BUSINESS BUZZ
Art about by Sean McCarthy
Changes are taking place in the art world, and so too with the New Bedford Art Museum/Art Works!
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hile expanding the public’s understanding of what art can be, executive director Suzanne de Vegh aims to take this downtown New Bedford location on a trajectory of greater recognition by building on its sense of community. Since taking the helm last September, de Vegh’s lifetime of experience in the art world has folks in the greater New Bedford area eagerly anticipating what she will bring to the establishment. “I feel like everything I’ve done has
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brought me to this moment,” de Vegh says. “Coming to lead a museum like this is absolutely a dream come true. It’s what I’ve wanted to do my whole adult life.” With an abundance of experience in the New York art industry and with extensive academic achievement, de Vegh has the support of her regional peers. “Central to my curatorial vision for the Museum is to celebrate artists who push technical boundaries and utilize media in innovative ways. The Museum will focus on artists who deploy media such as glass, sound, fragrance, and floral materials to new conceptual and expressive ends.” she says. “We will concentrate on areas within the art world that are really coming into their own, are being re-evaluated, and are ascending into the category of fine art. The kinds of artworks and exhibitions that we plan to display will make us a
March 2023 | The South Coast Insider
destination not just in our community, but will bring visitors from far and wide.” Upcoming exhibitions in 2023 include social practice, sound art, and street art. The museum will be collaborating with multiple area entities to help grow its cultural reach, including UMassDartmouth, DATMA, The New Bedford Free Public Library, and New Bedford Light. According to de Vegh, this is a time of evolution for the contemporary art world, and an opportunity for the museum to provide new offerings. “The old model for museums was object-driven and curator-driven – museums as temples to culture. I'm interested in a lively, responsive, and nimble institutional model,” de Vegh says. “Over the last 25 years or so the conversation has shifted. Now museums care much more about the audience and their experiences. It’s about making exhibitions welcoming, inclusive, and