Visit a museum, in person or virtually
Museums and galleries have stepped up to the plate and gone over and above to make the enjoyment of art and art-making available to all during the past nine pandemicfilled months.
And next week’s school vacation gives families more time to explore various art venues from their homes or, in some cases, in person, with timed, reserved tickets and strict mask and social-distancing rules in place.
Fitchburg Art Museum is closed until January, but there are online options available to all.
You can enjoy the gallery exhibits, including “The BIG Picture: Giant Photographs and Powerful Portfolios” on the museum’s Flickr page.
Celebrate the importance of creativity, community and connection with FAM’s new online “Art Matters” series, featuring artists, staff and community members discussing how the changing exhibitions and permanent collections engage participants.
The “Make and Learn at Home” section is a great way for families to create art at home together.
For details and ideas, visit www.fitchburgartmuseum.org/fam-at-home.
Worcester Art Museum is open but requires reserved tickets to see the various exhibits on view. They include “Nature Imagined by Susan Swinand,” on view through Feb. 7.
Swinand won the Sally R. Bishop Prize in the 2019 ArtsWorcester Biennial and is a painter who loves water-based media an abstraction. The exhibit explores her creative process and drive to find balance
between opposing forces of nature. Visit www.worcesterart.org for all the exhibit options and ticketing info.
All museums in New England and beyond have worked hard to expand their websites during the pandemic, and we encourage you to visit them and learn what they have to offer, because we need art now more than ever.
Gallery notes
: BRIMMING WITH WHIMSY: Concord Muse
um’s “Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature” is a great way to catch the holiday spirit and support the museum’s programs. This year’s display, filled with whimsy and charm, features 28 trees and wreaths of all shapes and sizes, ornamented with inspiration from a bevy of children’s books. The museum is closed only Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and the trees are on view through Jan. 3, seven days a week from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission is by reservedtime tickets to prevent crowding and remain safely socially distanced. Timed tickets can be reserved online at https:// concordmuseum.centeredgeonline. com/areas/area/ c37e0ae7-e94d- 4d09-9ff6419fef5f5bbc.
THERE’S STILL TIME: Looking for something to do over vacation week? Several Lowell galleries and museums have shows you can check out. The “100 & Below Members Show,” a showcase of giftable artworks under $100, is on through Jan. 3 at Arts League of Lowell’s ALL Gallery on Market Street. Visit www.artsleagueoflowell.com for info. ...
“The New Not Normal” is on through the winter season at Curation 250 on Jackson Street. Visit https://www. facebook. com/ Curation-2502295209657253712/ for info. ... “Winter Lights” is on through Dec. 31 at Loading Dock Gallery at Western Avenue Studios on Western Avenue. Visit www.theloadingdockgallery.com for info. ... “Baltimore Album Quilts” runs through Dec. 31, and “The Quilted Canvas III — Still Here!” through Feb. 6 at New England Quilt Museum on Shattuck Street.
Visit www.neqm.org for info.
: CELEBRATING 80 YEARS: Happy birthday to the New Hampshire Art Association, which turned 80 in 2020.
The NHAA has helped countless artists grow and achieve successful careers, as it has contributed to the development of the cultural landscape.
To commemorate the milestone, the NHAA produced a short video on its history and received a special commendation from Gov. Chris Sununu and congratulations from U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassen.
Visit www.nhartassociation.org/what-we-do to see the video and learn more.