NEW MARLBOROUGH — Jake Levin was in high school when he first became involved with the Meeting House Gallery. Growing up as an artist, one of the most influential people in his life was longtime New Marlborough resident Susie Hardcastle, who was instrumental in the Gallery’s 1998 beginnings.
“As a young artist in New Marlborough, I was very involved,” Levin told The Edge in a recent interview, participating in “a scene, [and] a community, that was and continues to be important to [him].” In the spring of 2002, when he was a senior, Levin had the idea to curate a show of young artists. With Hardcastle by his side, Levin approached the Gallery board and presented his idea for an exhibit, garnering what he calls “a little bit of pushback” stemming from a classic tension in the art world: those who care about art and serve as the financial backbone of the art world, and those who are creating it.
His show, “Fresh Paint,” ultimately went off without a hitch and featured a small cohort of local student artists including Levin, classmate Brett Parson, and fellow New Marlborough resident Levi Lipsky.
Fast-forward two decades, and featuring emerging artists remains part of the mission of the Meeting House Gallery. Submissions are currently being accepted for a fall show, “The Wonder in the Wander,” which aims to feature artists under the age of 40. Jacob Fossum and Nicole Irene, both local residents and professional artists, will serve as jurors for the exhibit.
“What a huge part it plays in the local community, especially the New Marlborough area,” said Fossum of the Meeting House Gallery, where he has had the privilege of showing in the past. After more than a decade calling the Berkshires home, Fossum, a full-time professor of painting and drawing at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, was approached to serve in a curatorial role. He and Nicole Irene together chose the theme “The Wonder in the Wander.”
“I love thinking about concepts that can be broadly interpreted, both internally and externally,” Fossum explained, pointing to the potential “during this time of the pandemic … for people to wander and wonder and be inspired by their surroundings while looking inward.”
Fossum himself was inspired by the Japanese concept of yugen, an awareness of the universe that triggers an emotional response too deep and powerful for words — one that beautifully bridges our external observations with our internal ones. It’s an idea he has explored in his own work, taught to his students, and contemplated at length over the past months in particular. “You can really take this theme in so many different directions … without blatantly saying so,” he explained, adding the real allure: “It’s a theme where artists can connect on an emotional level instead of a literal level.”
As for capping the show at artists under 40, it’s “an attempt to branch out and let younger artists know [they are welcome and needed] to keep the community thriving,” said Fossum, who, as a teacher, enjoys seeing how his students frame what they are interested in within the structure he provides — something he calls “the interbeing among things.”
He approaches being a juror in much the same way. “It always boils down to opinion,” he admitted, noting the curatorial process hinges on what a juror is aesthetically drawn to — “a visceral and emotional response to what we are seeing” — which does not alway directly relate to talent or technical skill. More importantly, the Gallery provides a platform for artists to commune and share space.
Nicole Irene couldn’t agree more. “We have all these great attractions [from Tanglewood to MASS MoCA] to bring people to the area … [but] it’s good to celebrate and honor local people, as well,” she explained in a recent phone interview. In her estimation, a space such as the Meeting House Gallery can bridge the gap. “We have a lot of talent in our backyard, and it’s really important to showcase that,” she said.
The benefits extend beyond the immediate world of art and artists. “Preserving historic buildings, and using them in contemporary and innovative ways, builds community,” Nicole Irene emphasized. Built in 1839, the New Marlborough Meeting House’s Greek revival structure’s prominence on “the green” gave it historical purpose for a largely agricultural community. Repurposing such spaces, as was the goal in the late 1990s when two local artists urged the New Marlborough Village Association to consider renovating the basement of the building so art classes and exhibits could be held there, not only “ushers [the space] into a more contemporary scenario” but also precludes it from “getting put to the wayside and forgotten.”
As the calendar inches toward April, Levin, whose “actual, physical engagement with creating art ebbs and flows,” plans to submit work to the Gallery’s upcoming show. After graduating from Monument Mountain Regional High School, he went on to study art and art history at Wesleyan University before earning his MFA from Bard College. He and his young family now make their home here. “[Susie Hardcastle, Jane Burke, Cynthia Atwood, Anne Getsinger], that group of artists, was the reason I wanted to come back to New Marlborough and live … [it’s] a community I feel safe in and inspired by.”
Nicole Irene, a Berkshire County native who teaches art at the Lee Public Schools and works in mixed media, underscores the importance of casting a wide net. “It’s nice to see the Berkshires art scene get more robust, include more people, and encourage everyone — emerging, professional, and hobby artists. Art is not just for an elite group of people.”
Note: This art show is open to all artists under the age of 40, working in two- and three-dimensional media (no video), who live within a 50-mile radius of the Gallery. Artists may submit up to three recent works inspired by their wanderings and wonderings. All work must be submitted by April 1 to the Dropbox provided by the Gallery, along with a description of the work.
