curated by John Crowley (City of Boston) and John Quatrale (UVA)

Scollay Square Gallery, Boston City Hall – 3rd Floor

Organized by Unbound Visual Arts

and the City of Boston Arts and Culture Department

Mayor Martin J. Walsh

Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture

October 1 – November 6, 2015 (open Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm)

An ArtWeek Boston event

See and purchase all the artwork in this exhibition here

Artist Statements for this exhibition here

See a listing of the artwork in this exhibition here

Download the Exhibition Program Guide with curator’s statement, price list & artist statements here

 

This exhibition of representational and conceptual works of art is about the intense spirit reflected in and associated with the Olympic Games and its various manifestations in life such as commitment, cooperation, courage, determination, inspiration, passion, and perseverance. These personal, physical, and psychological qualities and emotions relate and transcend the spirit associated with the Olympics as well as the goodwill of the international participants. This spirit does not always result in “victory” in the Olympics or in life, but the journey to achieve a goal is oftentimes the real accomplishment.

The arts have always played an important role in the Olympics.  Beginning with the early Greek Olympics starting in 776 BCE and lasting 1400 years, artists captured the glory and the athletic achievements on clay, on walls, and in drawings. Then, in the first half of the 20th century, artists competed for medals by creating works of art that were motivated by the sporting endeavors and the Olympic ideals.  For over 120 years, the modern Olympics has been striving to bring about world cooperation, education, and peace through athletic competition. Those principles have always been at the heart of the games, held every 2 years but not always successfully achieved.  Many political, economic and religious differences and conflicts have often overshadowed the goals but nonetheless the games have continued to bring men and women together from almost every nation on earth.  The five rings of the official Olympics flag represent the five main continents of the world while the colors (black, green, red, yellow and blue) of the rings represent all the nations of the world.

— Prepared by John Quatrale (UVA) with assistance from Ira-llana Papadopoulou (UVA).

 

UVA Artists Participating: Jean Aserkoff, Nancer Ballard, *Tsun Ming Chmielinski, Linda Clave, Anita Helen Cohen, Phoebe Ann Erb, Dianne Iyan Freeman, Lynda Goldberg, *Francis Gardino, Pauline Lim, Nhung Mackey, David Matcham, Eric Mauro, Monica McAlpine, *Ruth Rieffanaugh, Katha Seidman, Diane Sheridan, Nohelia Vargas, *Christine Winship

*UVA Board of Directors and Council of Advisors

See and purchase all the artwork in this exhibition here

Artist Statements for this exhibition here

See a listing of the artwork in this exhibition here

Download the Exhibition Program Guide with curator’s statement, price list & artist statements here

See the October 1st, 2015 Exhibition photographs here

See gallery photographs with the exhibition installed here

See the Allston-Brighton TAB article here