A piece of pottery by Robin Simpson on display in the Etcetera exhibit
Etcetera Exhibit
Manchester Town Hall
Manchester
Nov. 18, 2024
Art is not just what we can see and hear. It’s also what we can feel.
I was reminded of that by the Etcetera Exhibit located at the Manchester Town Hall. The Manchester Art Association has an ongoing exhibit at the town hall, where for three months they feature a different single medium. This quarter’s medium is “Other,” which includes artwork that doesn’t fit into the other traditional categories of pastel, oil & acrylic, watercolor, and photography. As such, there was some fascinating art on display that catered to the sense of touch (not that I touched them; this is an art exhibit after all).
The first piece that caught my eye was a beautiful pewter, amethyst and silver necklace called the “Age of Aquarius” necklace (pictured above) by Judith E. Goldstein. Amethyst is one of the main birthstones for people born during the air sign, and the purple hue of the gemstones gives an impression of a violet-lit sky at sunset. I also learned that we may be living in the age of Aquarius at this very moment. The earth wobbles during its trip around the sun, with each “wobble” taking about 25,765 years. As the earth wobbles, the vernal equinox shifts, moving through each zodiac sign. Astrologers and others who study the stars disagree about when the earth entered the age of Aquarius, or if it even has, with some saying we entered in the 13th century and others claiming we’re not due to enter it until the 29th century.
Another striking piece is titled “Nature meets clay — maple leaf bowl” by Louise Cooke. This one instantly became my favorite, not simply because of its reference to trees which I love. But I appreciate the way that Cooke took a naturalistic approach to the color scheme of the bowl, capturing both the essence of the leaf which inspired it and the tree it came from. It also has the symmetrical spikiness that a real leaf can’t have, which gives it an almost fantastical feeling. It evokes the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, although I’m certain its history comes with much less bloodshed.
I also loved “Mantis” by Jerry Madara, an aluminum tubing and wire representation of a mantis. I’ve just always thought the praying mantis was the coolest bug, partially because I was under the mistaken understanding that they were called “preying” mantises due to their hunting prowess. Despite my confusion about the name, mantises are in fact effective hunters. Madara captures that fact with the sharp curve of the mantis’ forearms. The mantis is also the state’s official insect, named in 1977 after a group of children suggested it.
There were other examples of nontraditional art on display in the Etcetera exhibition, a good reminder that the main component of art is not the ability to draw or write or perform, but the impulse to bring something new to the world with a clear vision. That can take all sorts of forms, from the conventional to the novel. I’m glad that the Manchester Town Hall provided space to show some of the more interesting examples of novel art.
NEXT
The Etcetera Exhibit continues at Manchester Town Hall through January.
Jamil heads to Hartford Public Library to hear some of the ’80s greatest hits, orchestra style.