Speak Up
The Piano Craft Gallery is pleased to present:
Speak Up 2022, a juried group show organized by Claudia Fiks, Founder of Arts Administrator Association New England (AAANE), Director of Development at Society of Arts and Crafts, Director of Newton Open Studios.
November 4, 2022 through November 27, 2022
Open gallery hours weekly:
Fridays 6pm - 8pm, Saturdays Noon - 5pm, and Sundays Noon - 5pm
Please Join us on Saturday and Sunday November 5th and 6th, 2022 from 3pm to 5pm for an opening receptions.
“Speak Up,” is a juried exhibition that offers a platform for artists to express ideas about pressing issues related to personal or collective experiences. Two years ago, organized by Claudia Fiks, the Arts Administration Association New England (AAANE) hosted the first edition of Speak Up at the Piano Craft Gallery in Boston. We are pleased that we were invited back to present the second edition, Speak Up 2022. In 2020, many topics inspired us to select the title, Speak Up. Social and racial justice, equity, inclusion, diversity, immigration, and elections were the original driving forces. These topics remain relevant and have multiplied exponentially. We continue to witness the alarming intensification of climate change and numerous related tragedies worldwide. And we are still collectively facing the enemy of all, the Coronavirus, and its many variants. Voicing our opinions is a healthy and proactive way to generate discussions and sometimes difficult conversations. More than ever, we must analyze the options before us. An important role of art is to create opportunities to question and improve how we interact with one another socially, financially, and professionally. Through the arts, we can bear witness to the continuous degradation of the core values within a just, equal, and peaceful society and transform how we act to find alternatives, promote positive impacts, and motivate must needed changes.
Throughout history, artists have been using their voices in the most inventive ways to promote changes and awareness. I sincerely believe in the essential role that all forms of art play in shaping our consciousness. Artists are powerful, influential communicators and can promote meaningful social changes.
JURORS
Petra Slinkard: Director of Curatorial Affairs at Peabody Essex Museum, Experienced curator and museum administrator with a demonstrated history of working in the museum and academic industry. Skilled in Art History, Curating, Education, Visual Culture, and Community Engagement. Strong arts and design professional with a Master of Science (MS) focused in Fashion History and Material Culture; with an emphasis in business and museum administration from Indiana University’s School of Art, Architecture, and Design (Formerly COAS).Antonio Viva: Executive Director Artisan's Asylum, Inc. Former head of school at Walnut Hill School for the Arts for 12 years. Antonio Viva is an educator, researcher, artist, leader, and executive coach. He is a highly effective communicator, masterful storyteller, and bridge builder. He brings experience working in public and private education, technology, and global nonprofits at all levels. Antonio’s mission-driven leadership is matched with unwavering commitment to the core values of community, diversity, creativity, growth, and innovation. A lifelong diversity practitioner, his commitment to the work of diversity, inclusion, and justice date back to his early days as a public-school arts educator and most recently included groundbreaking anti-racism work and building a culture of restoration in predominantly white institutions.
GUEST CURATOR
Casey Curry: Independent curator, artist consultant, writer, and collaboration expert who has been working with artists and arts institutions for over a decade. Casey is the founder of Casey Can, an artist consulting agency that focuses on finding the most aligned and authentic ways for artists to leverage their unique creative vision to make a real and lasting cultural impact. She holds degrees in English, Art History, and Nonprofit management, and has a wealth of experience managing exhibitions and building professional development opportunities for artists.
The Piano Craft Gallery, Inc. a 501(c)3 nonprofit is located in a historic Boston landmark and works to eliminate common barriers to accessing the arts such as race, education level, and class by guiding our operation through an anti-racist and inclusive lens. The Piano Craft Gallery, Inc. does this by sharing, promoting, and celebrating the work of racially, culturally, and socio-economically diverse artists of all abilities with the public. This results in diverse networks of individuals accessing the gallery space and experiencing the arts. The Piano Craft Gallery, Inc. provides a free, handicapped accessible venue in Boston where people can enjoy and learn about the diversity of art-making and performing in the Greater Boston area. Additionally, the Piano Craft Gallery, Inc. provides an affordable community venue for public and private events.
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