Pictured above are two paintings in the Addison Gallery’s new collection which primarily focus on maritime history.
The Addison Gallery of American Art hosted their 2023 Fall Opening Reception on September 30, revealing three new exhibitions: “Turning a Big Ship,” “Sea Change,” and “Free Association: New Acquisitions in Context.”
Reggie Burrows Hodges, the resident artist of the main exhibition, “Turning a Big Ship,” introduced the central theme of maritime history. The exhibition features several pieces that metaphorically represent facing difficult changes. The museum’s curator Rachel Vogel explained how this was cleverly represented.
“As the title suggests, ‘Turning a Big Ship’ is about grappling with the idea that we are in a moment where we as humanity, involuntarily or voluntarily, will have to redirect our current course… Across his paintings, Reggie creates a form where the mast and sail transform into a female figure. We can think about that figure as standing in for the diasporic experience, bringing culture to new shores, and in relation to the bigger theme of turning a big ship, a model for starting anew. I think across the exhibition there is this sense of connecting the past with the future, that these figures serve as guides when we face moments of great transition and uncertainty. But there is also an important open-endedness to this work: it leaves space for the viewer to make meaning for themselves,” said Vogel.
Hodges’ exhibition stays true to the Addison’s tradition of supporting artists through their first residency, becoming the first museum to display their work. On view are other special exhibitions specifically curated in response to Reggie’s show. “Sea Change” and “Free Association: New Acquisitions in Context” complement Hodges’ theme of maritime history, but take a wider lens on the ocean in general. Each room featured a model ship from the Addison’s permanent collection — incorporating the pre-existing work with new pieces to give a fresh angle on the models.
“You might wonder, ‘How does it speak to the rest of our collection?’ This exhibition gives us a good chance to think about maritime history, as Reggie has given us a metaphor for the topics he’s exploring. It kind of re-animates them in a way… It gives us a chance to think about these ships that were commissioned as part of the collection, how can they continue to speak to other parts of the collection, but also what artists like Reggie are doing with this long history of maritime art,” said Angela Parker, Educator for Academy Engagement.
Several art students discovered that the exhibitions served as a source of inspiration to fuel their own work. Beyond the art classes that explore the Addison exhibition, many art students go back to the Addison as a valuable resource outside of the confines of their coursework. Maggie Qi ’24 reflected on the value and impact that the pieces can have on people.
“I was glad that the Addison can provide an amazing resource not only to students at [Andover] but also to the greater Andover community. It was nice that a lot of non-Andover students were [at the opening], and I feel like the Addison is a great contribution to the town of Andover… I try to go to every exhibition that the Addison holds, because they’re very valuable for me as an artist to be inspired by some of these works, and go to these museums and take photos, and I remember the artists who made them, so if later on, I ever want to do a piece inspired by that or something along the lines that the artist has done, I can go back and refer to them,” said Qi.
In the future, the Addison plans to hold several more opening receptions, such as “A Long Arc: Photography in the American South since 1850,” which will open in March. Parker shared her excitement for the upcoming exhibition.
“Addison is really strong in photography, so it gives us a chance to think about photography of the South. Personally, I grew up in Tennessee, so I am really excited about this because I’ve lived away from the American South for a long time, but remain very interested in how it’s portrayed in art. As an institution, we’re excited to have this moment to consider this part of photographic history, and I’m excited about this region being explored,” said Parker.
