Curated by Kurt G. Wahlstrom & Pam Pritzker
February 26 – April 6, 2007
Curated by Malden artists Kurt Gilbert Wahlstrom (video) and Pam Pritzker (photography), the exhibit entitled “SURFACE.value” will be on display at the MATV Gallery from February 26th – April 6th 2007. The show is sponsored in part by a grant from the Malden Cultural Council and features work by 16 artists, including the curators. Many of the artists are local, young and emerging, and come from different cultural and racial backgrounds. In an attempt to bring the community together, the duo selected a diverse body of works in a variety of media - painting, collage, photography, installation and video. What unites the work is that they all challenge the ideas of identity.
Who or what defines us as individuals in our everyday lives? How do we allow society to identify us in the way that it does? These artists criticize, demonstrate and/or make commentaries about the way we perceive others and how they perceive themselves. Their ideas are executed through the themes of race, gender, beauty, culture, and occupation, to name a few. Many of the artists mock and/or use surface, literally and as a metaphor, as a vehicle to communicate their message and vent their inner struggles.
This show supports the arts community and the name Malden is making for itself in the arts; the proof is in the work.
A reception will be held on Wednesday March 14th, from 5:30 – 8:30 pm. This will be a chance for the public to meet the curators as well as many of the artists. The night will also be accompanied by a live musical performance.
Featured in the show are the following artists:
Marjorie Kaye is the director of Gallery 181 in Lawrence, MA as well as the online Caladan Gallery (www.CaladanGallery.com). Marjorie creates mandalas but chooses to skew the traditional symmetry, instead allowing her pencils to take her on a voyage of color and form.
Cig Harvey is a color photographer who travels back and forth to Bermuda, Maine, New York, and England. Her pictures are luscious and attractive, yet often tell a different narrative underneath. Her struggles are beautifully documented in color c-prints. Cig was named as “one to watch” in Photo District News’ “Top 30 Emerging Photographers” in 2005 and has since had her work appear in Oprah magazine. Cig is represented by the Robin Rice gallery in NYC.
Dan Loudfoot is originally from Connecticut, but now resides in Roxbury, Massachusetts. His work is inspired from his Native American ancestry. He uses products and logos that feature Native Americans. In this particular exhibit, Dan uses the Redskins football team and a dartboard to show his feelings about the way we still view Native Americans. Dan challenges the way we think in his thought provoking work.
Brynn Dizack loves to make things. She is as crafty as she is spunky. Brynn is currently working on her Master’s Degree at Lesley University. Her work has always dealt with identity. She made the painting in this show as a part of a series she did on conversations she overheard in public spaces. In this particular painting the person had said, “Everything is perfect if I want it to be.” How true is this statement? How much surface does one cover when surrounded by strangers?
Donna Catanzaro’s work is sarcastic, witty, and full of sarcasm. She takes images from the 1950’s, 60’s, & 70’s and digitally collages them with photographic images and text from today; ultimately making a social commentary about the way we are suppose to look, dress, and act as told by society. Donna has been successfully exhibiting and pleasing audiences with her wit for the past 10 years.
Rachel Lillian Kohn Osborn is an insomniac. In the middle of the night when most are asleep, Rachel is creating scenes from miniatures much like what you would find in a dollhouse. Shooting with a 4x5 camera and at interesting angles, Rachel alters reality, creating a dream-like state. Her work features ladders struggling to bridge one surface to another. This work is a representation of Rachel’s subconscious mind at work. Is she good enough? Has she achieved enough, or is there still more of her to be identified?
Jacquie Spector is a documentary and portraiture photographer. Jacquie just returned to the United States in 2005 after spending 15 years in the UK. Since returning to the US, Jacquie has been running “Spector Photography” (www.spectorphotography.com). Jacquie’s’ work focuses on becoming a mother and one’s internal instincts regarding such. Her work is untraditional and typically captures the mother and child in off-moments. Many of the photographs deal with the mother suddenly no longer being alone and her new identity and role as a mother. Jacquie has a new approach to photographing families.
Brad Silk is a Senior in the BFA program at Montserrat College of Art. Brad’s work deals with his inner struggle and experiences regarding racism. Brad has strong opinions and frustrations regarding what he has experienced. His painting “Don’t Worry it’s Over” is a mock of sort, regarding what many believe is the end of racism. Brad challenges that it is not in fact “over” with his aggressive brush strokes and text.
Other exhibiting artists in the show include Vera Tataro, Lisa Link, Rebecca Parker, Kurt Gilbert Wahlstrom, Pam Pritzker, Prachie Narain, and Angela Smith.
SURFACE.value will be on view through April 6, 2007. A reception with the artists will be held on Wednesday, March 14 from 5:30 - 8:30pm. Many of the artists will be present at the reception and the evening will feature a live musical performance.
Gallery Spotlight is the companion video program for the exhibits in the MATV Gallery. Click "Play" (below) to view the half-hour program for this exhibit, which includes the work by the video artists.
“People with Ability” is the tagline of Triangle, Inc., an organization that serves adults with developmental disabilities. And ability is exactly what you see when you look at the photographs by Annie Middleton featured in the exhibit “Ablevision Album” at the MATV Gallery. 
Middleton works as the Director of Human Resources at Triangle and has also helped oversee the Ablevision program from its beginnings. Although she believes her imagery is intimate, she feels her photographs are wholly respectful of her subjects. For her, photojournalism is the means to capture a personal history. She uses a Nikon digital SLR camera and edits her photographs in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CS3. She says of photography, “It is above all about intuition and spontaneity.” And Middleton believes that the photograph is still the most powerful medium because it captures and puts a spotlight on a decisive moment.
Of the Ablevision program, Middleton says, “The possibility for Ablevision to cover a wide range of events such as the Special Olympics has opened the doors to a large and interested audience. Ablevision participants have worked hard and they’ve learned a lot, such as interviewing, camerawork, studio setups, and sound recording. They are able to plan and produce a show from beginning to end. And they’ve come this far through their passion, commitment and creativity. And the best part: because of Triangle and MATV’s commitment to Ablevision the rest of the world is able to see that those with perceived disabilities have unlimited potential.” 
Ablevision, in fact, is now cablecast on 40 other cable access centers as well as shown on the internet. You can check out the program at www.ablevision.org. Many of the photographs on the website were taken by Middleton.
