Upcoming and Past Exhibits
Upcoming Exhibitions
NICK DEMAKES
February 19th, 2024–May 19th, 2024
Artist's Reception: March 2nd, 6:00–8:00pm
Free and Open to the Public
What began with a fragmented drawing has evolved into a collection of limited prints, clocks and original paintings. The Salem Art Gallery is displaying a collection of Demakes’ multimedia paintings, including his “Gentleman Bats” and several works based off of twisted imagery of Raphaels’s “Cupid”. After graduating Montserrat College of Art in 1994, Nicholas Demakes was finally free to pursue art within the horror and fantasy genre which was discouraged during his college years. Since then the subject matter of his work has evolved into a fantastical collection of sculptural clocks and original paintings including "Hellequin", based on the Harlequin Folklore of the Demon Huntsman and distorted renderings of angelic imagery.
Demakes believes that working in a single medium is restrictive to his artistic process. Each idea manifests in its own individual style, as his works are often unusual in subject matter. Over the years he has developed a process of blending the more traditional oils, acrylics and colored pencils with such varied materials as radiator patch, fruit juices and coffee grounds.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
HEXMAS
The Satanic Temple Salem and Salem Art Gallery invite you to a glorious celebration of all things Hexmas! This exciting and educational exhibit that explores the reasons for the season and the lore and history that surrounds the deities, characters and traditions that occur during this joyous time of year.
This exhibit will feature an interactive space with a variety of seasonal photo opportunities, a craft station to create your own ornament to wish your favorite deity or character a Happy Holiday, and artworks that will be auctioned as a fundraiser in support of The Satanic Temple and the Religious Reproductive Rights campaign and operating costs.
On December 16th, the Salem Art Gallery will offer Free admission and holiday refreshments in celebration of ALL of the delightful entities that share origins during the giving season! Join us from 11:00am to 6:00pm, all ages are welcome!
MICHAEL BROOM
September 29th, 2023–December 3rd, 2023
Artist's Reception: October 7th, 6:00–8:00pm
Free and Open to the Public
Salem Art Gallery presents the captivating solo exhibition by renowned artist Michael Broom. Through a masterful blend of popular horror iconography and original creations, Broom's paintings bring to life the essence of the season. With each brush and stroke of imagination, he transports viewers to a realm where the boundary between horror and inspiration blurs.
The exhibition draws a significant amount of imagery from the location itself, the city of Salem and the spirit of Halloween serving as profound sources of inspiration for Broom. Within these enchanting surroundings, Broom has immersed himself in the rich historical tapestry of Salem, mining its centuries-old stories, folklore, and architectural charm to infuse his creations with a sense of place and time. The city's cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and the lingering echoes of its witchcraft trials have all played an integral role in shaping the visual narrative of this exhibition. Furthermore, the vibrant spirit of Halloween in Salem, with its elaborate costumes, bewitching decorations, and a palpable sense of enchantment, has fueled Broom's artistic vision.
Broom's use of iconic cultural Halloween and horror creatures transcends mere artistic representation, delving deep into the collective psyche of the season. With a deft hand and a keen eye for detail, he breathes new life into these timeless figures, inviting viewers to contemplate the enduring significance of these archetypes in our cultural imagination. Through his skillful reinterpretation, Broom not only pays homage to the classics but also reinvigorates them with fresh perspectives, shedding light on the evolving narratives of fear, fascination, and fantasy. His art serves as a bridge between tradition and innovation, offering a captivating dialogue that speaks to the enduring power of these iconic creatures in shaping our understanding of Halloween and the broader world of horror.
Michael Broom is a concept artist for the Film and Television Industry, and the author of two children's books. His Film and Television projects have included storyboards and concept design for 'The Walking Dead', 'Creepshow' (TV Series), 'Blade Runner 2049', and 'X-Men: First Class among others. His illustrated children's books, 'Sky Rats’, are both currently available on Amazon.
Trained extensively in traditional mediums and branching out into digital technology, Michael now utilizes multiple different tools to accomplish his artistic goals. His interests lie in the macabre and fantastic; with inspirations like H.P. Lovecraft, H.R. Giger and Frank Frazetta, never far from his thoughts.
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FACTORY MADE: ETHICALLY SOURCED
July 25th, 2023–September 29th, 2023
Artist's Reception: July 29th, 6:00–8:00pm
Free and Open to the Public
‘FACTORY MADE / ETHICALLY SOURCED’ aims to delve into the intricate relationship between labor and its material product. Through juxtaposition of human flesh and the inanimate objects emerging from colossal production industries, we invite viewers to contemplate the underlying narratives that bind these two seemingly disparate elements.
We have constructed sprawling factories that churn out an ever-expanding array of material goods. These factories stand as towering symbols of human ingenuity and capability, yet they also hold within them the echoes of toil and the human labor that breathes life into the products we consume. ‘FACTORY MADE’ embodies this dichotomy, with its visual exploration of the sheer scale and mechanical precision behind the manufacturing processes, brought forth alongside the human element that invests blood, sweat, and passion into the very objects we hold dear.
Simultaneously, the phrase ‘ETHICALLY SOURCED’ challenges us to consider the implications of unethical labor practices and their impact on both human and ecological realms. Through this, the art implores us to question the hidden costs behind the allure of mass production, urging us to confront the paradoxical nature of our modern lifestyles.
As viewers are confronted with these stark visual contrasts, the artists seek to evoke a sense of contemplation, pushing them to look beyond the surface of consumer culture and discover the inherent indignity and struggles woven into every item we possess. The pairing of human flesh and manufactured objects serves as a symbolic call for greater empathy, encouraging us to recognize the interconnectedness of all lives within the vast fabric of global production networks.
‘FACTORY MADE / ETHICALLY HARVESTED’ embraces the power of art to provoke thought and ignite conversations that transcend the canvas. By bringing the intricacies of labor intensity and materiality to the forefront of our collective consciousness, the artists aspire for a more conscious and compassionate approach to consumption, production, and the way we value the labor that sustains our world.
This exhibition is a site-specific multi-media installation created by a collection of anonymous artists.
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Frank C Grace: Finding Beauty in the Dissonance
April 11, 2023–July 22 2023
Artist's Reception: April 21st, 6:00–8:00pm
Free and Open to the Public
Frank C. Grace finds beauty in an unsolved mystery; searching in the weird and creepy, in the local legends, and in historic locations that tell their own distinct story. ‘Finding Beauty in the Dissonance’ offers to reveal the hidden spectacle where others might not expect to find it — in utterly dilapidated buildings and all things left behind. No matter what Grace photographs, he aims for the final image to tell a story. To attempt to take one look deeper at a scene and wonder: What happened here? Why was it all just left behind? Who used to live here?
“All these abandoned places have an impact on me when I am there with my camera. I take a look around and soak it all in. These places have a story to tell so I intently listen with all my senses. The light, atmosphere, smell, colors and sounds, etc. I use a variety of different digital editing to convey what I felt while at these places. My aim is to uncover details and clues that are revealed in each scene so that the viewer gets transported.”
‘Finding Beauty in the Dissonance’ pieces range from places where the story may be obvious, such as Chernobyl, to the not so obvious abandoned hotels, churches, and reportedly historically haunted spots. It aims to savor the beauty in the dissonance through Grace’s lens — a unique perspective put forward of the places humans left behind. Juxtaposing decay and growth, in which nature’s reclamations are left visible between cracked concrete and broken walls, with wide angles and tessellations of the seemingly mundane.
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Andrew Cadima: The Abyss
December 6, 2022–April 8, 2023
Artist's Reception: December 9th, 6:00–8:00pm
Free and Open to the Public
From a young age, music was the overwhelming focus of Andrew Cadima's early life, studying performance on the piano, violin, and guitar. He received the Agnes Albert Scholarship to attend the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he would eventually earn a bachelor and master's degrees in composition.
After a career of conducting and writing music for musicians and ensembles, Cadima had a sudden and mysterious urge to throw himself into painting–a medium he was entirely unfamiliar with. Through oil painting, he discovered an eagerness for this type of self-expression and has continued to share his experiences and techniques for all to see.
Andrew Cadima’s The Abyss, shows his vast array of technical skill in oil painting, and his favorite expressions in artmaking. In this exhibition, you can see the large influence of portraiture and human expression in his work, as well as his interest in the physical interactions of light and surface. These themes are communicated through careful curation; recontextualizing individual imagery of Cadima’s work in the wider narrative device of ‘The Abyss’.
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Nona Limmen: Dark Escapism
September 6–December 4, 2022
Artist's Reception: October 15th, 6:00–8:00pm
Free and Open to the Public
In her experimental dark art photography, Nona Limmen channels the darker side of life by painting gloomy fairytales with the camera’s lens. The Beverwijk born studied psychotherapist, plays with melancholic symbolism, dark folklore, occultism, and shadow work, sometimes profoundly unnerving, sometimes inviting and alluring – her range widely varying by combining soft and ethereal beauty with barren landscapes. Nona Limmen’s haunting protagonists are creatures born of folklore, mythology, and the collective unconscious. Her photos capture them as they dance along the borders between our world and theirs. Perhaps, if you approach with just the right offering, one of them might grant you a glimpse or even passage into their realm, part dream and part nightmare.
Her photos serve as a liminal zones that draw you in and make the world around you fall away as you’re drawn through a portal of her own creation. Whether in dramatic black and white or vividly artworks tinted in purples and reds, the Amsterdam based photographer offers you a glimpse into a world nebulously bordering our own, a realm where the visible melts into the unseen. But be warned. There's no return from where you are going.
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CAITLIN KAROLCZAK: IMITATIONS OF MORTALITY
May 25-September 4, 2022
Throughout history, women have been more commonly recalled as muses than artists. Caitlin Karolczak lays claim to both, using both self-portraiture and other imagery in reclamation of identity. Her art practice also exhibits a preoccupation with the male portrait, examining prevalent notions of fetishization and oft-not-seen vulnerability. Karolczak’s richly layered works combine age-old painting techniques with bold, contemporary mediums. Featuring countless brushstrokes and translucent layers of pigment combined with uncommonly used mediums such as neon, enamel and metal leaf, Karolczak’s work truly stands out in the genre of figurative art.
Caitlin Karolczak was born on Minnesota’s Iron Range. She attended the University of MN at 16, where she received a BFA in Fine Arts and a BA in Art History with an emphasis in 19th century medical photography. In addition to painting Karolczak, pursues installation, sculpture, and performance art, often incorporating objects of biology and antiquity from her personal collection.
Karolczak has exhibited internationally in Bogotá, Vancouver, New York, Miami, Minneapolis, Belgium, Germany and more. Her work is in numerous collections across the US as well as Australia, South America, UK, Canada, Israel & South Africa. She has been interviewed by art publications in Australia, South America, Croatia, & the USA.
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W O L F D R E A M
February 16–May 22, 2022
Opening Reception: March 12, 2021 - 6:00–8:00pm
Special Guest: Forever Autumn
Throughout history, Wolves have been the personification of wonder and power. They represent the untamed spirit and unconquered land. With that reputation, they have also been condemned as evil incarnate and, once murdered, a symbol of man’s brutal conquest of nature.
This exhibition, Juried by Wolf Hollow Director, Zee Soffron, explores and promotes the majesty of these beautiful creatures whose alluring energy continues to inspire.
As a commitment to the preservation of these important animals, The Salem Art Gallery at The Satanic Temple Salem pledges the proceeds of the works included in this exhibition towards our neighbors to the north, Wolf Hollow Conservation and Education Center.
Gallery Artists:
Lore Adler · Christopher Alday · Neeka Allsup · Brian Alves · Joshua Beckett · Grace Becraft · Cory Benhatzel · Courtney Brooke · Colleen Callahan · SB Chandler · Polyvios Christoforos · Fache Desrochers · Angela Douglas · Autumn Ni Dubhghaill · Matthew Dunn · Kimmie Etherton · Sam Evans · seaN fahleN · Alexandra Fische · Terri Jo Frew · Mia González · Michael Grimaldi · Lana Guerra · Melissa Gurr · Elizabeth Jancewicz · Sean Jenkins · Rebecca Klein · Szandora LaVey · Yili Lim · Monica Lara-Crabtree · Matt & Ryan Murray · Elizabeth Neronski · Meg Nichols · Meaghan Parris · Rebecca Petrie · Sandy Frank Price · Ken Reker · Azura Rose · Sarah Rose · Millicent Rosethorn · Danielle Sanfilippo · Ellora Sen-Gupta · Kristin Scholz · Christy Sexton-Sturman · Jack Spellman · Caroline Stjarnborg · Betsy Sullivan · Heather Woodsum · Tom Wilmott
Virtual Artists:
Ash Arenholz · Ariena Ariff · Jennifer Auger · Julie Augustin · Alexia Avila · Jeffrey Ball · James Bostick · Iryna Calinicenco · Joseph Cantor · Bonnie Carlson · Nathan Cheek · Susan Coons · James Courtney · Tori Darnell · Susan Dodge · Beki Ferrari · Jeannie Fransen · Jessica Gentilé · Dan Gilbert · Vishnu Gollakota · Abram Grivois · Sandra Guerrero · Tory Guthrie · Sheryl Hall · Rorschach Hallow · Lisa Hertel · Damien Hnamte · Patt Kelley · Vicki Kirsch · Ken Kokoszka · Seth Lajoie · Jason Lange · Kelley Leach · Amelia Leonards · Jillian Madruga · Max Martelli · Lindsay Martland · Alexis McFate · Magpie McGraw · Audra McGrew · Angelica McNall · Jason Melo · Brian Murphy · Emi Night · Elliot Olson · Kyl Owns · Anna Peintner · Brooke Pinyerd · Jody Poorwill · Casey Renaudette · Russ Renshaw · Stacy Rink · Gracey Ripa · Berenice Rodriguez · Jennifer Savage · Pax Savage · Meghan Scire · Gabriela Sepulveda · Erin Shadoff · Kyrrah Smith · Dafna Steinberg · Yoti Sunflower · Erin Survilas · Ylva Svensson · Katie Della Terza · Vanessa Thompson · Edith Thoms · James Thoms · Roland Tyler · Sam Walsh · Nicole Wimer · Calliope Woods · Matthew Woods · Émile Ypperciel
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Sister Season of Sorrow: Caitlin and Nicole Duennebier
December 8, 2021–February 13, 2022
Opening Reception: December 11, 2021 - 6:00–8:00pm
Since their youth, Caitlin and Nicole Duennebier have been creating foreboding landscapes and narratives. Both have grown to have wildly different styles, but their work still is commingled and speaks of the woods and stories made up from their childhood. Caitlin’s robust characters inhabit Nicole’s mystical, otherworldly landscapes—drinking, smoking cigs, laughing, and crying. The stark contrast creates a solid connection to the worlds that each artist creates, exemplifying what can be possible when their two techniques collide.
In each exhibition, the sisters attempt to use an entirely new medium; in Sister Season of Sorrow, they are experimenting with clockwork. Each clock is its own environment set around the strictures of the timepiece, but it is also sprawling and blithely unconcerned with being useful. The movements of each clock are attributed to the passing of time but they are swallowed up by the preoccupations of its inhabitants, or entirely ignored as they go about their private miseries.
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Nicole Duennebier received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Maine College of Art with a major in painting. Her BFA thesis work was most influenced by research into the coastal ecosystems of Maine. In 2006 she was awarded the Monhegan Island Artists Residency. On the island she continued her work with sea life, and perceived a natural connection between the darkness and intricacy of undersea regions and the aesthetic of 16th-century Dutch still-life painting.
Nicole is a 2016 Massachusetts Cultural Council Painting Fellow and her work can be found in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and New Britain Museum of American Art. Writing about Bright Beast, her 2013 solo show at the Lilypad in Cambridge, Cate McQuaid of the Boston Globe said Nicole’s “technical mastery gives the artist what she needs to seduce the viewer; the content lowers the boom.” Nicole has also been featured in the Portland Press Herald, Art New England and Hi-Fructose Magazine, among other publications. Nicole has worked alongside her sister Caitlin Duennebier for a number of collaborative exhibitions, most recently “Love Superior, a Death Supreme” at Simmons University.
Working in painting, drawing, sculpture, and animation, Cailtin Duennebier creates surreal narratives that focus on a cast of oddball characters. Drawn in a crude and illustrative manner, her scenes commingle threat and sly humor, showing everyday life tainted with the disappointments of violence and body image. Caitlins's imagery is populated by bemused men, fierce-looking women, and strange half-breed creatures that maintain an air of playfulness and innocence while addressing feminism, death and storytelling.
Caitlin Duennebier received her BFA in photography at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2009 and studied on scholarship at University of the Arts London. Cailtin lived in London between 2009 and 2014 when she began OH PAPA, a platform for her illustrative work.
Caitlin Duennebier // Nicole Duennebier
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THE DEATH OF GODS AND MASTERS
Alexander Reisfar
September 17–December 5, 2021
Self-taught artist Alexander Reisfar’s eerie paintings, both frightening and beautiful, are inhabited by intricately rendered creatures and dark surrealist undertones. The Portland Oregon based artist is able to navigate esoteric, political, and sexual themes within the dark iconography depicted in his paintings. “Creating uniquely macabre scenes in dystopian settings, his work incorporates elements of nature, death, and humanity in a way that depicts both man’s ruin as well as the tiniest glimmer of hope for mankind, painting an intricate and cautionary tale. Gory, fearful, and at times, downright grotesque, Reisfar’s work is a commentary on society. Playing with themes that are both anti-colonialism as well as anti-war, his portrayal of humans is often melded with morbid elements like decay and death… Somber, macabre, and undoubtedly cautionary, his work is absolutely stunning.” - Alex Wikoff
Alexander has lent his brush to many bands over the years, his album covers include Arch Enemy, Sabbath Assembly, Lungs, and Silver Talon. Most recently Opeth and Mastodon used his work An Archer for an Anthem, featured in this exhibition, to promote their 2021 tour. Reisfar was the artist in residence at the John Natsoulas Gallery in 2012, where he became a member of the Davis Mural Team. The artist’s murals can be found in Davis CA, Oakland CA, and Portland OR. His paintings, both brooding and elegant, have been featured across the U.S. and can be found in numerous collections and outsider exhibitions around the world.
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Cevin Soling
We've Become What We Parody
July 7–September 19, 2021
"My artwork involves bending the familiar to create an alternate world that exposes the undercurrents of hypocrisy and violence that persist beneath everyday objects' venire. The works are intended to generate a conflicted response of both horror and humor where the humor may feel guilty or inappropriate.
The works serve as critiques of both ourselves and our culture designed to prompt unsettling questions. What kind of world have we created? What do we value, and what do we want to achieve? How do we suppress thoughts of our eventual demise and the specter of violence that surrounds us? Alienation plays a significant role – not as a subject as one might expect, but rather as an object. Alienation from selves, from others, from our culture and history, from the things we produce, and the things to which we aspire are ultimately what generate ironic humor in the dark landscape.
Aesthetics is essential. Works' appearances are consistent with everyday analogs to heighten the tension between the image and its subject matter. Installations are designed to seem inconspicuous at first glance but disturbing upon closer inspection. My mission is for this sense to carry over to other crass representations that surround us in our daily lives that we have normalized and to which we have become desensitized"
Incipit Spring
Spring 2021
We are pleased to announce Incipit Spring, a group show co-organized with Salem Arts Association to be on view April 1st. Featuring the work of local artists and their interpretations of renewal, growth, and the season itself, this juried exhibition will be the first of its kind displayed within the walls of our gallery. Incipit Spring will run through July 3rd, 2021.
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Zach Brown
Strange Familiars
Mid-Winter Exhibition 2020
“My paintings combine traditional techniques and materials with formal design. The work puts the illusion of representational painting against the reality of the material and the painting as an object. This duality is also seen in the mixing of contemporary and ancient subject matter found in my work. The visual themes focus on the subjects of history, myth, and mortality.”
Joe Keinberger
In Comfort of Darkness
Fall/Winter 2019-2020
“Since childhood I have always been regarded as someone who is
interested in “weird things,” and I still get asked why my work and
interests are “so dark.” – These wooden panels become tablets that bear the
images of things that exist beyond the everyday world.
This “darkness” lights my world and offers insight and comfort in the
face of an unkind world. To peek behind the veil and to meet fellow
travelers who also play in the darkness, who find joy, humor and comfort in
my work, or create inspiring work of their own, is something to cherish.”
In Comfort of Darkness, on view at Salem Art Gallery November 27th, 2019 through January 29th, 2020. Opening Reception December 14th, 6pm-8pm.
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Courtney Brooke
Wake of the Crimson Witch
Spring 2019
“My work explores the relationship between the feminine, the natural world and spirituality. I am exploring what it is to exist in a human form. Trying to wake the flame that burns in the darkness. Ever since I was an adolescent I have been fascinated by the unrelenting pressure of time and it’s relationship to beauty. What starts out as yearning soon becomes manipulated into a tragedy of temptation, leaving only a sense of nihilism and the prospect of a new beginning.I strive to create a visual moment that urges the viewer to question spirituality, the human experience and one’s own connection to the universe.”
Visit the gallery April 3rd through June 22nd to view Courtney’s seasonal exhibition. Details on the opening reception for this show can be found in the events section.
Follow Courtney on Instagram: @light_witch
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Rebecca Petrie
Moon Magic
Fall 2018
Moon Magic is an exploration of the sinister veneer of the illumination of the night and the colors you see beyond the black. Rebecca explores geometry and organic imperfect symmetry based on dreamscapes.
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Vincent Castiglia
Sanguine Spring
Fall 2017
Salem Art Gallery – the headquarters and cultural center of The Satanic Temple, Salem, MA (64 Bridge St.) – is pleased to present “Sanguine Spring”, a selection of large-scale paintings, limited editions and sculpture by world renowned artist VINCENT CASTIGLIA. The exhibition is inspired by the idea that Romans viewed February as a time of purification and honoring one’s ancestors. Ritualized bloodletting, purging, and celebrations of opulent excess often accompanied observances such as Lupercalia, Parentalia and Feralia in February to expel the vestiges of winter. Castiglia’s art, created with human blood, embodies personal, emotional, and creative purification and purging oneself into one’s art.
“Sanguine Spring” opens this Saturday, February 18, 2017 from 8-11pm, and runs through April 1st.
