Pioneer Women & Biennial

Susan Montgomery, detail of Pope Johanna

There were two openings this week of two Pioneer Women artists who also were selected for the latest Amherst Biennial. First, Susan Montgomery's Pope Joanna enlightens APE Gallery in Northampton. A timely installation addresses the possibility of a woman pope in the 9th Century. Susan first presented this body of work at Pioneer Women & Wonderland in Holyoke at Paper City Studios in 2010.
One of the large watercolors in the exhibit evoked Richard Yarde's work, who passed last year and had once told me, Susan was his favorite student.
On the other side of the state, Rosalyn Driscoll continued her exploration of the fragility of skin/body with a large sculpture at Boston Sculptors Gallery which plays a large copper covered cubed with light and hide evoking water.
I highly recommend both exhibits of these extremely talented local artists.