New Items Posted to the Attic Sale!

Do you love art, but have a limited budget?
For you, is the hunt just as exciting as the acquisition?
Or, are you simply a bargain hunter?

Then check out the Bert Gallery Attic Sale,
where we’re offering great art at great prices!

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Gallery Night Providence: April 17, 2008
Third Thursday in April - A Free Visual Arts Event

Mark your calendars for the second Gallery Night of the 2008 season on April 17th. Visit the Gallery Night website to find directions, routes, and celebrity tours - and don’t forget to stop by Bert Gallery to view our new exhibit, Painter Gordon Peers (1909 - 1988): Transformation During the War Years.

Bert Gallery Celebrates March - Women’s History Month

Women on Exhibit at Bert Gallery

In the current exhibit Struggle, Strength and Dignity one theme explored is the accomplishments of women artists during the 19th century. Works by late 19th century artists Emma Swan (1853-1927), Angela O’Leary (1879 – 1921) and Gertrude Parmalee Cady (1875 – 1957) are on view along with other twentieth century Rhode Island women artists such as Helena Sturtevant (1877 – 1946), Edna Martin (1896 – 1996), Edna Lawrence (1898 – 1987) and Eliza Gardiner (1871 – 1955). If you can’t visit the gallery than check out the exhibit slide show at www.bertgallery.com.

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Gallery Night Providence 2008 Starts in March!
Third Thursday, March 20th – A Free Visual Arts Event

Mark your calendars for the first Gallery Night of the 2008 season – March 20th. Visit the Gallery Night website, gallerynight.info to find out the routes, celebrity tours and don’t forget to stop by Bert Gallery to view our exhibit Struggle, Strength and Dignity.

New Edna Martin “Westward Bound” Slide Show Just Posted!

Edna Martin (1896–1996) was a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design in 1918 and traveled summers from 1929 – 1931 to Wyoming. Living on the ranch, she explored the Western landscape and did an interesting body of watercolors and etchings. See her watercolors on a web site slideshow at www.bertgallery.com. Call or visit the gallery if you would like to see the etchings of her summer adventures.

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For Women’s History Month plan a visit to the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum (www.brooklynmuseum.org) is the location of the one-year anniversary celebration of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. Details on the March programs follow and make sure to see Judy Chicago’s iconic “Dinner Party” installation.

In celebration of Women’s History Month and the first anniversary of the opening of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, the Brooklyn Museum presents a series of public programs, including discussions, music, and films focusing on women in the arts. Highlights include a panel discussion titled Funding a Revolution moderated by Carol Jenkins and featuring women who are making historic strides in philanthropy; a dialogue with artist Ghada Amer; and a film from Women Make Movies.

“We must measure the emancipation of women on a centuries old yardstick,” said Dr. Elizabeth A. Sackler, public historian, arts activist, and benefactor of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. “One hundred fifty years ago in this country, it was rare for women to receive any formal education and to own property, or to have basic rights within a marriage. One hundred years ago women had to fight, and fight hard, for the right to vote. Twenty-five years ago, even after all the successes of the women’s movement, the Equal Rights Amendment was left un-passed, in the dust. So, you see, the yardstick is alive and well.” “Yes,” she concedes, “the glass ceiling is higher but not shattered. It is necessary to pull out the bottom bricks of the patriarchal wall to move this country away from the male elitism that keeps prisoners of us all—men and women alike.”

ART EVENTS CALENDAR

Lecture: “Independent. Jewish. Frankly Feminist. Where Do We Go From Here?”
Saturday, March 8, 2–4 p.m.
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Forum, 4th Floor
Susan Weidman Schneider, founder and editor-in-chief of Lilith magazine, discusses the feminist movement over the last three decades as it relates to Jewish women.

Panel Discussion: “Feminisms: Race, Gender, and Generation”
Sunday, March 9, 2–4 p.m.
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 3rd Floor
Artist, cultural historian, and MacArthur scholar Dr. Amalia Mesa-Bains leads a panel of women artists including Carrie Mae Weems, Magdalena Campos Pons, and Thenmozhi Soundaraji, in a discussion on the issue of historical and contemporary feminisms. Questions of both a cultural and political nature will be addressed: Where were women of color in the first wave of feminism? Why have many younger women found themselves at odds with the term? What definitions of feminism are shared and which are exclusive to race and class? What have been the driving concerns for women of color in feminist art?

Artist Dialogue: Ghada Amer and Maura Reilly
Saturday, March 15, 1–2:30 p.m.
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Forum, 4th Floor
Contemporary Egyptian artist Ghada Amer discusses her work and her new exhibition Love Has No End with Maura Reilly, Ph.D., curator of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art.

Panel Discussion: Funding a Revolution
Saturday, March 15, 3–5 p.m.
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 3rd Floor
Dr. Elizabeth A. Sackler celebrates the first anniversary of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art with an invitation to a panel discussion by women who are making history in philanthropy. The afternoon event titled Funding a Revolution is presented with an eye on social agendas. Moderator Carol Jenkins, President of The Women’s Media Center and a Board Member of the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF), leads philanthropic activists Jennifer Buffett, NoVo Foundation, President and Co-chair; Barbara Dobkin, Women’s Funding Network, Board Member, Jewish Women’s Archive, Founding Chair; and Helen LaKelly Hunt, Women Moving Millions, Co-chair, The Sister Fund, President and Founder, as they discuss their methods and goals.

Film: These Girls from Women Make Movies
Sunday, March 16, 2–3:30 p.m.
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Forum, 4th Floor
Acclaimed feminist media organization Women Makes Movies presents the film These Girls (Tahani Rached, 2006, 68 min., NR) that follows the story of a band of teenage girls living on the streets of Cairo, by widely acclaimed Egyptian director Tahani Rached. A discussion follows the screening.

Music: Queen Esther
Sunday, March 16, 3–5 p.m.
Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Pavilion
Rooted in Texas but nurtured on the stages of New York, Queen Esther performs “proto-blues rock-and-roll filtered through 70s R&B.”

Lecture: “Harriet Tubman, Warrior for Freedom”
Saturday, March 29, 2–4 p.m.
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Forum, 4th Floor
Recipient of the 2007 Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award, author Beverly Lowry discusses her recent book, Harriet Tubman: Imagining a Life, about the only woman to lead an armed rebellion during wartime.

Panel Discussion: Beyond the Waves: Feminist Artists Talk Across the Generations
Sunday, March 30, 3–5 p.m.
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Forum, 4th Floor
Presented with feminist cooperative gallery A.I.R., this panel features feminist artists and critics Carolee Schneeman, Mira Shor, Brynna Tucker, Susan Bee, and Emma Bee-Bernstein, and explores connections between generations of feminist artists.

Gallery Talks: The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago and Ghada Amer: Love Has No End
Throughout March
Museum Guides and Student Guides give gallery talks in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. Check the Museum’s What’s Happening publication or visit www.brooklynmuseum.org for talk times and topics.

taking a look
2007 Theme series
Bert Gallery Program

Talk by Susan Fader of Ditto Editions on Fine Art Digital Printmaking

Thursday, July 19, 2007
during Gallery Night Providence
at Bert Gallery starting at 6.30pm

Providence, RI. Artists, art collectors and dealers will not want to miss an informative lecture by Susan Fader, co-owner of Ditto Editions, one of the country’s leaders in Fine Art Digital Printing, located in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

In her talk, Susan will unravel the mysteries surrounding the fine art digital print process, explaining that it is more than scanning an image, color correcting and printing on a digital printer. She will demonstrate how recent technological advances will impact the understanding and positioning of digital prints not only as a reproduction method but also as a way that many artists create new work.

The program is in conjunction with the Bert Gallery exhibit “What is original art? Is it a giclee?”
• On view July 10 – August 24, 2007
• At Bert Gallery, located along the Providence waterfront at Corliss Landing, 540 South Water Street, in Providence, Rhode Island
• Open Gallery Nights: July 19 & August 16
• Gallery Hours are Tuesday – Friday from 11-5pm, Saturdays 12-4pm or by appointment.
• Exhibits are free and open to the public.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION OF SUSAN FADER

Ditto Editions is owned and operated by Nick and Susan Fader. The Fader’s have over 50 years experience in painting, graphic design, marketing, print production and color management. As artists themselves, Nick and Susan uniquely combine their appreciation of art and the needs of their clients with their knowledge of art reproduction.

Susan Fader attended Rhode Island School of Design and graduated from Philadelphia College of Art with a BFA. Before Ditto Editions, she worked in Advertising (including opening her own company, Design Studio Two), marketing consumer brands and pursuing her interest in fine art through Chinese watercolor, traditional western fine art and decorative painting. Her work was recently selected for a thirty minute segment by HGTV. In addition to owning Ditto Editions with her husband, Susan manages, serves on the board of LynnArts and is Vice President of the Creative Economy of the North Shore (CEANS).

taking a look
2007 Theme series
Bert Gallery Program: A round table discussion exploring the topic, “Who creates the art market?” from the perspective of the commercial gallery, art critic & artist.

Tuesday – June 12, 2007 at
Bert Gallery starting at 5.30pm

The art world is made up of a variety of factions that create and effect the market. How do you measure success in the art world—is it really about the art itself, those who create the art or the handlers of art? If an artist has a museum exhibit, does it increase the value of his or her art? Who reads the art critic’s review and what is its impact on an artist’s career? A dealer represents an artist: what does that mean? Once an artist sets an auction record, are they then ‘discovered’? Come to a round table discussion at Bert Gallery and witness the debate. Space is limited—please call for reservations.

Moderator:
Patricia McLaughlin: Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement for Johnson and Wales University and former Director of Administration for the City of Providence. Ms. McLaughlin was instrumental in creating the arts district for Providence.

Panelists:
Berge Ara Zobian: Owner/Director of Gallery Z
John Pantalone: Professor of Journalism and former regional editor for Art New England
Lisa Utman Randall: Arts and Entertainment Writer for the Newport Mercury
Paula Martiesian: Providence artist and co-founder of Gallery Night Providence
Nick Paciorek: Providence artist

The program is in conjunction with the Bert Gallery exhibit “Who really creates the art market – museums, auctions, curators, critics, artists, collectors or galleries?”
• On view May 8 – June 22, 2007
• At Bert Gallery, located along the Providence waterfront at Corliss Landing, 540 South Water Street in Providence, Rhode Island
• Open Gallery Night: June 21st
• Gallery Hours are Tuesday – Friday from 11 – 5pm, Saturdays 12 - 4pm or by appointment. Exhibits are free and open to the public.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION

Patricia McLaughlin is currently the Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement for Johnson & Wales. Previous experience includes serving as the Director of Corporate, Foundation and Government Relations for RISD and various positions for the City of Providence, including Director of
Administration and Deputy City Solicitor. She currently resides on the board of WaterFire Providence, The Providence Center, Splendor of Florence USA and is a member of the Executive Committee for the Rhode Island Foundation’s initiative, Housing Works.

Bérge Ara Zobian is a Providence-based photographer and Owner/Director of Gallery Z, a fine art gallery that features Armenian, European and American artists. Gallery Z is dedicated to the community by presenting meaningful artistic expression that engages a diverse clientele and acting as a center for experiencing art and supporting artists by offering an intimate setting to share their artistic expression.

John Pantalone is a professor of Journalism at the University of Rhode Island and the former regional editor for Art New England. Prior, he was the editor of Newport Life Magazine and Newport This Week and arts editor for the South County Independent.

Lisa Utman Randall recently received a Rhode Island Press Association award for her arts and entertainment writing in the Newport Mercury. She was the co-founder of Island Arts, a non-profit art gallery in Newport, and spent 14 years as Executive Director.

Paula Martiesian is a practicing Providence artist, represented by Bert Gallery, and Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Gallery Night Providence. Other professional experience includes Curator of BankRI Galleries, Editor and Co-Publisher of Quix Art Magazine and Chairman and Founder of Center City Contemporary Artists. She states of her own artwork “I have always figured my personality was a contradictory mix of subtlety and mack truck, and my paintings are beginning to reflect that rather unlikely combination.”

Nick Paciorek is an internationally-known artist for his work done at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. He aligns himself with a new generation of Fauvists by using broad strokes of brilliant color for their emotional impact. He loves large cities with active skylines, busy streets and the relationship of one building to another.

Essay by Catherine Little Bert

Complimenting the main exhibit Who Creates the Art Market?
– museums, auctions, curators, critics, artists, collectors or galleries
is a small pocket exhibit of contemporary Rhode Island artists: Frank Gasbarro, Dana Levin, Paula Martiesian, Kenn Speiser and Carmel Vitullo. For the past twenty years, Bert Gallery has exhibited these artists, working hard to promote local talent beyond the state borders. The particular challenges for contemporary artists are addressed in this small installation.

A Rhode Island artist or any other contemporary artist from another part of the country faces extraordinary challenges to achieve recognition for their art. Our republic has never been keen on the concept of direct patronage of artists as compared to our European forefathers. Rather America’s capitalistic and practical nature has done little to foster national artistic culture.

By mid 19th century as America grew into an international power, the lack of attention to its cultural development became apparent and an embarrassment. Our design and artistic quality as a nation compared so poorly to other world powers. It became particularly humiliating at the Crystal Palace, or The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London. Out of sheer competitiveness Americans responded to the challenge and in the United States an era of remarkable growth of art schools, academies and art organizations lead to a maturation of art culture. The late 19th century saw a flurry of development in all the arts areas as Americans embraced the arts even if only sometimes as an “ornament of civilization”. Certainly, with new wealth came a desire to garner personal culture and social position by many.

The American artist as a professional status emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century. Not only did the numbers increase there were many levels of professional artists from international notables such as John Singer Sargent, Frank Benson, Mary Cassatt, Cecelia Beaux to regional and local professionals. Just at the Paris Salons alone by 1899 over 5,000 paintings were exhibited yearly, of which a good percentage were by American artists. Locally, Rhode Islanders such as S.R. Burleigh, Clara Maxfield Arnold, George Whitaker were successful and highly regarded professionals in their community who sold and exhibited art their entire careers. Being an American artist was never an easy profession but a profession nonetheless recognized in City Business Directories at the same professional level as teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc.

During the twentieth century in the Depression Era, when financial troubles for our nation abound, the WPA employed artists as a professional group to paint murals for public spaces such as libraries, train stations and other municipal locations. Artists were still recognized for their career expertise.

It was in Post depression era that we saw a shift in the artist as professional. The pursuit of painting as a career became tied to practical matters, teaching at art schools or for commercial purposes such as illustration and advertising. Art as a moniker of visual, social and political thoughts was being produced by fewer artists and supported by a shrinking audience of museums, critics and a small group of collectors. The artist profession was transformed mindful of practical proclivity of American society.

The late forties saw the emergence stateside of the great talents of Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Robert Motherwell and with this new generation of artists American visual arts shifted to the importance of the artist as the solitary creator where their paintings and sculptures needed no practical purpose or justification to the public at large. The artist seized the visual arts as their medium to express ideas, thoughts and commentaries pertinent to society.

By the 1960’s American artists took the visual stage on the international front and with this transformed the art world and profession. Museums, galleries and the art centers centralized to major cities most notably New York City. Artists evolved from a mundane professional class to individual art celebrities.

Today 6 billion dollars of art is sold at Sotheby’s and Christies with 18% of the sales being contemporary. Contemporary art stars are on the retainers of prominent galleries, bought and sold by hedge fund operators and placed in deep pocket museums. And so it goes… the transcendence of artist as an 18th century colonial era craftsman to a 21st century visionary apostle and “pop star” of the secular world.

With this current state of affairs, developing an audience for regional practicing artists is increasingly difficult. If New York art professionals do not pluck them in early career, it is hard for artists to support themselves in their own communities as art professionals creating and selling their art. An added dilemma facing the majority of artists today is that with the abundance of excellent art schools where hundreds of artists are trained per year, to be professionally successful is very limited to the small competitive arenas such as New York, London and Berlin.

While good art is being made in many other communities, such as Rhode Island, the accomplished professional artist needs to work hard to manage their career and develop a collector base. Despite these challenges, the good news is that artists are infinitely “creative” in finding a way to produce good art and jump the hurdles often place before them. The narrative on the American artist for the twenty first century is just beginning to unfold.

Auction Hits in the Rhode Island Market

March 6th – April 19th
Gallery Night: March 15th
Closed Gallery Night in April

The billion-dollar art auction market is booming across the world and some Rhode Island artists are making their mark. Who are the 19th and early 20th century Rhode Island artists who have hit auction highs? What if an artist sells for $5,000 in a gallery and $500 at a Sotheby’s auction—how do you interpret the data? Visit Bert Gallery and get an insider’s look at how different Rhode Island artists are faring in the auction market. Find out about the secondary market, a critical component in securing an artists’ reputation in the art world.

April Gallery program

• Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 4pm - What does auction data mean? Discover the inner workings of the auction market. Among the panelists are Charlie Wharton of UBS Financial Services, Inc. and Dan Mechnig of Meckandil Tool Co., Inc., both local collectors.

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