Everybody loves a blog.......Right?!!?

The first meeting of the Collectors Forum was a great success! I am looking forward to putting all of the ideas and information into motion.if you missed the gathering last night but are interested in learning what it's all about stay tuned!! More to come.................

Holiday Stroll Countdown!

The Downtown Holiday Stroll is just days away! Kick off the Holiday Stroll Weekend at the Crowell's Fine Art Pop Up Gallery Opening Reception Friday evening from 6-9pm.

Travessia Urban Winery will be on hand with their brand new release, the Trapeze Pinot Noir and there will be art available for every taste and budget. 10% of the proceeds from the weekend long event will benefit the New Bedford Education Foundation to support development of the arts in New Bedford public schools.

For more Holiday Stroll Happenings check out the full schedule here:
HOLIDAY STROLL SCHEDULE

Homecoming: A Swain School Alumni Exhibit

Opening and Artists Reception




DATE: Thursday November 19th 2009

TIME: 6:00 pm ~ 8:00 pm

LOCATION: Crowell's Fine Art
382 Acushnet Avenue

New Bedford, MA 02740

CONTACT: 508.992.5231 or kate@crowellsfineart.com




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Homecoming
Swain School of Design Alumni Exhibit


OPENING AND ARTIST RECEPTION

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19th 2009

6:00PM ~ 8:00PM


Featuring work by:


David Loeffler Smith
John Vliet
Severin Haines
Donald Beal
David Paulson
John Robson
Katherine Boucher
Chuck Boucher
Alyn Carlson
Clayton Lewis
John Page
Diane Cournoyer
Nancy Carrozza
Anne Carrozza Remick
Stephen Remick
Trish Hurley
Susan Gilmore
Don Wilkinson
Marc St. Pierre
Peter Dickison
Marilyn O'Donnell
Randy Swann
Erik Lintala
Mary Flynn
Pam Power
Michael Pietragalla
Joseph Alexander (posthumous)
Bill Gonsalves
Kathy Gallant





Please join us Thursday November 19th, 2009 from 7:00- 9:00pm for an opening and artists reception to celebrate Homecoming: A swain School Alumni Exhibition.

The Swain School of Design provided deeper roots to the already rich tradition of art in the city of New Bedford. Swain developed a generation of painters who reached beyond the familiar fare of regional landscape painters. Because of the experiences and training they received at Swain, these painters viewed themselves as part of a larger movement in the art world. This shift in perspective put New Bedford on the map in terms of the contemporary art movements of its time.
The exhibition will run from November 19th 2009 ~ January 9th 2010.



"The Swain Free School of New Bedford, Massachusetts, was established in 1881 through the provisions of the will of New Bedford philanthropist William W. Swain. The following year it began offering courses in languages, literature, history, education, art, and chemistry free of charge to area residents who could not otherwise afford an education beyond public school. They were required to put down a deposit of $10 per semester, as a measure of good faith. As the textile industry became increasingly important to the area, the school concentrated on instruction in textile design."
From the UMD Swain School of Design Archives


David Loeffler Smith arrived at Swain School of Design from New York in 1962 after accepting the position of Director. Some have referred to this as one of the most transforming moments in the school's history. With Loeffler Smiths arrival came some change in faculty and, as a result, the emphasis of the institution changed. David brought in new faculty members such as George Rayapell, Sigmund Abeles, Melvin Zabarsky, Scattergood-Moore and Ron Kowalke. Until 1962 the Swain School had been primarily a graphic design school. Under Loeffler Smiths leadership Swain developed into a Fine Art School which maintained a strong Design program.


Then and still today art schools are comprised of 50% Design oriented students and the remaining 50% will be split between the other disciplines ( Painting ~ Sculpture~ Printmaking~ Artisanry). The Swain School was comprised of 75% Fine Art students and the remaining 25% studied Design. With the arrival of a painting teacher named Ed Lazansky the painting emphasis became even stronger. The Swain School began developing a reputation for its strong painting program.

Loeffler Smith organized exhibitions of work by a virtual WHO'S WHO in AMERICAN representational painting, including Leonard Anderson, Leland Bell, Rosemary Beck , Robert De Niro sr, Rackstraw Downes, Luis Finklestein, Lester Johnson, Paul Jorges, Gabriel Laderman, Louisa Mattestadorre, Brett Mccapmbell,Phillip Pearlstein, Paul Resika andNeil Welliver. Many of these artists were also Visiting Artists to the Swain School of Design, lecturing and touring studios and giving critiques to the students.


By the mid 70's painting became 50% of the enrollment. Swain had become a painting school. While Printmaking and Sculpture maintained good enrollment. Swain began pursuing accreditation and granted its first BFA Degrees in 1970. At this time Swain had an enrollment of 200 students, which after attrition would be around 150 in the spring. Despite the intimate size of the school, the dedication of students and faculty made it a driving force. As many as 60-70% of students from the painting program went on to graduate school for painting. Students were leaving Swain for graduate schools like Yale, Cranbrook, Maryland Institute in Baltimore, Queens College in NY, Parsons, Brooklyn College in NY. At this time, Swain became a conduit for the graduate painting program at Parsons. No less than 60% of the Parsons graduate program in painting was made up of Swainies.
In 1983 Swain acquired the Artisanry program from BU, but then began to struggle financially under the pace of growth. In 1988 Swain merged with what was then Southern Massachusetts University (SMU) , now the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (UMD). The Swain School of Design ceased to exist in name. Some faculty remained with the school through the transition and beyond. David Loeffler Smith retired from the University of MA Dartmouth in the early 1990's. Other Swain Faculty, Marc St. Pierre and Severin Haines continue to teach at UMD. They have recently been joined by former student Donald Beal, now a part time professor in the Fine Art Department of UMD.


For more information please contact Kate Levin at 508.992.5231 or kate@crowellsfineart.com

The new sign and awning are a go!

I just returned from the Historical Commission meeting where they verbally approved the new sign for the front and awning for the back door. Now I just have to wait for my certificate of appropriateness. Once I have that in hand we can start building the new sign and order the awning!
Pretty soon the new look of Crowell's will be complete!~
Stop by and see us ...Holiday specials on framing are starting soon!

Exhibition Schedule

11.19.09 - 01.06.09 Homecoming: Swain School of Design
Alumni Show

01.14.10 - 02.13.10 Stephen Remick

02.18.10 - 03.13.10 The Nude

03.18.10 - 04.10.10 John Robson

04.15.10 – 05.15.10 Severin Haines

05.20.10 – 06.12.10 Diane Cournoyer and Donald Beal

06.17.10 – 07.10.10 Peter Dickison

07.15.10 – 08.14.10 Stay Tuned for Details

08.19.10 – 09.11.10 David Loeffler Smith

09.16.10 – 10.09.10 Kathryn Lee Smith

10.21.10 – 11.13.10 Homecoming II: Swain School of Design
Alumni Show

11.19.10 – 12.30.10 Holiday Show

Linked and Synched!

Crowell's Fine Art is finally full on in the digital age! The Twitter account is back and running, we have a fan page on Facebook and the Blog is rocking and rolling! The long awainted website should be up in the next few weeks!!!
Stay tuned.........