The Addison Gallery of American Art began its spring season Saturday, March 29, with the unveiling of four new exhibitions exploring movement, identity, and connection through art.
Visitors, including Andover residents and out-of-town guests, gathered at the gallery’s spring opening reception to view hundreds of works of art now on display. Among the visitors was Susan Rider, who was overjoyed to attend the opening event, particularly because the gallery featured an exhibit full of work by her cousin, June Leaf, who Rider calls “Aunt Leaf.”
Staring at “Ascension of Pig Lady”, an acrylic-on-canvas by Leaf, Rider said the piece brought her back to visiting her “Aunt Leaf’s” art studio.
“The mushing paint, emotional quality and color of the work reminds me of her studio. It kind of looked like this,” Rider said.
The reception was the debut of exhibitions “June Leaf: Shooting from the Heart,” “Playing to Our Strengths: Highlights from the Permanent Collection,” “On and Off Stage: Performance and Persona” and “Dynamic Duos.” These works, from photography to metal sculptures, explore various facets of the human experience.
This story was published as part of a collaboration between Andover News and the Department of Journalism in Boston University’s College of Communication. The student journalist is a member of Professor Meghan E. Irons’s Reporting in Depth class.
Many participants came to see “June Leaf,” which explores themes of movement, gender and vulnerability. The exhibition showcased over 150 pieces of Leaf’s work, offering a thematic look at the artist’s 75-year career, according to the Addison Gallery.
Sanjith Kalpat, a junior at Andover High School and participant in the Addison Community Ambassador program that allows students to learn about the museum, gave a speech at the reception about a Sally Mann piece. Titled “New Mothers,” it is a photograph showing two young girls pretending to be mothers.
“Mann’s approach blurs the line between reality and actual performance, highlighting both the beauty and complexity of childhood,” Kalpat said.
The photograph is part of the “On and Off Stage: Performance and Persona” exhibit, which examines how performance and visual art intersect.
It is the first year that Andover High School is part of the Addison Community Ambassador program, according to the museum.
“The educational opportunities the gallery has been able to provide are just incredible,” said Susan Faxon, a former curator at the Addison for 31 years.
Diego Casablanco, a 31-year-old Colombia native who is currently living in Boston, said he was drawn in by the photographs on display, marveling that “the light and depth captured are incredible.”
Robert Greco, who helped install parts of the exhibits as a contracted electrician, said that although he is new to the art world, he was excited to see how all the exhibitions came together.
“The description of what June Leaf was thinking while creating the work was a nice touch. You don’t see that very often anywhere else,” Greco said.
Greco said he prefers classical art over modern art and had not yet chosen a favorite piece on display. He said he was particularly entranced by the “Playing to Our Strengths: Highlights from the Permanent Collection” exhibition.
That exhibit features Thomas Eakins and Winslow Homer and showcased 19th-century realism alongside American modernist paintings. It also included realism with American modernist art to capture the nation’s cultural changes and challenges during the interwar years, according to Addison’s website.
“Dynamic Duos” examines relationships through photographs of pairs —whether lovers, rivals, or strangers — revealing tension, emotion, and the silent stories between them.
For Faxon, the evening was a look back at how far the gallery has come.
“We have a tremendous amount of artwork. It’s wonderful to be able to bring a lot of these pieces out of storage and have them look so beautiful,” Faxon said.
The four exhibitions are available to the public, for free, until July 31, at the Addison Gallery, which is on the campus of Phillips Academy.