty goods for knitting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, and much more. Alongside several other merchants in the area, WEBS attests to the textile movement that is continually growing in the valley.

Just a 25-minute drive north brings you to South Deerfield and into New England’s past.

Historic Deerfield encompasses an outdoor history museum and authentic 18th-century English settlement. The town, first settled in 1669, offers guided and self-guided tours of

easy access from i-91 and & masspike

UNLEASH your curiosity

Americana on Parade: The Art of Robert McCloskey June 19 – October 23, 2016 Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Make Way for Ducklings with a retrospective of work by the legendary illustrator Robert McCloskey.

SpringfieldMuseums.org •

75 Service Center Road Northampton, MA

413.584.2225 yarn.com

Visit America’s Yarn Store® a destination for all fiber artists right in the heart of the Pioneer Valley!

Support for this exhibition has been generously provided by Penguin Young Readers.

Illustration from MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey, copyright 1941, renewed ©1969 by Robert McCloskey. Used by permission of Viking Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. McCloskey artwork in the May Massee Collection, Special Collections, Emporia State University Archives.

125 West Bay Rd, Amherst, MA 01002

413.559.6300

Save up to 25% on yarn and books every day with the WEBS® discount!

www.carlemuseum.org

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PIONEER VALLEY 12 antique houses ranging in age from 1730 to 1850. Homes feature period furniture, antique pewter and silver, needlework, basketry, textiles, and other decorative and functional wares.

Present shows involve a display of 75 pieces in Engraved Powder Horns from the French and Indian War and the American Revolution: The William H. Guthman Collection (through December 31, 2016), and additionally, an incredible arrangement of early American costumes are highlighted in Celebrating the Fiber Arts: The Helen Geier Flynt Textile Gallery (through December 31, 2016).

Historic Deerfield draws thousands of visitors and scholars each year with the Henry N. Flynt Library, the Flynt Center for Early New England Life, and 27,000 archived objects.

During Columbus Day weekend, see antiquarians in action at the ADA Antiques Show.

Sponsored by Historic Deerfield, the annual event provides customers with an enjoyable and informative experience in antiquing and fine art.

Historic Deerfield is the champion for preservation in the Pioneer Valley, reviving history in refreshing and exciting ways.

Continue winding up Route 5 past Victorian homes, harvested crops, and tumbling hills until you reach Greenfield. Greenfield, the northernmost city of the Pioneer Valley, is undergoing revitalization with new public art funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council Adams Grant Program. Next summer, a forthcoming commissioned piece by New Hampshire sculptor Ernest Montenegro will bolster Greenfield’s creative presence. While in town, shop at the offbeat apparel vendors, vintage bookstores, and delve into the local arts scene at The Greenfield

Gallery & Fine Art Printing. The three-story building offers monthly rotating exhibitions, artist studios, and a 50-seat performance space.

The Greenfield Gallery also provides customers with giclée printing, photo restoration, and framing provided by Big Red Frame of Easthampton. With the gallery’s recent developments, Greenfield artists suddenly find themselves with a wealth of accessible art services.

Fifteen minutes southeast of Greenfield is Montague, a place that combines literature with visual arts and crafts. Just outside the town’s center is the Montague Book Mill, a store that is regionally acclaimed for its diverse collection of books. Part of this complex is Sawmill River Arts, a gallery run by 15 member artists who practice painting, jewelry, photography, ceramics, fiber, gourd art, and much more. Visitors

Paradise City FAIRS OF FINE AND FUNCTIONAL ART Remarkable Art, Stylish Crafts, Great Food, Cool Jazz!

OCTOBER 8, 9 & 10 NORTHAMPTON, MA complete show info:

paradisecityarts.com

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PIONEER VALLEY

September 30–December 30, 2016

FREE September 9 October 14 4–8 pm Hands-on! Art-making Open Eyes gallery conversation

FREE Lecture

can meet these artists because one is always on site when the gallery is open. Sawmill River Arts offers handmade art that spans all price ranges, so you’ll discover the perfect present for any occasion. After your visit, see the gallery’s namesake, the Sawmill River, and watch a waterfall surrounded by Montague’s dazzlingly colored, fall countryside.

Conclude your art-itinerary 20-minutes west at the charming town of Shelburne Falls.

Designated as a “rural arts haven,” this quintessential community thrives at the intersection between art and the natural world. Shelburne Falls emits a warm, hometown feel with its artist cooperative, galleries, and a quaint main street nestled along the Deerfield River. From April to the end of October visitors flock to The Bridge of Flowers—a former trolley railway transformed into a footbridge adorned with thousands of cascading and vibrant blooms. Traverse the path and smell the flowers’ honeyed scents.

The Salmon Falls Gallery stands perched on a hill overlooking the town below. The definition of fine art and functional crafts blur when visiting this spectacular space. Shelburne resident and gallery owner Josh Simpson, also a celebrated glass artist, has forged an immense creative presence for himself in the Pioneer Valley. Simpson’s intricate glass spheres are displayed in Salmon Falls beside a rotating array of paintings, prints, furniture, and jewelry. October’s exhibit, Kerry Stone’s Flower Power, is a series of patterned floral paintings that call to mind the ambiance of The Bridge of Flowers. If you are outside the Salmon Falls Gallery during the weekend, hop onto a

October 4 | 7 pm

By John Pinto, Howard Crosby Butler Memorial Professor of Art and Archaeology Emeritus, Princeton University See museum website for details

See website for image credit

smith.edu/artmuseum

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restored 1896 trolley and ride to the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum, where visitors will leave with a better understanding of the town’s industrial bygone days.

Not far from the Salmon Falls Gallery is the Ann Brauer Quilt Studio. Brauer is an acclaimed quilt maker, and has been making quilts for 34 years. Her newly relocated studio in Shelburne Falls highlights her exceptionally detailed textiles. Brauer’s quilts are intricately composed of tiny commercial cotton pieces that are machine sewn to create landscapes and abstracted patterns. The sewn fabric parts resemble brushstrokes up close but optically blend at a distance.

Walk across the bridge to the other side of the river where you’ll find Molly Cantor Pottery. For 20 years, Cantor has created production art pottery such as mugs, plates and teapots. All of the work is made on site. She imbues her ceramics with elements of printmaking and her insects, flowers and birds appear as if sketched onto the pottery. She uses sgraffito technique—where she scratches through a top surface to reveal a lower level of contrasting color. Her finely crafted wares are meant for many years of well-loved use.

Diagonally across the street from Molly Cantor Pottery is the Echo Gallery which features paintings and works on paper by Laurie Goddard, as well as jewelry by Wendy Lewis, Caroline Zakarija and Daryl Storrs. Goddard’s paintings are brightly hued geometric forms with delineated wispy outlines of animals or objects and abstracted textures. Goddard works in a separate studio that was once a dairy barn.

It is a mile and a half north of the gallery and is open by appointment.

In western Massachusetts almost everything grows from local roots and with appreciation for the past. Miles of biking and hiking trails in conservation land guarantees that resident artists will be forever sustained with a vision. Each town in the Pioneer Valley demonstrates a distinct spirit, whether commissioning public art, hosting exhibits sponsored by college museums, revitalizing history, or upholding community-supported art and agriculture.

From the raw, unending beauty the Pioneer Valley bestows its creative makers, to the area’s embracement of masterfully honed crafts and visual arts, to world class museums, you’ll enjoy a memorable trip.

—Carand Burnet

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