Lisa Green reports from North Adams. Leslie Ferrin of Ferrin Contemporary obviously scheduled the “Know Justice” exhibit to coincide with the presidential election season, but who knew the collection of works by Justin and Brooke Rothshank would be imbued with such significance? On Saturday, Oct. 15, a small group of artists, art collectors and gallery supporters gathered at the gallery space located on the MASS MoCA campus to meet artist Justin Rothshank and “Dish + Dine” with each other. Justin Rothshank’s Presidential Table features decal-printed ceramics depicting the 44 US presidents, and Brooke Rothshank’s finely drawn and carved portraits of the nine justices are displayed on Justin’s hand thrown and decorated platters. Guests were encouraged to choose one of the presidential mugs to use when the coffee came out, and it’s not hard to guess which president(s) got snapped up most quickly. The exhibition runs through November 13, allowing time to complete the table with a setting of the winning candidate. [Above, standing in front of the Supreme Court Justices, gallerist Leslie Ferrin is flanked by Pittsfield native Mark Leach, an arts writer and curator, and Laura Park-Leach, who live in North Carolina.]
Artists Kadri Parnamets and Sergei Isupov with Roosi Isupov; Elenor Wilson, editor of The Studio Potter, moderates a discussion with the exhibiting artist, Justin Rothshank. (Photo courtesy Graeme Sloan.)
Chris Rifkin, a collector and artist from Boston with Sandy Mitchell, a collector who lives in Washington, D.C.
Portions of the collection on the Presidential Table.
Former Berkshire Museum director Stuart Chase, now at the History Miami Museum, with collector Ted Rowland; Place settings in waiting.