The Lay of the Land: SCMA Exhibition Offers Views of Landscapes Real and Imagined

What does a landscape look like from the window of a plane? Or as a sculpture under glass? Or frozen in bronze?

These are just some of the unique visions on view in “The Lay of the Land,” a new exhibition at the Smith College Museum of Art that runs through September 11. Featuring artworks from the museum’s collection, the exhibition offers diverse perspectives on contemporary landscapes in natural, altered and re-imagined forms.

The show highlights the work of local and regional artists, including Northampton-based Sally Curcio’s bubble sculptures of the “Happy Valley”; photographs by Stephen Petegorsky of Northampton and Tom Young of Charlemont, Mass.; and an abstract painting by Smith alumna Martha Armstrong ’62 of Hatfield, Mass.

The show also features Stephen Hannock’s monumental view of the Connecticut River Oxbow, a gemlike painting by Northampton-based artist Scott Prior and a gallery bench created by local furniture artist Rick Humphreys.

Environmental themes are woven throughout the artists’ representations of landscapes real and imagined.

The effect for viewers, says Linda Muehlig, exhibition curator and associate director for curatorial affairs/curator of paintings and sculpture at SCMA, is “an active looking experience” that provokes and inspires.

Fairfield Porter, American, 1907-1975, Path in the Woods, oil on Masonite, 1968 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William A. Small, Jr. (Susan Spencer '48).

Here are five reasons not to miss “The Lay of the Land.”

1. Creative juxtapositions: Actual and imaginary landscapes are displayed together, as are artworks of realistic and abstract styles, to reveal different approaches to the natural world.

2. Surprises: Among them are Bryan Hunt’s depiction of a waterfall in bronze (picture the water without the surrounding landscape) and Scott Prior’s 1973 painting of Northampton as the imagined site of a nuclear power plant.

3. A new selfie corner: A mural based on Fairfield Porter’s “Path in the Woods” creates a rich backdrop for snapping selfies and imagining where the trail depicted by the artist might lead.

4. New works in the collection: Including Curcio’s bubble sculptures and four paintings by Mike Glier of Williamstown, Mass., that capture the feel of landscapes encountered during his year-long trip starting in the Arctic Circle and ending a quarter turn around the globe.

5. Exhibition-related programs: Including a gallery conversation and nature tour on Wednesday, July 27, and a K-12 summer teacher institute to be held Tuesday-Friday, July 26-29. Details are available online.

April Gornik, American, born 1953, Trees in a Storm; New York State; oil on canvas,1982, Gift of Laura and Steve Riggio.