The Fall River Arts and Culture Coalition (FRACC) is holding an exhibit of 55 works by Filomena Botelho. The title of the exhibit is “Bloom.”
Botelho has been an elementary school teacher for 30 years and recently has explored and developed her passion to create acrylic paintings and other artwork using glass beads, shells, ropes, and other materials.
Botelho said that art has always been an important part of her life. As she is now retired, she has had more opportunities to practice her art and engage with others with similar interests. Much of her artwork is related to Portugal as that topic relates to her the most. She was born in São Miguel, Azores and moved to Fall River at the age of 12 in 1970.
She spent many hours creating paintings and drawings growing up in the Azores. She started a degree in art but attended Boston University and Brown University where she studied elementary education and earned a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree in Portuguese studies, respectively.
Poster printing is often used to promote such exhibits throughout a community.
Botelho received a grant of $2,000 from FRACC to create her current exhibit. The exhibit is at The Ignition Space in Fall River on Troy Street. It will be open until Sunday July 28.
