Art Ramble Finds “Something in the Air”

Sixth Annual Exhibition in Hapgood Wright Town Forest Emphasizes “Drama, Mystery, Change, Movement”
On display through November 14 in Hapgood Wright Town Forest, the 6th annual Art Ramble Exhibition continues The Umbrella Arts Center’s thematic exploration of “Air” that began with the spring’s Earth Month and Artfest celebrations. “Something in the Air” is presented by The Umbrella Arts & Environment Program and curated by Laurie Bogdan and Kimberley Harding, who asked artists to creatively grapple with an element that is invisible and yet essential to life.

“Our call seek works that illustrate human, animal and botanical interactions with air,” the curators wrote, “and encourage exploration of the atmospheric aspects of the Hapgood Wright Town Forest” – the historic site of the Emerson-Thoreau “amble” to Walden Pond.

The phrase “Something in the Air” suggests drama, mystery, change, or movement. The 15 diverse works selected for the 2021 Art Ramble are all evocative of these concepts in one way or another. Fiber works Windblown (Kiyomi Yatsuhashi), The In-Between Series (Nilou Moochhala) and The Shutter Dresses (Martha Heller) embody movement, as they shimmy in the breezes. Air Currents (Johanna Finnegan-Topitzer) suggests movement despite its rigid metal construction.

There is an air of mystery in the dancing figures of Forest Air (Melissa Shaak), the quiet cubes of Collected Breath (Janet Kawada), the floating, pillowy Foggy Morning (Liz Helfer), the translucent birds and frogs of Waves of the Aerial Sea (Lisa Nelson), and the tall creatures Breathing (Paul Angiolillo). In and Out (BARD) dramatizes the relationship between trees and human breath while Every Breath You Take (Silvina Mizrahi) shows the drama of humans interacting with the environment. The Ethereal Dreamer (Laurie Bogdan & Kimberley Harding) dragonfly is a symbol of change; The Luna Moth Life Cycle (Jude Griffin) and Up in the Air (Jennifer Fuchel) depict the amazing metamorphoses of insects; and Airing Out the House (Rebecca Tuck) symbolizes a hope for positive changes in our lives.

This free, family- and dog-friendly exhibition is presented in collaboration with Concord’s Division of Natural Resources, and supported in part by a grant from the Foundation for Metrowest.
Artist statements, wayfinding, audio and other details can be found at TheUmbrellaArts.org/Ramble.