“Sculpture is a huge range,” commented Laura Baring-Gould at the Art/Talks in the Harbor Art Gallery on April 15. Four members of Boston Sculptors collective participated in a panel discussion about how they started an art gallery for their work. Three of the participants work at UMB, including Baring-Gould, who presented a slide show of their work.
“UMB doesn’t have a large sculpting department,” Baring-Gould said as she showed the slides. She explained that she was purposely not talking about the work so people would ask questions.
“The range of sculpture can be anywhere from wax to old socks,” Baring-Gould said. The slides illustrated everything from small sculptures placed in the public realm to some made from refrigerator parts, to one piece which appeared to be a sculpted horse’s head hanging from a tree. “Sometimes it is clear what they are, or suggestive of what they could be,” Gould explained.
Participants in the panel made it clear that starting and running the gallery is very hard work. “Artists need as much discipline as creativity in order to succeed,” Ann Torke added. Torke recalled her years in school as a small child when classmates competed. She has since found that when working with other people, it is more effective to align oneself with them than to make them the enemy.
Robert Schelling explained that the Boston Sculptors Gallery was begun as a way for sculptors to proactively display their work. While the members have a common interest in showing their pieces, it is important for them to work together, since career interests differ among the artists. Schelling said, “Some of them want to sell, others aren’t interested in selling, they want to show their work.”
This was the case with Kitty Wales, who stated that artists who take over a space redefine it. “My mission as an artist is not about selling, but redefining things,” Wales commented. In her eyes, it was important for her to join as a way to bring her work to a wider audience.
As making art is a process, selecting new members of the group is a process as well. One of the panelists commented, “They are people too, not just portfolios.” Choosing the right people can be difficult because on top of working on their own creations, members must help with less imaginative tasks such as writing out the mailing lists and making countless trips to Home Depot.
The Boston Sculptors are moving their gallery from West Newton to Boston, 486 Harrison Avenue. Their artwork is on display and for sale in the Harbor Art Gallery until April 21.