D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts shows “Endangered Species?

Saturday, 04 October 2008 16:24

SPRINGFIELD, MA  – Paintings by local artist Holly S. Murray will be on view in the Community Gallery at the Michele & Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts from October 14, 2008-January 4, 2009, in the special exhibition Endangered Species.  The exhibit consists of two combined bodies of work. The first are paintings that Murray completed while working as an artist-in-residence in Hawaii. The paintings were influenced by ancient print designs, the patterns of sea swells and currents, and the flora and fauna of the Hawaiian Islands.

The second series, A Culture of Bees, was inspired by the work of conservation biologist Claire Kremen, who discovered that the success of the bee depends on the diversity of breeds and the bees’ ability to survive in a toxic world. Murray paints bee imagery in combination with medical imagery, which has been a subtext of much of her work. She draws inspiration from old medical journals, vintage agricultural imagery, and photographs. Works in this series are created in layers, using the processes of stenciling, stamping and printing, and materials such as gold leaf, beeswax and found paper.

A reception with the artist will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, November 20, at the museum. Springfield College faculty members will assist students in designing performances which will be presented throughout the evening.  The reception is free and open to the public. Several times a year the Museum provides exhibition opportunities for emerging artists by showcasing their work in the Community Gallery.

Murray is a faculty member at Springfield College in the Visual and Performing Arts Department and has exhibited extensively throughout New England and beyond.

The D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts is located on the Quadrangle at 21 Edwards Street in downtown Springfield, MA. Free parking is available in the Edwards Street parking lots. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and college students, $5 for children 3-17, and free for children under three and museum members. Springfield residents are free with proof of address. The fee provides admission to all four Springfield Museums.  For information, call 413-263-6800 or visit www.springfieldmuseums.org .