ボストンといえば、ボストン交響楽団、ボストンバレエ団、ボストン美術館など、世界一流の芸術が集結する町ですが、アマチュアによる芸術活動もたいへん盛んです。先日、雅子さんは大学院の教授夫人が開いた展示会を訪れました。地元の小規模な展示会には、ボストン美術館の絵を鑑賞するのとは違った楽しみがありました。
Boston is home to many fine institutions of the art such as the Boston Symphony, the Boston
Ballet and the Museum of Fine Arts. These institutions offer tremendous discounts to students
and I am grateful that I have such plentiful opportunities to be exposed to world-class art
and artists.
But another aspect of what I like about Boston is that there are many amateurs who
participate in the arts scene. I enjoy witnessing their work. There are tons of choirs,
chamber music groups, dance companies and orchestras consisting of artists who pursue their
craft while holding other full-time jobs. There are many photographers, sculptors and painters
as well.
Perhaps "amateur" is an insulting word to describe them, since they've often gone to the
best conservatories, art schools and universities to cultivate their skills.
For whatever reason, however, they earn their living doing something else. They usually
perform for free or take only token donations, so it's obvious that my going to their concerts
will hardly help them pay their rent. However, I try to show them my support by being present
in the audience.
It's true that part of this is because I want to be a "good citizen" and I want to
acknowledge the efforts of persons who pursue art out of sheer love ... but more than that,
I go because I enjoy it.
My advisor's wife, Idahlia, studied art history as a graduate student and has been painting
seriously for decades. Nowadays, she has been curating small exhibits for the Gallery of
Social/Political Art in downtown Boston. The gallery doesn't have its own permanent space - it
rents a room from a church for its exhibits - and it doesn't even charge admission, but it
has about three shows a year.
I have had the privilege of going to the opening reception of a few of the shows that Idahlia
has helped organize. Today I went to an exhibition entitled, "War, Peace and Justice." About
10 artists were featured.
Most of the visitors seemed to be the friends and families of the artists and the whole
reception had a very homey feel. For instance, many items on the refreshment table were
obviously homemade. Over years of attending amateur arts events, I have come to expect this.
Indeed, I have come to enjoy it.
There is something to be said for the warm interaction between artists and the visitors that
one sees at this sort of event. My guess is that
aspiring (or failed) professional artists do
not find solace in the unconditional praise of friends and family members, but as an
attendee, I like witnessing that kind of warm support.
Like most people, I enjoy amateur and professional performances in different ways: I am a harsh
judge of restaurant food, but at a friend's home, I appreciate hospitality more than any fancy
dish; I look for perfect artistry at Symphony Hall, but a warm group atmosphere when watching my
friends play chamber music in a church.
Idahlia still paints and she has four paintings in the exhibit that I saw today. What I like
most about her work is that it conveys her love for people. She always paints pictures of
masses of people, often faceless, but nevertheless moving together as a whole. Given the
name of the gallery, it is no big surprise that Idahlia is a very liberal and socially
conscious woman.
She exhibits an almost girlish enthusiasm and curiosity toward the world that I find very
appealing, especially considering that she was born before the war and has two grown children. I
feel this warmth in her painting.
Perhaps the famous paintings hanging on the walls of the Museum of Fine Arts speak for
themselves without any live interaction between the artists and visitors. But the wonderful thing
about local exhibits is that visitors can really connect the character of the artist with the
artwork itself. Perhaps personal knowledge of the artist should not matter in one's judgment of
a work. But that is a great part of what I look for when I go to small local events.
chu.htm
- institutions
- 機関
- Museum of Fine Arts
- ボストン美術館
- tremendous
- すごい
- discounts
- 割引
- grateful
- ありがたく思う
- plentiful
- たくさんの
- be exposed to
- にふれる。
- amateurs
- アマチュア
- participate in the art scene
- 芸術の舞台に参加する
- witnessing
- 見守る
- tons of
- 多数の
- choirs
- 合唱団
- chamber music
- 室内楽
- pursue their craft
- 技を追求する
- sculptors
- 彫刻家
- insulting
- 失礼な
- conservatories
- 音楽学校
- cultivate their skills
- 腕を磨く
- earn their living
- 生計を立てる
- perform
- 公演する
- token donations
- 申し訳程度の寄付金
- rent
- 家賃
- being present in the audience
- 観客として出席する
- good citizen
- 善良な市民
- acknowledge
- 認識する
- out of sheer love
- 純粋に好きという気持ちだけで を追求する
- advisor
- 指導教授
- for decades
- 何十年も
- has been curating
- 主事を務めている
- exhibits
- 展示会
- doesn't have its own permanent space
- 常設の展示スペースを持たない
- rents
- 借りる
- (doesn't)charge admission
- 入場料をとらない
- have had the privilege of
- の機会があった
- entitled
- と題した
- were featured
- 呼び物とされていた
- homey feel
- 家庭的な雰囲気
- refreshment
- 軽食
- There is something to be said for
- は注目すべきことだ
- warm interaction between 〜and 〜
- 〜と〜の温かい交流
- My guess is that
- 思うに〜だ
- aspiring
- 〜の卵
- failed
- 成功していない
- solace
- 慰め
- unconditional praise
- 手放しのほめ言葉
- attendee
- 出席者
- harsh
- 厳しい
- hospitality
- もてなし
- fancy
- 凝った
- artistry
- 芸術性
- paints
- 絵を描く
- conveys
- 伝える
- masses of people
- 群衆
- as a whole
- 一つになって
- Given〜を考えると
- liberal
- 自由主義の
- socially conscious
- 社会的に意識が高い
- almost girlish enthusiasm and curiosity
- まるで少女のような熱中ぶりと好奇心
- appealing
- 興味をそそる
- hanging
- 掛かっている
- speak for themselves
- おのずから雄弁に物語っている
- artwork
- 作品