I like to believe that V Organic Café & Art Gallery, with it’s smoothie bar, bakery, café, art gallery featuring local artists and new Gifts n Goods retail room is worth a trip to Upton all on it’s own (okay that is my plug for the café), but for fellow art lovers, there is another great reason to visit Upton, particularly on the week end; Spaightwood Gallery. The gallery is located on Main Street just down the street from the cafe.
This Sunday, after brunch, I headed down to the gallery to take in the current exhibition which I’d read about in the Upton Daily. I was very excited to see the exhibition ‘Studying War’ which included a series by Otto Dix, Grosz, George Roualt and Goya, the artist I was most anxiously anticipating, as I adore Goya.
One of the owners of the gallery, Andy Weiner, gave me a private 30 minute tour of Goya’s series entitled, ‘Disasters of War’. Spaightwood Gallery has the entire 81 plates in this series! The series presented in the manner in which it is displayed in the gallery is powerful, explosively evocative and as relevant to the violent conditions of war in the world today, as they were when Goya created them between 1810-1820. The back story on these works and Goya at the time he created them, should you care to read a bit online, is absolutely fascinating as well.
Spaightwood Gallery, which I’ve visited a few times prior to this Sunday, is such a hidden treasure here in Upton. This is a not to be missed show, which I so highly recommend to my fellow Uptonites (or are we Uptonians, I’m never quite sure?). And as I tell those friends who live outside of Upton, Spaightwood gallery is destination worthy for both art lovers and those who love historical architecture. How fortunate we are in Upton, to have this treasure right in town.
Veronica Ramos
UPTON DAILY 