“Alone Together”, acrylic on panel, 24 1/4″ x 24 1/2″ (2020)

“New and Worsening Conditions”, the latest exhibit from The Linda Hummel-Shea ArtSpace at Northern Essex Community College, features the work of Lowell artist Robb Sandagata, online only through Jan. 20, 2021.

The exhibit features 26 pieces exploring aspects of the human condition. Mediums include marker and acrylic.

The artist says he uses “surrealism, humor, parody, and grotesque imagery.” “Characters engage in implied, uncertain narratives—struggling for power, facing heartbreak and uncertainty, finding strength to push against oppression, horror, and chronic illness.”

Sandagata’s work includes references to pop culture, music, politics, and social issues mixed with grotesque portraiture and raw emotions.

“Forgotten Realms” acrylic and ink on panel, 12″x12″ (2018)

Robb Sandagata was born in New Haven, CT and has also lived in New York, Arizona, and Massachusetts. Significant influences, in roughly chronological order, include: cartoons, comic books, Dungeons & Dragons, “Alternative” music, punk rock, zines, theater, competitive debate, mid-90s Hardcore, and band t-shirts. He studied sculpture and liberal arts at Sarah Lawrence College. He lives in Lowell, MA with Emily Sandagata, some dogs, and piles of artwork.

Here is the link to the exhibit.

Located in the Bentley Library Building on NECC’s Haverhill Campus, the Linda Hummel-Shea ArtSpace Gallery features exhibits by NECC students, faculty, and artists from around the region and the world.

Northern Essex’s Department of Art & Design offers many courses in fine art and design leading to an Associate Degree in General Studies: Art & Design.

For additional information, contact Marc Mannheimer, gallery coordinator at mmannheimer@necc.mass.edu

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth.  Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley.  For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3700.