Art for the Soul Gallery Artistic Director Art for the Soul Gallery Artistic Director Billy Myers Conducts Restoration Workshop in Florence Italy
By Annette Scheidecker, Marketing Director, CBRE, Tower Square
If you have taken note of the upscale look of the Art for the Soul (AFTS) Gallery with each passing exhibit in the last year or so, then you might like to know that the professional and eye-catching displays of artwork are due to the keen eye and talents of AFTS Artistic Director, William Myers. Myers, who is also a renowned conservator of period frames, panel paintings, altar pieces and gilded furniture, recently returned from conducting an international art conservation workshop in Italy. According to Myers the amount of artwork in need of treatment due to neglect and natural disasters in Italy is at a critical stage. “Conservation is a slow and calculated process, and the limited number of qualified conservators, not to mention the cost, makes it quite a daunting endeavor,” explained Myers, who also met with some of the top frame conservators and scholars of Germany and Italy, while abroad. “I had to pinch myself to believe that I was in a forum where international students traveled to work with me,” added Myers. Before retiring to help his friend Rosemary Tracy Woods curate the AFTS Gallery exhibits, Myers was the frame conservator at Smith College Museum of Arts (SCMA), where he established the Frame Conservation Program, a volunteer training program that gave volunteers hands-on experience in the conservation and reproduction of historical picture frames from the SCMA’s collection. Many of the Graduates of the program have gone on to win Guggenheim fellowships, and to earn Master degrees in art conservation from programs across America and Europe. Myers is currently working with Woods to present an incredible Native American Exhibition at Tower Square set for later this fall. Look for the exciting details to come… Art for the Soul Gallery is located on the second floor of Tower Square at 1500 Main Street in downtown Springfield, MA. ■
First of Its Kind Native American Artist Exhibition in the Eastern US Coming to Art for the Soul Gallery
Save the Date: Thursday, October 5, 2017: Coming Soon to Art for the Soul Gallery – an exciting and comprehensive exhibition entitled: 7th Generation: Contemporary Native American Artists of the 21st Century, which opens on October 5, 2017 and runs through January 30, 2018. Art for the Soul Gallery, with the assistance of a grant from the Springfield Cultural Council and other sponsors, is proud to announce this special exhibition, which is the first of its kind ever to be presented not only in Western MA, but also across the eastern part of the United States. A wide array of Nations will be represented throughout the exhibition including, Pueblo, Cayuga, Lakota, Wampanoag, Lakota, Sioux, Abenaki and Tiano Nations. Art for the Soul’s Artistic Director, Billy Myers, who is from the Mohawk Nation, is lending his expertise and skill to create a wonderful exhibit as the curator of 7th Generation: Contemporary Native American Artists of the 21st Century. The exhibition will include not only a visual presentation of Contemporary Native American art, but also an extensive range of programming that will include but not be limited to a film series, lectures, music (drums), storytelling, genealogy, performance by the Peace Poets, bead making, Native American craft market, and much more. The public is invited to a special FREE Artist Reception on Thursday, November 16th from 6-8pm. Light fare will be provided. For additional information and program dates, please contact Rosemary Tracy Woods, Executive Director at 413.301.6314 or check art4thesoul.org or email the gallery at artforthesoulgallery@gmail.com
