By Alan Burke
PEABODY — There were doubts when area artists were asked to contribute to an exhibit "interpreting" the Peabody Historical Society's treasured artifacts. These things mean a lot to historians, but some wondered if any artists would be interested.
They needn't have worried.
Artists from all over — including one as far away as Seattle — poured in, studying surviving pieces of the city's past. The society has thousands of them. Then, they went to work with pens and brushes and clay, video and photography, and even fingernails to create a new vision reflecting the old.
For example, some reproduced a remnant of wallpaper from the legendary Bell Tavern. They repainted portraits, sometimes emphasizing haunting details. They took suggestions from iconic images, like the museum's 13-star American flag that may date from the Revolution and produced art that at first glance might seem only vaguely related to its inspiration.
One artist, intrigued by designs created in the 19th century from human hair, fashioned gemlike objects from teeth and nails.
"It's something so close to you it's revolting," curator Heather Leavell says with a smile. "Beautiful and revolting at the same time."
The idea for the show came from exhibit coordinator Kate Burgess, an artist and graduate of Montserrat College of Art. She calls it a "convergence" of contemporary art and historical artifacts.
The idea of using history to inspire artists is not new. It's been done before at other museums like the DeCordova, but the Peabody staff remained uncertain on how it would translate locally.
In the end, Leavell was astonished. More than 100 artists submitted. Briefly, she was tempted to limit participation, to "jury" the show. But given the often folk-art quality of some of the work, a reflection of the museum's own collection of historic folk art, she soon drew back from that.
Everyone's work was accepted. Leavell describes the result as "exciting and surprising."
"It's a such a great idea for a show," says artist Sara Smith, who lives in West Newton.
Fellow artist Gina Siepel seems unsurprised at the reaction.
"This is local people looking at local artifacts," she says, even as she places ink-black images she created from woodcuts of King Phillip's War onto the wallpaper.
They're made to peel off, like the old Colorforms popular with kids years ago and they help recall the first major clash between Indians and Europeans, as well as the lost culture of those indigenous people.
"My father is obsessed with history," explains Siepel, who grew up in a Western New York State farmhouse. "We were kind of raised in the 19th century."
Lots of artists seem to share that interest in the past, Leavell adds.
The show got so large that it now requires two distinct presentations, offered through the Elizabeth Cassidy Art Museum. The first runs from June 6 to Aug. 2 and the second from Aug. 15 to Oct. 18. Both will be at the Osborne-Salata and Gideon Foster houses on Washington Street in Peabody.
"We've been waiting a long time to put a program like this together," Society President Bill Power says. "We can expose some of the great treasures we've accumulated. And what better way to do it than have the objects portrayed by artists from all over the country."
"Some are recording what they see," Leavell says as she moves about the house, unpacking paintings and sculptures. "Others — you would never know what the inspiration was."
There won't be a lot of explanation either. She explains, "Kate's vision is to let the art speak for itself."
In this case, it speaks of Peabody's past.
If you go
What: Historic Interpretation: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Historic Collection
Where: Osborne-Salata and Gideon Foster houses, 33 and 35 Washington St., Peabody
When: Tomorrow through Aug. 2. Opening weekend, tomorrow, noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 3 p.m. Also on view the first and third Sundays: June 21, July 5 and 19, Aug. 2, noon to 3 p.m.
Cost: Free
