Durfee and Somerset art students to be featured in a gallery: Here's how to see their work

FALL RIVER — Budding high school artists will soon be able to share their work with more than fellow students and family — the whole city can see what their imaginations have created.

The Greater Fall River Art Association will open the Community Gallery at 80 Belmont St. to B.M.C. Durfee High School art students and their work for all of February. The show will be on display to the public for free, with the show opening and receptions on Feb. 3 from 5 to 8 p.m. and Feb. 4 from 1 to 4 p.m.

In March, the gallery will feature work from students at Somerset Berkley Regional High School. Somerset Berkley’s show officially opens with events on March 2 from 5 to 8 p.m. and March 3 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Tiverton High School is slated to take over the Community Gallery in May.

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Students getting the art gallery experience

GFRAA President Dana Barnes said last year the group opened the gallery to Advanced Placement art students at Bishop Connolly High School to great response.

“We found that it worked really well," she said. “We tend to use that gallery to enhance our community, so that the community knows we have this beautiful gallery. It’s not like a gallery like you’d find anywhere else. It’s got a different vibe to it.”

The GFRAA has its home in the Charles M. Cole House, built in 1904, a grand Colonial revival mansion. The Community Gallery, Barnes said, is in what was once the home’s dining room.

Barnes said she wanted to give students the full art show experience, inviting them to the opening to speak with patrons. She asked them to provide artist statements, where they can explain what motivates them and why they created their artworks.

“Every adult artist has angst about putting work up on the wall of a gallery,” she said, “but we try to make it really comfortable so students can do it.”

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'This is how you do art out in the world'

Barnes said the group is reaching out to other schools who want to use the gallery, saying she’s always pleased to expose young students to the art world.

“I’m happy that art is becoming a thing that people are finding ways to pursue, whether it be in the graphics area, or fine art, or being in art therapy," she said. “We had some kids that wanted to be professional photographers as well.”

The Durfee student show will open at the same time as another show, Fiber Art, in another gallery at the association. That show will feature clothes, embroidery, and other woven artworks — putting the students’ works on the same footing as another show.

"I’m hoping there’ll be lots of people coming out to see this,” Barnes said. “I really would like to be able to offer the young ones an opportunity to be in a gallery not in their comfort zone up at the school, out in the community — 'Here you go, this is what it’s like if you want to be a working artist. This is how you do art out in the world.’”

Dan Medeiros can be reached at [email protected]. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River art gallery welcoming work from local high school students