The latest episode of Open Studio with Jared Bowen looks at a controversial exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, a theater spotlighting Latino culture, and a tribute to Ukraine by Boston Baroque.
First, Bowen heads to the Museum of Fine Arts to view the exhibit, " Philip Guston Now." This retrospective was slated for a four-museum tour in 2020. However, after George Floyd's murder and the protests for racial justice, the four museums' curators collectively decided to postpone the tour because of Klu Klux Klan imagery in some of Guston's later works. The MFA is now launching the national tour two years ahead of schedule, curating this show unlike any other. The MFA has assembled a staff advisory group, it's working with a mental health and trauma specialist and it's expanded the curatorial team to address the complexities of this retrospective. "Philip Guston Now" is on view through Sept. 11.
Next, Jared talks to director Mariela López-Ponce and Teatro Chelsea Program Manager Jaime Hernández about the play " Don’t Eat the Mangos,” Teatro Chelsea’s first fully staged production, co-produced with Apollinaire Theatre. Teatro Chelsea is Apollinaire Theatre's bilingual community theater project, celebrating Latin culture through collaboration. "Don't Eat the Mangos," which takes audiences into a family of three sisters caring for their ailing parents in Puerto Rico, is on stage through May 15.
Then, we take one more look at The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's exhibit, " Being Muholi: Portraits as Resistance," which brings the work of South African artist Sir Zanele Muholi to New England. Muholi has spent over 20 years documenting South Africa's Black LGBTQ+ community. The exhibit comes to a close on May 8.
Finally, we end the show with Boston Baroque performing “Prayer for Ukraine,” a hymn written by composer Mykola Lysenko a century and a half ago. This was filmed in GBH's Calderwood Studio.
Watch the latest Open Studio tonight at 8:30 p.m. on GBH 2, or stream live right here on our website. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notifications of future episodes.