ARTSWEEK: Art exhibits in the SouthCoast for the Week of Feb. 20

WESTPORT — The Watershed Alliance will be hosting its seventh annual Winter Art Show and silent auction at the Dedee Shattuck Gallery beginning on Saturday, Feb. 22, from noon to 4 p.m. This year, the 47 local artists have created the theme “BOAT ART-ifacts” transforming old wooden boat parts into works of art. Over 50 parts from old sailing boats were donated and are being beautified by many well-known local artists. The show is open from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday Feb. 22 through Saturday, March 7. It is free and open to the public. The silent auction at the show’s finale will take place on Saturday, March 7, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. For a preview of the silent auction, go to the WRWA web page: www.westportwatershed.org. The Dedee Shattuck Gallery is located at 1 Partners Lane, Westport, Massachusetts. For more information, contact Steve Connors at 508-636-3016 or email outreach@wrwa.com.

FALL RIVER - Local popular Fall River artist William Bowers will present a solo exhibition at the Fall River Art Association, 80 Belmont St., March 6 to March 29. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 7, 4 to 7 p.m. There will be over 40 original works of art for sale along with prints, gift cards, and greeting cards. For more information, call 508-673-7212  or email: Gfraa.board@gmail.com.

WESTPORT — Westport Art Group has announced its March fine art exhibit, “WAITING,” opening with a reception on Sunday, March 15, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the WAG gallery, 1740 Main Road. As winter lingers and spring beckons, the exhibit explores the in-between season of stasis and anticipation. Come see how local artists interpret this distinctly New England experience through oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography and more. The exhibit will run through Saturday, March 28. The gallery will be open daily, except Mondays and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both the reception and the exhibit are free and open to the public. For more information, including a “Call for Entries” and “Artist Intake Form,” visit westportartgroup.com.

FALL RIVER — "Earth Dialogues: Carol Langstaff and Ana Flores" is on display at the Bay Coast Bank Gallery at the Narrows Center for the Arts through Feb. 28. The two artists in this exhibit have had studios in rural settings for some time; Langstaff has been a long time resident in the hills of Vermont, Flores lives next to a forest in Southern Rhode Island. Over time they have discovered that an unspoken dialogue with the natural world, propels much of their vision. This comes from living intimately in a place that is still ecologically whole, with more species other than humans sharing the land. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

NEW BEDFORD — The New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks! (NBAM/AW!) is celebrating Massachusetts-based artists in three new exhibitions:"Excavation: Layers of Meaning,"on view through May 17, is curated by local artist and educator Catherine Carter and includes 10 artists who have never exhibited in the museum before. "She Persisted: Women Artists of New Bedford, 1900-2019," on view through July 26, highlights works of female identified artists from the New Bedford Free Public Library’s collection. " Eli Brown’s "How to Make Slime" is a video and sculpture show that explores the histories and futures of queer and transgender subjectivities, communities, and intimacies. "How to Make Slime" will be on view in NBAM/AW!’s Fiber Optic Center New Media Gallery to June 14. The New Bedford Art Museum is located at 608 Pleasant St. Gallery hours: Wednesday – Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. and Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m. The art museum offers free admission every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. care of New Bedford Free Public Library.