It Isn’t That Long a Stay
Works by Franchell Mack Brown, Miguel Carter Fisher, Randi Hill, Beq Parker, James Parker and Janet Scagnelli
October 24 - November 22, 2025
Member Gallery
Curator’s Statement:
Curated by Michael A. Pierce, It Isn’t That Long a Stay explores the rich artistic tradition of memento mori – artworks that serve as a poignant reminder of mortality, impermanence, and life’s fragile, fleeting nature. The phrase memento mori, meaning “remember you must die,” connects contemporary works to a centuries-old tradition, inviting viewers to reflect on how we navigate loss, grief, and the randomness of existence.
The title of the show, is drawn from the evocative final chorus of "Cabaret," with lyrics by Fred Ebb: “Start by admitting from cradle to tomb / It isn't that long a stay / Life is a cabaret, old chum.”
A Special Memorial Presentation
JAMES PARKER
February 13, 1954 – July 19, 2024
Over 100 of James's watercolor images—each 12 x 9 inches, deceptively simple, and almost monochromatic—will be installed floor-to-ceiling, edge-to-edge in a powerful matrix. This collective body of work is both familiar and mysterious, powerfully exploring universal dualities: pain and rage, beauty and ugliness, and order and chaos. The haunting images create a population of beings, often speechless and sightless, that appear in solitude or together, occasionally morphing in form.
"Art Is Everything”
In early July 2024, James and his wife, Beq, tested positive for COVID. Shortly before being admitted to the ICU and intubated, James murmured to Beq: "Art is Everything." For the next two weeks, Beq was at his side from morning until night, constantly holding his hand. During this time, his fellow students and instructor rallied to support Beq, sending comfort and daily updates. Though hope fluctuated daily, James passed away in the early morning hours of Friday, July 19, 2024.
His final message to Beq beautifully captured his spirit. As Beq later texted their instructor: "At the time he was on the ventilator and couldn’t talk and when he was heavily sedated on that last day, I kept repeating his words to him and telling him he needed to come home to paint.” This installation is a powerful, immersive testament to a life lived for art.
FRANCHELL MACK BROWN / Title: Memento Mori / Year: 2013 / Media: crocheted ribbons, cords, natural pearls, dyed jade, PVC, wood. / Dimensions: 35H x 16W x 6D inches. "This work was made in honor of my best friends OiYin & Rafael Gonzalez. Rafael passed away in 2006 and OiYin, in her healing, began to share the phrase Memento Mori as a way to remember one day we will die so live life to its fullest each day. She also adapted Memento Vivare, remember your life, after she was diagnosed with cancer a few years later. OiYin passed away in 2012. The following year I had a very vivid dream of this work Memento Mori in Black and Memento Vivare in White. I woke startled and began making these sculptures immediately. Memento Vivare is housed in a collection at The Wheelhouse Center for Wellness and Healing in Connecticut. These works are a homage to the loving spirit of OiYin and Rafael and a reminder to live this life to its fullest every day as they did."
MIGUEL CARTER FISHER / Title: Wayne and the Sea / Year: 2025 / Media: oil on linen / Dimensions: 72 x 48 inches. "I began this painting a few years ago of Wayne with the imagined sea of his youth in the Navy behind him. Before I could finish the painting, he passed away. Now this painting, inspired by his memories, is also about my memory of him. The sea, which was a metaphor for the vitality of young life, is now also a metaphor for transcendence through death."
RANDI HILL / Title: Remission / Year: 2025 / Media: oil on canvas / Dimensions: 48 x 36 inches. "This is my niece Jenn who died of an aggressive form of breast cancer at age 42. In this picture she has had a mastectomy and finished chemo. She is holding my granddaughter and is hopeful that she has beat it, not knowing that in a few months it will return with a vengeance and take her away."
BEQ PARKER / Title: Itchycoo Park / Year: 2024 / Media: photograph and watercolor on watercolor ground on cardboard / Dimensions: 20.5 x 20.5 inches. "Darkness there and nothing more."
BEQ PARKER / Title: Lost / Year: 2024 / Media: acrylic spray paint on watercolor paper / Dimensions: 90 x 42 inches. "Darkness there and nothing more."
BEQ PARKER / Title: One for Sorrow / Year: 2024 / Media: acrylic spray paint on watercolor paper / Dimensions: 80 x 42 inches. "Darkness there and nothing more."
JANET SCAGNELLI / Title: Loss is Loss / Year: 2025 / Media: watercolor on paper / Dimensions: 17.5 x 13.5 inches. "I’m drawn to the beauty and sadness in grief. I think our art is full of symbolism that reflects our psychological soul. Whether we mean to show it or not."
JAMES PARKER / Title: Untitled - nine sample images / Media: watercolor on paper / Dimensions: Each piece is 12 x 9 inches / “Art is everything”
JAMES PARKER / Title: Untitled - Installation View at Brightpoint Gallery, June 2023 / Media: watercolor on paper / Dimensions: Installation is variable. Each piece is 12 x 9 inches / “Art is everything”