EDITOR’S PICK: What to See at New England Galleries this Summer

June 18, 2024
By BAR Editorial

Brienne Brown, Spring Moon, 2024. Dupioni silk, cotton batting, linen backing, cotton and silk threads, 51” × 36.5”. Photo courtesy of Gallery NAGA.

“Address to the Moon,” June 7–July 12, 2024
Gallery NAGA
67 Newbury St., Boston

It’s been a big year for the moon. The eclipse? I mean come on, give that girl an Oscar after that one. “Address to the Moon,” the title of which is based on the Nathaniel Hawthorne poem, reminds us that the moon is not just a celestial body controlling the patterns of our oceans—it’s a guide, a symbol, a muse. Organized by Powell Fine Art Advisory for Gallery NAGA, the exhibition has been a wish-list show for founder Hadley Powell for years. Featuring the work of eighteen artists, the flow of the exhibition is organized into sections that consider the moon either representationally or conceptually. Lizzie Gill’s Still Life with Amphora (Prima) (2023) greets visitors with a floral tablescape—the light creamy moon poking through arched windows is not the focus, but a strong presence. Cig Harvey captures a glowing round mirror held against a face at dusk. Antonin Anzil’s meticulous depictions of moon phases made from pulled paper are a showstopper. And Brienne Brown’s stitched silk quilts are enchanting little worlds where the presence of the moon is felt even in the pieces that don’t prominently feature it. 

I’d like to believe we’re all born with an innate connection to the moon. Personally, I make a point of trying to catch every full moonrise over a body of water. My girlfriend and I have become professionals at capturing the moon between our hands for photographs we call “moon pinches.” I was glad to be in the good company of moon lovers at Gallery NAGA.

—Jameson Johnson

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