Talk: The Story of James Tellin, a Worcester Artist 

In the early 1960s, James Tellin moved with his partner, fellow artist John O’Reilly, to Worcester, where the couple lived and worked for more than 60 years (as covered in The Boston Globe Magazine). Though O’Reilly received significant attention in the artworld with his photomontages beginning in the 1990s, Tellin, who made dynamic wood sculptures and mixed-media works, was an important and talented artist in his own right. He also played a crucial role in the couple’s work as art therapists at Worcester State Hospital and in the advancement of his partner’s art career. Drawing from conversations with Tellin and others in the couple’s artistic community, this talk will shed light on his own art practice, collaborative work in art therapy, and co-cultivation of an extraordinary domestic world. 

Image: Seth David Rubin, #5 (John O’Reilly and Jim Tellin Across the Table), 2017, chromogenic print, Gift of Stephen DiRado, Bill Jacobson & Seth David Rubin, 2018.29.42