Elevating the Unknown Artist

The Dana Hall Art Gallery presents “Helen West Heller: Artist, Poet, Activist, Prints and other Work from the Scattergood-Moore Collection,” running now through February 13.

The exhibit features an expansive collection of woodcuts, paintings, and other biographical and historical materials compiled and curated by former long-time Dana Hall art faculty member and gallery founder G.A. Scattergood-Moore. Mostly unknown today, Heller is an inspirational figure whose work touches on themes of workers, agriculture, war and peace, and the struggles of both urban immigrants and rural peoples in America's heartland during the early part of the 20th century, powerfully depicted in black and white.

“My passion for the woodcuts and wood-engravings of Helen West Heller began in 1974,” said G.A. Scattergood-Moore, “when I purchased a signed, limited-edition of her 1947 book, ‘Woodcuts U.S.A.,’ from a second-hand bookshop in Newton, Mass. I was immediately smitten by her use of patterns and repetitive design details, her compact, bold compositions, the power of her carving technique, and especially her focus on the concerns and numerous occupations of the common man.

“The current exhibition is the culmination of my passion for an extraordinary woman and an artist who was almost forgotten until I rediscovered her 50 years ago,” Scattergood-Moore said.

The Dana Hall Art Gallery is open to the public from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday when school is in session. If you're planning to visit, email Michael Frassinelli.