Exhibitions
About this event
The Jamaica Plain Branch Library, in partnership with the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library, is pleased to present Face to Face , the next exhibition of its 2026 rotating art series, featuring work by longtime Boston Globe editorial cartoonist Dan Wasserman. Face to Face brings together spontaneous watercolor portraits, each completed in under five minutes, as fellow artists gather weekly online to draw and paint one another in real time — no do-overs, no saved screenshots. Rather than anatomical precision, Wasserman is after a glimmer of presence: a first impression of what each subject reveals to him, and what, through marks and color, they might reveal to the viewer.
For 40 years, Wasserman caricatured public figures in pen and ink as Editorial Cartoonist for The Boston Globe , where the point was more often than not mockery. Since retiring in 2021, he has turned to drawing strangers instead, seeking a fleeting emotional connection rather than a punchline. Two years ago, he found Drawing is Free, an online group organized by Paris-based art professor Chloe Briggs, in which artists gather weekly on Zoom and take turns posing, each pose lasting no longer than a single track of music — five minutes at most.
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Watercolor is, by Wasserman's own admission, an odd choice for the format: there's little chance for paint to dry and no time to build up layers of color. But the medium's accidents and surprises mirror the chance encounters at the heart of the project. Face to Face is on view from September 10–November 11, 2026, with a public reception to be held on Thursday, September 10, 2026, 5:30-7:30 PM.
The library is open Monday-Wednesday 10-6, Thursday 12-8, and Friday and Saturday 9-5 (closed Sundays). The exhibition space is located on the lower level. This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of The Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library , a volunteer, community-based organization that seeks to enhance public awareness, recognition, status and financial support of the library system through advocacy and education.
Accessibility Notice : We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, contact the department listed in the "Contact Info" pane on the right. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange accommodation.
Programming at the Boston Public Library is funded through private support. To learn more about supporting the Library, please visit the Boston Public Library Fund's website .
Description from Boston Public Library · Jamaica Plain.
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