The Trustees of Reservations is excited to announce that the New England Triennial 2022 is now open at both deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum and Fruitlands Museum. This important group exhibition features a diverse and ambitious group of artists who work in New England and marks a major collaboration between the two Trustees museums.

Since 1989, the New England Triennial (formerly known as the deCordova New England Biennial) has been a mainstay of deCordova’s programming and mission, exemplifying the museum’s commitment to the region’s contemporary art. With this next iteration spanning two venues, the Triennial exhibition will have a wider platform to feature existing artwork and new commissions, as well as original outdoor installations and artistic performances.

“We are delighted to present, with excitement and appreciation, this diverse group of contemporary artists who have been working through challenging and transformational times with considerable resilience and creativity,” said Triennial Co-organizer Sarah Montross, Senior Curator, deCordova Museum. “This survey exhibition gives a platform for many dynamic artistic contributions of our region and takes the pulse of our contemporary moment,” adds Triennial Co-organizer Shana Dumont Garr, Curator at Fruitlands Museum.

Conceived and developed during the pandemic, the exhibition includes many works of art that suggest the themes of change, rupture, and transformation. Many of the artists’ practices involve processes of unmaking and remaking—patching things together, dissecting, and rebuilding forms using discarded parts. Their collective artistry reveals interconnected tendencies: a focus on kinship and ancestral lineages; a search for one’s place in the world; the visualization of data; themes of ruin and decay, and processes of alchemical transmutation.

Artists in this exhibition grapple with difficult and unjust moments of history and contemporary life. Some employ generations-old creative traditions in poetic, passionate, and informed ways. Altogether, their work unearths hidden energies and stories surfacing at a time defined by change and resilience.

Artists with Works on Display at deCordova

Elizabeth Atterbury (ME)
Ann Craven (ME)
Jeremy Frey (ME)
Merik Goma (CT)
Kate Greene (ME)
Meena Hasan (MA)
Baxter Koziol (ME)
Jodie Mack (VT)
Anina Major (RI)
Marla McLeod (CT)
Elle Pérez (MA)
Estefania Puerta (VT)
Allison Maria Rodriguez (MA)
Em Rooney (MA)
Michelle Segre (MA)
Nafis M. White (RI)

Artists with Works on Display at Fruitlands

Sascha Braunig (ME)
Edwige Charlot (RI)
Ann Craven (ME)
David Antonio Cruz (MA)
Furen Dai (MA)
Brenda Garand (VT)
Shaina Gates (NH)
Harry Gould Harvey IV (MA)
Jarrett Key (RI)
Heather Lyon (ME)

Exhibition funding is generously provided by the Nathaniel Saltonstall Arts Fund, the Artist’s Resource Trust, the Next Generation Fund of the Roy A. Hunt Foundation, as well as an anonymous donor.

Publication and Programming

The New England Triennial will be accompanied by a publication and a full slate of public programming and educational initiatives featuring the exhibiting artists to enrich the show’s presentation. These include performances, interdisciplinary exhibition tours, and round-table discussions with the artists.

Please visit thetrustees.org/triennial.

Art at The Trustees

Also opening at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum this summer, Melvin Edwards, Brighter Days,  showcases six monumental, abstract sculptures by the acclaimed contemporary African American artist Melvin Edwards. Brighter Days, a title chosen by the artist, brings forth conversations on Black history and identity, and evokes Edwards’ optimistic view of our shared future. The exhibition opens in June with a celebration on June 5.

Berkshires residents and visitors alike can visit the ViewEscapes: George Rickey Kinetic Sculpture exhibit at Naumkeag in Stockbridge, featuring more than a dozen sculptures and works of art dotting the landscape of the 44-acre Gilded Age cottage and property, opening on April 22.

While in the Berkshires, don't miss Counterculture from mixed media artist Rose B. Simpson, opening in June.