boston arts and culture

Shepard Fairey at the ICA

2009-02-04T20:15:00.001-05:00

Sid Vicious Subversion, 2001
Screen print on wood

SHEPARD FAIREY: SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Co-curated by guest curator Pedro Alonzo and Emily Moore Bouillet, former assistant curator at the ICA.

Where: Institute of Contemporary art
When: Feb. 6 - Aug. 16

PUNK ROCK AND YA DON’T STOP

It’s been a long time since I’ve anticipated an art show so much.
Shepard Fairey in his first solo show and 20-year retrospective did not disappoint. I went and checked out the exhibit yesterday during the press opening. Here are some thoughts and pictures from the preview.

For those of you unfamiliar with his work, he is a Los Angeles based street artist that cut his teeth in the art world right here in New England. As a student during the late 1980’s at the Rhode Island School of Design, Shepard Fairey created and displayed a homemade sticker on the streets of Providence. That sticker, featuring an image of professional wrestler Andre the Giant and the phrase “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” quickly became an icon in the street art movement. After seeing the movie “They Live” he switched up the image to “Obey Giant” after seeing messages in the movie that resonated with him and for the last 20 years he has been reinventing not only his art, but the way we look at media, propaganda and advertising.

The thing I find most important in his background is his punk rock ethos, proudly displayed in many of the works of art on display at the ICA. Punk rock is as much about rebellion, politics and DIY (do it yourself) as it is about 3 chords and fast music. It’s a lifestyle choice, one that often questions everything from authority to social status and so called traditional values. In the image above, Sid Vicious is pictured in one of his typical “in your face, I have a sneer and I don’t care about anything” photos. With an obvious nod to the “Great Rock and Roll Swindle” (a movie that featured Sid and the Sex Pistols), Fairey encourages the viewer to DO IT YOUR WAY, and SWINDLE. Doing it yourself has long been a mantra of the Punk and the financially challenged(which often go hand-in-hand). The swindle is finding ways of doing things for free, which (as Shepard pointed out during the press opening for this exhibit) he had to do as a struggling artist. He told a story about rigging the copy machines at Kinkos to get free prints, but at the time, the only color prints available were in black and red, an aesthetic he has stuck with through his whole career.

(Shepard Fairey talks to the press at his show at the ICA)

Street art, graffiti, whatever you want to call it, is among other things, a response to advertising. We’re bombarded with images since birth, commercials, magazine ads, billboards and those images and sayings stick with you over time. Street artists have long ago figured that out and used the walls to get their message across.. for free. Most graffiti writers tend to be very self serving, placing their name all over, marking where they’ve been. Shepard Fairey is a different breed. Using his “Obey Giant” campaign as a marketing tool, he plastered the now famous “Andre the Giant” image everywhere, all across the globe. He set the standard for street “branding”. Once Obey was known, he could take it anywhere, allowing his philosophies, political leanings and influences slowly to be known through new projects. This show is a culmination of that growth, with pieces touching on war, economy, popular culture and more. With 244 pieces, it’s safe to say that this is a complete representation of his work over the last 20 years. It’s great to see the original stickers that he started his career with and then look at the huge collaged pieces that were done exclusively for the ICA.

If you’re in the Boston area, please get out and about and check out his work on the street. The museum is a beautiful place to see his work, but there’s something a little more authentic about seeing it in public and observing how it interacts with its environment. For a complete list of the outdoor work click here

The show is sponsored by Levi’s, which one may find to be an ironic twist, but corporations have long since used street artists and their credibility to market their wares, this comes as no surprise to me. The pleasant surprise is that Levi’s did it right. In this economy, art is one of the first things that gets the shaft, so I think it’s pretty cool that they sponsored this and helped bring this awesome show to the ICA.

(and no, I’m not getting any free stuff from Levi’s for saying that) unless they want to send me something.. hahaha

Future Classic Gallery Sale 2

2008-06-03T21:57:00.003-05:00

where: CHURCH
69 Kilmarnock Street

Boston, MA

when: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 // 7PM - 1AM

Ever thought about purchasing a framed SHEPARD FAIREY poster but it was just a little too pricey? Always wanted an original BIGFOOT piece but couldn’t find one that fit your budget? Well, now here’s your chance to browse and buy some of your favorite artists at up to 50% off the original price. Sweet!

The Future Classic Gallery Sale will be held at a brand new venue called CHURCH in the Fenway. Opening reception from 7PM - 8PM sponsored by PABST BLUE RIBBON.

The party will continue from 8PM - 1AM with DJ FRANK WHITE & SPECIAL BLEND providing the soundtrack.

Artists showing their works at the Future Gallery Sale: Alone 1, Andy Regan, BIGFOOT, Brian Butler, CAP (Style Wars), COPE 2, Enamel Kingdom, Josh Falk, Lizmatic, Mitch Mano, Rob Larsen, Yuko Adachi and many more!

MPG Contemporary presents

2008-06-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

"10 Years of (some of) the Gallery's Best Art"

A Final Retrospective: 1998 - 2008

when: June 6 - July 12
reception: Friday, June 6 5.30 - 8.30 pm

where: MPG Contemporary
450 Harrison Ave. suite 55

Boston, Ma.

617 357 8881

website

SoWa Artwalk 08

2008-05-07T17:55:00.004-05:00

SoWa Art Walk
Saturday and Sunday May 17-18, 2008

11:00am to 6:00pm.

click here for directions

The SoWa Art Walk is held every spring in the SoWa (South of Washington Street) neighborhood in Boston’s South End. A former mill building district where pianos, canned goods, shoes and other merchandise were made in the 19th century, the district has been home to artists’ studios carved out of the old factories for the last fifty years. Today, the artists have been joined by art galleries, creative businesses, cutting edge restaurants and the recent boom in residential loft buildings.

Creative stores, cafes, boutiques and some of the city’s finest restaurants take part in the SoWa Art Walk by opening their doors all weekend, hosting artists who display on their walls and offering special event discounts.

The SoWa Open Market, an open-air venue for artists, craftsmen, collectioners, farmstands and other vendors makes its seasonal debut each year in tandem with the SoWa Art Walk. http://www.southendopenmarket.com/

Chase Gallery: Tom Chambers and Holly Farrell

2008-05-06T15:28:00.009-05:00

Chase Gallery presents:
Tom Chambers and Holly Farrell

Where: Chase Gallery

129 Newbury Street
Boston,MA 02116

phone: 617-859-7222

When: May 1 through 31, 2008

(pictured right)
Twelve Juice Cups
-Holly Farrell

acrylic and oil on masonite
30 x 36 inches

The Fort Point Arts Community: Art Walk 2008

2008-05-06T15:16:00.003-05:00

The Fort Point Arts Community: Art Walk 2008
May 9th - 11th, 2008

FPAC's 8th Annual Fort Point Art Walk will be held on Friday May 9th from 4-7pm and Saturday and Sunday May 10th and 11th from 12 noon-5pm.

Art Walk features 75 artists opening their studios in Boston's Fort Point.

Pick up a map at any of the eight participating buildings and explore the studios of painters, jewelers, ceramicists, photographers, sculptors, textile artists, and more.

Talk with artists in their studios and discover new works and treasured favorites.

Explore Boston's changing Fort Point and see the unique waterfront warehouse district that is New England's largest arts community.

Enjoy the opportunity to purchase works of art and fine craft directly from local artists. Studios are all located within a three-block area, a short walk from T and commuter rail at South Station in downtown Boston.

Art Walk is self guided: maps and directories will be available at our information booth at the corner of A and Binford Streets, and at all participating buildings including 300 Summer Street, Midway Studios at 15 Channel Center Street, at 249 A Street, and 319 A Street.

Free parking will be available in the Central Parking Lot directly across from 249 A Street, and the Channel Center Parking Lot at A Street and Iron Street.

Admission to this event is free.

For more information and details go to the FPAC website or call 617-423-4299

Lara Loutrel : New Works on Paper

2008-05-06T15:08:00.005-05:00

United South End Artists & South End Branch Library Present: Lara Loutrel : New Works on Paper

May 6 - 31

Opening Reception
Tuesday May 6, 6 - 8pm

Gallery South End Branch Library

685 Tremont Street, Boston

Phone: 617 536 8241

Hours: M, W, Th 10-6

Tue 12-8

Fri 9-5

Sat 9-2

Artist's Statement : New Works on PaperThe prints are no longer depictions of structures, they have become the structure.The prints were records of what others had built — now, they are the structures that I build. - Lara Loutrel

pictured above right (Rdvik -- S171, 2008 drypoint with paper additions, edition of 20 16 x 12")

MFA presents: The Films of Julian Schnabel

2008-04-07T16:23:00.002-05:00

Film Series: The Films of Julian Schnabel
Date: May 2-8
Where: Remis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts , Boston

The MFA Film Program is proud to present a retrospective of award-winning director Julian Schnabel’s first three films, May 2-8. Presented in conjunction with this year ' s The School of the Museum of Fine Arts , Boston Medal Award ceremony and gala dinner, a fundraiser for student scholarships. On Monday, May 12, 2008 , Julian Schnabel will be present to accept his award and guests of this event will have the distinction of being one of the first to view his most recent directorial project, Berlin , before its release to the general public.

Born in Brooklyn and educated in Texas , Julian Schnabel rose to prominence as a painter in the 1980s after his first exhibition at the Mary Boone Gallery in New York City . Since then, Schnabel’s work, including his signature large-scale neo-expressionistic and collage works, has been exhibited all over the world. His paintings, sculptures and works on paper have been the subject of retrospective exhibitions at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; The Whitechapel Gallery, London; The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; The Tate Gallery, London; and The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Schnabel lives with his wife Olatz Lopez Garmendia, who plays Marie in The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, and their family in New York City and Montauk, New York , and San Sebastian , Spain . Schnabel’s assertion that he’s "aiming at an emotional state, a state that people can literally walk into and be engulfed by" is equally applicable to his emotionally energetic paintings and his vividly beautiful films.

Tickets: Members, seniors and students $8; general admission $9. Discount matinee prices (weekday until 5 pm ; weekends until 12:30 pm ) are $6, $7. To purchase please call the box office at 617-369-3687 or online at http://www.mfa.org/film.

For more information about the Medal Award dinner or to purchase tickets for this event, please visit www.smfa.edu/ medalaward or call 617-369-3591.

Basquiat
Fri, May 2, 5:30 pm
Sun, May 4, 3:45 pm
Wed, May 7, 5:45 pm
Thu, May 8, 5:45 pm

Basquiat (1996, 108 mn.). in 1981, a 19-year-old graffiti artist by the name of Jean-Michel Basquiat took the New York art world by storm, becoming one of the most successful and controversial of the period. By 1988, he was dead at the age of 27. Artist Julian Schnabel makes his debut as a writer and director with Basquiat, lending an insider’s astuteness to the world of art and to an individual once described in The New York Times as “the art world’s closest equivalent to James Dean.” Tony and Golden Globe winner Jeffery Wright makes his starring debut as the ill-fated artist. Schnabel has enlisted a fascinating cast which includes David Bowie as Andy Warhol and Parker Posey as art dealer Mary Boone. Other making cameo appearances include Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, Paul Bartel, Courtney Love and Tatum O’Neal.

Before Night Falls
Fri, May 2, 7:40 pm
Sun, May 4, 5:45 pm
Thu, May 8, 3:10 pm

Before Night Falls (2000, 133 min.). Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Venice Film Festival, Before Night Falls is a richly imagined journey into the life and writings of the brilliant Cuban author and exile Reinaldo Arenas. Directed and co-written by Julian Schnabel the film stars academy award winner Javier Bardem, whose eloquent, complex performance as Arenas earned him the 2000 Venice Film Festival ' s Volpi Cup for Best Actor. Before Night Falls is a portrait of a man whose search for freedom - artistic, political, sexual - defied poverty, censorship, persecution, exile and death. Like Arenas ' work, Before Night Falls combines passages of transporting imagination with urgent realism; in so doing, it embodies the creative ethos to which Arenas dedicated himself: transforming experience into unfettered expression.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Sat, May 3, 1:30 pm
Sun, May 4, 8:15 pm
Thu, May 8, 1 pm

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon) (2007, 112 min.). Celebrated painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel’s third feature finds him reaching new artistic heights with this audacious and personal biopic, based on the best-selling memoir of the same name. The film tells the remarkable tale of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the world-renowned editor of French ELLE magazine, who suffered a stroke and was paralyzed by the inexplicable "locked in" syndrome at the age of 43. Bauby’s only way of communicating with the outside world was by blinking with one eye, and after several dedicated helpers helped him to speak through this seemingly irrelevant gesture, he began to produce the words that would form his memoir. Along the way, as he swam in and out of consciousness, memories from his past swelled into the present, resulting in a cinematic experience that is at once heartbreaking and hopeful. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a gloriously unlocked experience, with some of the most creative uses of the camera and some of the most daring, cruel, and heartbreaking emotional explorations that have appeared in recent movies,” (The New Yorker). French with English subtitles.

Melissa Hutton at KIDDER SMITH Gallery

2008-04-03T23:53:00.008-05:00

KIDDER SMITH Gallery
131 Newbury Street

Boston, MA 02116

T 617 424 6900

online: Website

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11:00-5:30

Melissa Hutton

Rough Landing
April 2 - 26, 2008

Her show is called Rough Landing, but for San Francisco artist Melissa Hutton her work is anything but that. Hutton, well-known in the Bay Area for her high-impact, modern graphic, mixed media paintings, will present her latest works in a solo exhibition at the Kidder Smith Gallery.

"My work explores the complexities of the American landscape. Drawing from personal experience and emotional reaction to the environment, I confront themes of isolation, fear, destruction and ultimately resilience," said Hutton. "Images of stormy panoramas sliced by sparkly highways that are littered with abandoned barns and gas stations expose a country threatened by greed and waste. The glossy dripping surfaces that encase much of my work are a metaphor for a culture obsessed with greed and waste.

"Hutton's work begins with a digital orchestration of images and ideas translated onto custom wood panels by a combination of techniques and mediums such as silk-screening, spray enamels, digital transparencies and wood layered between coats of resin. Her ability to create powerful statements in each individual piece is impacted by a vibrant use of colors, minimalist images and high-gloss, dripping finish. The result is a clean, modern, intense work that is popular and easily understood by most viewers.

(Pictured above right) How Much Further?, 2008 Mixed Media 33 in. x 48 in. x 3 in.

Kathryn Frund at Chase Gallery

2008-04-03T20:11:00.003-05:00

Chase Gallery
129 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
info: mail@chasegallery.com
phone: 617-859-7222
online: website

Kathryn Frund at Chase Gallery

April 2 - 26, 2008

Please join us on Friday,

April 4th from 5 to 7 pm for an artist reception celebrating the work of Kathryn Frund.

pictured: Earthheaven / Heavenearth
mixed media on panel 6 x 6 inches

Dressing Room

2008-04-02T16:20:00.006-05:00

Where: FPAC gallery
300 Summer Street
M1 Boston MA 02210
E: info@fortpointarts.org
T: 617 423-4299
online: website
The FPAC office hours Th 1-6 PM.

When: APRIL 04, 2008 - MAY 11, 2008

Clothing, fashion, and costume becomes an extension of the subject: the artists examine the influence these objects have on the portrayal of an individual. The work in this show seeks to reveal and comment upon human character that is shaped by personal history, race, class, gender, and society. By modifying the wardrobe of the subject, the role of clothing and costume in accentuating, exaggerating, exposing, and creating identity is questioned and explored.

Both Lisa Costanzo and Kelly Anona Kerrigan begin with portraiture as a foundation for their work. Through drawing and painting, they are expanding on traditional portraiture, and approaching the portrait in contemporary ways. Their influences include identity, gender roles, the role of costume and adornment, and the history of portraiture itself. The dressing room becomes the natural environment for these artists to push and question what might be hidden behind the fold of a dress or the cut of a shirt.

The dressing room is ultimately a private space. A space where one can create or strip oneself of a certain persona, even while preparing for the public. A space that can linger between fantasy and reality, between what is considered “real” and what is constructed, what is acceptable and what is not. How much authority does the dressing room have in altering the perceived notion of the individual’s image? How can these props be used to hide or reveal the individual’s perception of him or herself?

(pictured above right: Kelly Anona Kerrigan)

Zeitgeist Stage Company presents the New England premiere of Spin

2008-04-02T16:13:00.009-05:00

How dirty does politics really get? How much "spinning" goes on behind the scenes, between the lines, and between the sheets? To what lengths will political adversaries go to win?

In this quintessential story of political intrigue, a vicious rumor about the candidate's wife threatens to derail his presidential campaign. Jerry, the implacable campaign manager, desperately attempts to uncover the truth and run damage control before the scandal breaks. As he careens through the worst day of his life, Jerry laments the intrinsic flaw of his profession: "Campaigns would be perfect if they didn't involve candidates.

"Zeitgeist Stage Company presents the New England premiere of Spin by Robert William Sherwood, from April 18 through May 10 in the Plaza Black Box Theater at the Boston Center for the Arts. Actor Steven Barkhimer, appearing as the uncompromising campaign manager, and director David J. Miller team up again to run on the same ticket, just as they did in the '05 Elliot Norton Award winning Fringe Theater production of Blue/Orange.

Pictured above left (L to R): Christine Power & Peter Brown in Zeitgeist Stage Company's production of SPIN by Robert William Sherwood running April 18 through May 10 at the Plaza Black Box Theater at the Boston Center for the Arts. Photo by Joel W. Benjamin

Pictured above right (L to R): Melissa Baroni, Steven Barkhimer,Christine Power, Peter Brown & Elisa MacDonald in Zeitgeist Stage Company's production of SPIN by Robert William Sherwood running April 18 through May 10 at the Plaza Black Box Theater at the Boston Center for the Arts. Photo by Joel W. Benjamin

New work: Kenji Nakayama and Ryan Lombardi AKA Enamel Kingdon

2008-02-26T17:04:00.009-05:00

where: The Good Life
when: Tuesday, February 26th from 7pm til whenever

The Good Life
28 Kingston St
Boston, MA 02111

(617) 451-2622

Get directions
http://www.goodlifebar.com/

Greed, Guilt and Grappling: Six Artists Respond to Climate Change

2008-02-25T15:50:00.002-05:00

February 1st, 2008 - March 30th, 2008
The Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts.

527-551 Tremont St., South End, Boston

Directions

The show is guest curated by participating artists Clara Wainwright and Mags Harries, and features Jay Critchley, Lajos Heder, Michael Sheridan and John Taguiri. The show invites critical discussions about the significant threat posed by climate change. Through a variety of media (video, textile, installation, photography, sound, etc.), the show invites dialogue about individual action on a collective, urgent issue.The Closing Ceremony for Greed, Guilt and Grappling will be March 30, 2008 from 3pm- 5pm. Live music will be performed by Dean Stevens to accompany a parade of The Walkabout Project's Ecoshaman Robes created with artist, Clara Wainwright.

Interventions and Objects: New Work by Bebe Beard and Liz Nofziger

2008-02-25T15:39:00.002-05:00

The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University
75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116
Gallery Phone (617) 573-8785
Gallery Website

Exhibit runs February 14th to March 15th, 2008
Reception with the artists: Thursday February 14th 6-8pm
Gallery talk: Tuesday February 26th at 1pm
Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 9am- 10pmSaturday 9am- 6pm, Sunday 12- 5pm
Enter from 10 Saint James Street after 7pm and on weekends
This exhibit and all events are free and open to the public.T
he NESADSU Gallery is accessible by the MBTA, Arlington St. Green Line stop.

Interventions and Objects: New Work by Bebe Beard and Liz Nofziger. This site specific exhibition of multimedia and video work will run from February 14th to March 15th at the NESADSU gallery at 75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA. A public reception with the artists will be held on Thursday, February 14th from 6-8pm. A gallery talk will be held on Tuesday, February 26th at 1pm. There will be an illustrated catalogue featuring essays by James Manning, Interim Gallery Director NESADSU, Phaedra Shanbaum, co-director of Axiom Gallery in Jamaica Plain and Rebecca Gordon, formerly director of Second Gallery in South Boston. Bebe Beard and Liz Nofziger working separately have both created new site-specific multimedia works in the NESADSU gallery space. Using video, sound and sculpture both artists have transformed the gallery space in to a new experience. Beard’s installation titled Con-flict includes wall sized projections of wire animated by magnetic fields. The video projections are further enhanced by wire assemblages hanging through the gallery space which cast shadows over the projected images, adding a physicality to the flat space of the videos. Bebe also worked with her long time collaborator Lou Cohen to produce a sound component that adds many layers and depth to truly activate the viewer’s senses as they experience the work. Liz Nofziger has worked with the architecture of the gallery focusing on the corridor between the walls and the oversized structural column in the middle of the gallery space. With a simple physical intervention Nofziger disrupts the flow of traffic within the gallery space and creates a new pattern. Close investigation will no doubt reveal even more hidden details.

Modern Landscape: A point of view

2008-01-16T16:35:00.000-05:00

When: January 3 through 26, 2008
Where: Chase Gallery
129 Newbury Street
Boston MA, 02116

617 859 7222

A group show featuring landscape paintings by gallery artists
Stephen Coyle, Wayne McDowell, Danna Ruth Harvey, Dean Richardson, and Nathan Wilson. Introducing Peter Hoffer and Jeff Chase

(above, Stephen Coyle "Ethel is Next Door with George and Everyone Knows" alkyd on panel 12 x 36 inches)

2007 Stephen D. Paine scholarship exhibition

2008-01-16T15:19:00.000-05:00

Exhibit runs January 17th – February 9th 2008
Reception: Friday, January 18th 6-8pm

The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University
75 Arlington Street Boston, MA 02116
Gallery Phone (617) 573-8785
http://www.suffolk.edu/nesad/gallery

Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 8am-10pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 12-5
Enter from 10 Saint James after 7pm and on weekends

The 2007 Stephen D. Paine scholarship exhibition opens at the New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University.

The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University is proud to present the eighth annual Stephen D. Paine scholarship exhibit, featuring some of Boston’s best student artists. The exhibit will run from January 17th through February 9th, 2008. A reception with the artists will be held on Friday,
January 18th, 6 to 8 pm, at the NESADSU gallery, 75 Arlington Street, Boston.

Judging from a pool of undergraduate students applicants from the Boston area were Anne Hawley, Director, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Pieranna Cavalchini, Curator of Contemporary Art, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The scholarship winners that they selected are Kaitlyn Emerson, Kristin Kyper, Daniel Murphy all currently seniors from the Massachusetts College of Art. The honorable mentions are Rachel Akiba, Brian Duffy and Conor Maguire each from Mass Art, and Patrick Short who is in the visual arts program at Boston University.

One of the highlights of this exhibition is that it showcases the wide range of artistic styles, media and disciplines that are selected by the jurors. Rachel Akiba, with her photography and prints explores moods and emotions which she used as tools to help communicate ideas of learning and development ; Brian Duffy will be showing a series of poetic and humorous hand-drawn animation shorts; Kristin Kyper showcases her multidisciplinary skills in metal sculpture, installation and performance with a series of wearable devices; Conor Maguire presents his industrial design concepts of products both useful and imaginative; Kaitlyn Emerson explores personal space by giving us a cross section of her entire house in her large format photography; Daniel Murphy explores his interest in film-noir and fairytales in his video work; while Patrick Short will be presenting wall-size monochromatic abstract paintings that completely immerse the viewer.

“We are once again pleased to be hosting the annual exhibition for this important scholarship” states James Manning, interim Gallery Director of NESADSU “The Stephen D. Paine scholarship and the accompanying exhibition brings together many different sections of the Boston arts community and gives much needed and valuable exposure to these talented artists. This exhibit gives the public a unique opportunity to explore the work of outstanding student artists in depth. Since this scholarship was established many of the award recipients have gone on to make an impact in the art world.”

Arthur Dion of the Boston Art Dealers Association (BADA), which organizes the scholarship states, “The Stephen D. Paine scholarship was established in 1999 by the Boston Art Dealers Association. BADA, which was formed in 1989, decided in 1997 to establish a program to benefit the broader visual arts community and settled upon the idea of a scholarship program that would award, on a competitive merit basis, grants to students entering their fourth and final year of training in any Boston undergraduate studio degree program. Having conceived the project, we thought to bring the concept to Stephen Paine, who, with his wife Susan, was assembling one of the outstanding collections of contemporary art in the area, both privately in their home and also at his firm, Wellington Management. Both also demonstrated a particular affinity for young artists and the schools at which they train. Before our appointment, Stephen Paine died, and we named the scholarship after him.

Starting this year the scholarship amounts have increased; three $4000 grants for the scholarship winners and for the first time $500 was awarded to the honorable mentions. The past jurors for the awards have included Joe Thompson, Director of Mass MOCA; Linda Shearer, then of the Williams College Museum of Art; Joe Ketner, then of the Rose Art Museum; Jill Medvedow Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art; William Stover of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and Theodore Stebbins and Virginia Anderson from the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University.

Exhibition curated by James Manning, Interim Gallery Director, NESADSU

The Stephen D. Paine scholarship was established in 1999 by the Boston Art Dealers Association

Chase the Rising Sun

2007-12-15T14:11:00.000-05:00

Chase the Rising Sun
Where: Lab Boston 113 Brighton ave
Allston, MA 02134
When: Saturday, Dec 15th 6-9 pm

Ok folks, It's December and it's the time for giving and good will. With the materialism and hectic pace surrounding the holidays, it's refreshing that two people are trying to make a change for a better world.

Chase the Rising Sun is a social mission that sprouted from a desire to travel around the world. Lauren and Michael Crigler are giving up everything that defines their personal lives to combine their dreams of traveling with their passion for improving the quality of life for others. Driven by their intense respect for the environment and their appreciation of cultural diversity, they'll be traveling to various destinations around the world, volunteering their skills, knowledge,and lending helping hands.Their utmost goal is to spread awareness and inspire others to give back to the world. Chase the Rising Sun is about taking an initiative for the betterment of the world. Lauren and Michael hope to inspire others to chase their dreams while making a positive change through influential action.
Through Chasetherisingsun.com you can follow Michael and Lauren on their journy, read about their travels and experiences with the people and orgainizations they are working with. You can even get involved yourself by reading up on these causes and giving back in the form of a small donation to one of the groups they are working with.

Rock & Art Charity Auction

2007-11-08T11:49:00.000-05:00

where: Boston Opera House
when: Thursday, November 15 at 7:00 pm

Rock & Art Charity Auction is a Bank of America Pavilion program that pairs visual artists with national touring musicians. Now in its second season, a large-scale painting (30 inch x 30 inch) was created for headlining artists that played the Pavilion’s 2007 concert season. Many paintings have been signed by the performers. Please join us as Live Nation hosts the 2nd Rock & Art Charity Auction at the Opera House on November 15th.

All paintings will be offered for sale with proceeds benefiting local non-profit organizations: Action for Boston Community Development and Artists For Humanity.
The full collection of Rock & Art Charity Auction paintings can be viewed at http://www.rockandart.org/.
Buy Tickets

About: Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. Action for Boston Community Development was founded in 1962 with a mission to combat poverty by promoting self-help for low-income people and neighborhoods. Today ABCD provides a better quality of life for over 100,000 Greater Boston residents annually through innovative and effective programs. http://www.bostonabcd.org/

About: Artists For Humanity Artists For Humanity’s (AFH’s) mission is to provide underserved city youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts. AFH began in 1991 with what was then an ambitious and unconventional idea – young people can provide, through their creativity, tangible services to the commercial world. This concept is now recognized as social entrepreneurship and is a proven model for youth development. Training and employing urban teens is a solution to economic disenfranchisement and has a resounding effect on communities. AFH employs Boston teens in paid apprenticeship in the arts, including painting, sculpture, photography, graphic design, silkscreen, and murals. www.afhboston.com.

(top right, Stevie Wonder by: Cabe Booth, middle, True Colors Tour/Cyndi Lauper by: Mike Hammecker, bottom right, Underworld by: The Martin Brothers)

Ozspirations: New art inspired by the Wizard of Oz

2007-11-06T15:47:00.000-05:00

Featuring the work of: Ilona Anderson, Rick Berry, Michael Bewley, Laurinda Bedingfield, Louise A. Bishop, F. Lennox Campello, Lisa Costanzo, Laura Davidson, Angela Deane, Katie DiChiara, Mary Anne Galvin, Jennifer Bennett Gubicza & Brian Gubicza, Sanasi Gunes, Darrell Gune-McCalla, Shawna L. Handke, Charlotte Kaplan, Caroline Keem, Elizabeth Kellogg, Kathleen Kneeland, Jennifer Lewis, Todd Little, Lina C. Marks, Anthony Lobosco, KD Mernin, John Preusch,Terry Rooney, Ruth T. Segaloff, Donna M. Socha and Gail Smuda

when: November 16th through December 21st
Reception Friday November 16th from 6-8pm

where: The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University
75 Arlington Street Boston, MA 02116
Gallery Phone (617) 573-8785
http://www.suffolk.edu/nesad/gallery

Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 8am-10pm
Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 12-5
Enter from 10 Saint James Street after 7pm and on weekends
This exhibit is free and open to the public.
The NESADSU Gallery is accessible by the MBTA Arlington St. Green Line stop.

The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University (NESADSU) presents, Ozspirations: New Art Inspired by The Wizard of Oz, a thought-provoking exhibit to honor the 100th anniversary of L. Frank Baum's classic series of books. The exhibit will run November 15th through December 21st at the NESADSU Gallery at 75 Arlington St., 2nd Floor, Boston MA. There will be a public reception on Friday, November 16th from 6–8pm

The exhibit features a wide range of interpretations of the classic novels by more than thirty artists — some local and others from as far away as Istanbul, Turkey. The interpretations range from the literal to the abstract and metaphorical, exploring such major themes of Oz as self-discovery and navigating one's way through life. The exhibit will feature original videos, illustrations, paintings, sculptures, and more.

James Manning, the interim NESADSU Gallery Director, and Jennifer Fuchel, an Associate Professor of Graphic Arts at NESADSU, organized and juried the exhibition. Fuchel, who also conceived the exhibit, notes, "I wanted to put on this show because I felt people had been so swept up in the whirlwind of tragic events unleashed by Sept. 11th that the Centennial of Oz had passed largely unnoticed. It's a shame, especially since the story of Oz seems more pertinent now than ever. We are all trying so hard to find the heart, courage, and intelligence to confront the 'wicked witches' and 'flying monkeys' of a world in turmoil and make our way safely home — even though that home may no longer feel as secure as it used to." With that in mind, Fuchel made, via Internet and arts groups, a call for submissions resulting in this unique show. As Fuchel put it, "I think if Mr. Baum were alive today, he would be very pleased to discover that his stories continue to inspire."

(pictured above right: Todd Little 'Judy in d'; Skies Nylon Kite 30” x 36” )

HIT THE DECK ART EXHIBITION

2007-11-06T15:30:00.000-05:00

A group exhibition of world renowned clothing designers, graphic designers, graffiti writers, and established artists showing theiroriginal skateboard deck art. Presented by Future Classic, Synthesis, True East.

where: The Estate
One Boylston Place
Boston, MA

when: Thursday, November 15th, 2007 // 8PM - Midnight

SOUNDTRACK PROVIDED BY: DJ Frank White

FEATURING ONE-OF-A-KIND ORIGINAL SKATEBOARDS BY:Andy Regan, Buildmore, Nine Revolutions, Problak, Damion Silver, DanaWoulfe, Dave Tree, Elizabeth Clairwood, Fish Mcgill, Josh Falk, KenjiNakayama, Kim Lab, Kyle H. Bryant, Lichiban, Lisa Gilman, MarkShoening, Mitchell Kehe, Babak Khoshnoud, Nick Z, Rob Larsen, RyanLombardi, Percy Fortini Wright, Monk, Softies, Tim Zylicz, TakToyoshima aka Secret Asian Man, Yuko Adachi, Cope 2, Tracy 168,Miskeen, Matt Loomis, Alone 1, Kieth Shore, Society 07, Josh Taylor,Ben Kwok, Jason Brunson, Maria Gillespie, Colby Nichols, 2 Birds,Gabriel Hernandez, To Die For, Uncle C, Daven, Mike Shinoda, AbeAguilar, Chachi, Bishop, Matt Held, Andrew Jacob, Haidan Hodgson.

VIP RECEPTION FROM 8PM - 9PM
SPONSORED BY SKYY VODKA AND SAPPORO!!
FREE ADMISSION TO THE VIP RECEPTION WHEN YOU PURCHASE AN ADVANCE TICKET ">HERE

28th Annual Fort Point Open Studios

2007-10-18T13:32:00.000-05:00

Since 1978, Fort Point artists have opened their studios to the public during the third weekend in October. The Open Studios Weekend attracts about 10,000 visitors to our neighborhood. This event offers the public a rare glimpse into the living and working spaces of artists, while providing a valuable opportunity for artists to sell their work. During the Open Studios weekend the FPAC Gallery hosts a group show for FPAC members.

click here for more info, artist listings and directions

The Group Show allows visitors to see a sample of the work of many different artists in one place, while also giving members who are not able to open their studios an opportunity to be represented. Open Studios is a festive event for the artists involved. It is a time for them to celebrate after months of preparation and hard work, as well as to reaffirm their vitality and strength as a community in the face of so many changes and challenges.

Open Studios Group Show
OCTOBER 05, 2007 - NOVEMBER 09, 2007
FPAC Gallery
300 Summer Street M1
Boston, MA 02210
gallery@fortpointarts.org
617 423-4299

(photo above, "kiera" by mike hammecker, acrylic on wood panel, 2 x 2, 2007)

GABRIEL & GILBERTO COLAÇO + NICK RODRIGUES

2007-10-10T02:04:00.000-05:00

RHYS gallery
401 Harrison Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02118
617.357.7497
contact@rhysgallery.com

October 18 - November 08, 2007
Opening Reception
Thursday, October 18, 5 - 8 PM featured artists

Nick Rodrigues
To be open and receptive to one another is an invaluable trait not to be given up or taken advantage of. The sculptures that I make are my way of talking about the issues we all see but cannot necessarily change.I'm interested in the way that humans relate with one another, and how technology and innovation can dramatically affect these interactions. Often the acceptance of new products into our lives is so subtle that it goes unnoticed, and yet it alters our experience in profound ways. My pieces highlight the discrepancies between what is, what has been, and what could be normal.

Gabriel & Gilberto Colaço

To describe Gabriel and Gilberto Colaço’s works immediately implies to talk about a whole activity of invasion because they openly are two players. Each one of them strongly competes for his working space and capacity of adjustment to the space and limits set by the other so that in the end, all such confrontation will result in a good outcome agreed by both of them. Thus, the whole is the result of both artists’ shots.On the other hand, in the close connection between the two twin brothers Gabriel and Gilberto Colaço there is the reconcilement of a vocabulary, classified by a repeated colour of palette, and a very peculiar way of looking to raise the figure to a new dimension. Its fragmentation and distortion emerge as a reinvention. The sections of the figure, that can present citizens, known or close friends, or unusual objects, create also borders of work in which participates Gabriel Colaço or Gilberto Colaço.However, the most important is to witness the complicity and trust that has involved all the work of Gabriel and Gilberto, and the proof that art can result from sharing.

(pictured above left, Nick Rodrigues, cell phone booth)
(pictured below right, Gabriel & Gilberto Colaço HW # 1 2006 Acrylic on canvas 78 x 78 in)

Fast Women

2007-10-09T16:19:00.000-05:00

119 Gallery
119 Chelmsford Street
Lowell, MA 01851
978.452.8138
website

ATA presents-- FAST WOMEN, PREMIERE SCREENING
October 13, 2007, 8pm

Fast Women: A curated video and animation show featuring creative musings related to women and speed: acceleration on the ground and through technology. This thirty-five minute program presents works women who address speed in different manners: Bebe Beard, Tanya Bezrah, Margaret Dolinsky, EveGordon, Ellen Lake, Anne Marie Lansley, Kama Lord, Gina Kamentsky, NatalieMcKeever, Doris Schmidt, Sam Smiley. www.virtualberet.net/ata.

The AstrodimeTransit Authority: Ali Horeanopolous , Bebe Beard, John Gayle, GinaKamentsky, Mary Ann Kearns, Sam Smiley. http://astrodime.wordpress.com/

Holograms and Photographs

2007-10-08T02:50:00.000-05:00

Harriet Casdin-Silver
and
Kathy Chapman

Studio Soto
63 Melcher St.
Boston, MA 02210
617-426-7686
Check out Studio Soto here

Thursday, October 4 - Sunday, October 21, 2007
reception Wednesday, October 17th, 5 - 8 pm
Gallery Hours Thursday and Friday, 5 - 9; Saturday and Sunday, 12 - 5

Studio Soto proudly presents the work of pioneering holography artist Harriet Casdin-Silver and photographer Kathy Chapman, celebrating their combined over 50 years in Fort Point. Casdin-Silver and Chapman are among a number of artists whose leases along Melcher Street will expire on November 15th, and this exhibition magnanimously recognizes their work and their abiding presence in the changing and diminishing arts community in Fort Point.

"Harriet Casdin-Silver is a pioneer of art holography in the United States and was an important figure in the development of installation art and technological art in the 1960s. Casdin-Silver' s work is internationally recognized and has been exhibited for over 25 years in museums, galleries, and universities through the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

She has not only set aesthetic standards for holography but also stretched the scientific boundaries of the medium. Casdin-Silver was the first artist to develop frontal-projection holograms, the first to explore white light transmission multi-colored holograms, and the first to exhibit outdoor, solar-tracked holograms.

Casdin-Silver began her artistic career in the 1960s as a painter and quickly moved into multi-media and technological images. In 1968, she made her first holograms, becoming one of the first artists to work in this media. Casdin-Silver' s early work focused on both abstract and object-based images; by the late 1970s, Casdin-Silver began exploring the human figure, in particular the female body. At the same time, the artist began to combine holography with other media to create installation pieces. More recently, Casdin-Silver' s work focuses on the issues of feminism, the human form, the aging process, death, and issues of identity."

- Nick Capasso, Curator, Harriet Casdin-Silver: The Art of Holography, a retrospective at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park

Harriet Casdin-Silver' s images and works appear courtesy of Gallery NAGA.
For more information visit her website, http://www.harrietcasdinsilver.com/.

Since 1979 Kathy Chapman has maintained a photography studio in Boston's Fort Point Channel neighborhood. She works on many different levels, shooting weekly magazine assignments that include portraits, gourmet food, location and environmental work, corporate work and live music. She enjoys teaching photography and has mentored teens at Artists For Humanity, and taught teens at Montserrat College of Art.

Her training as a photographer included earning a BFA at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She spent her third year abroad at the Epsom College of Art, south of London.

Chapman's series of young mothers, photographed on the streets of South Boston in the 80s, records the moods and emotions on their faces as they navigate the sidewalks with vintage prams. Her series of pictures of teenage boys in the 90s, flashing their gang signs, is a study of inner-city angst.

Chapman says that previous to 9/11, her photographs had been dark in mood. After 9/11, she switched, putting more emphasis on the value of life. Her recent portfolio of multi-exposure photographs was reviewed by Cate McQuaid of the Boston Globe, who wrote "Kathy Chapman forwards the film in her plastic camera as she exposes it, like a DJ scratching an L.P. In these lovely romantic urban landscapes, buildings and bridges echo, repeat, and fracture, turning concrete and steel into something as dreamlike and repetitive as memory".

The Studio Soto show will exhibit selections from 30 years of work in Boston.
For more information visit her website, http://www.kathychapman.com/

Stephen Coyle at Chase Gallery

2007-10-03T13:44:00.001-05:00

Stephen Coyle at Chase Gallery
October 3 - 27, 2007
Artist reception Friday, October 5th from 5 to 7 pm

Chase Gallery
129 Newbury Street Boston, MA 02116
phone: 617-859-7222
web

Stephen Coyle studied at Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles and has shown extensively both in California and New England since the early 1980s. His award winning paintings in alkyds are unique in their personal vision of the ordinary. The focus of his paintings are the objects that surround him every day: beds, road ways, kitchen tables, cars, tricylces, ironing boards. His paintings give every day objects a place of importance and an historical significance.

What also makes his paintings unique is the technique he uses and the feeling that he captures. He claims,"I try not to have any specific technique, and I let the subject determine how I'll paint it. I use rollers, large brushes, trowels, nails or sand paper; whatever is needed to capture the essence of the image. To me, a painting is complete when it evokes an emotional response; when something about it is more real, more 'alive' than the actual object."

(above right, "Walden" alkyd on panel, 16 x 20 inches)

Susan Nichter: Never Been Seen

2007-10-03T13:25:00.000-05:00

Exhibit runs October 11th through November 10th
Reception with the artist: Friday October 12th 6-8pm
Gallery talk: Tuesday October 23rd at 1pm

The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University
75 Arlington Street Boston, MA 02116
Gallery Phone (617) 573-8785

click here for more info

Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 8am-10pm
Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 12-5
Enter from 10 Saint James Street after 7pm and on weekends
This exhibit is free and open to the public.
The NESADSU Gallery is accessible by the MBTA Arlington St. Green Line stop.

Susan Nichter: Never Been Seen
The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University presents Susan Nichter Never Been Seen. This exhibit of new paintings and digital prints will run October 11th through November 10th at the NESADSU gallery at 75 Arlington Street Boston MA. There will be a reception with the artist on Friday October 12th from 6-8pm. An illustrated catalogue of works in the exhibition will be available. There will also be a gallery talk at NESADSU on Tuesday October 23rd at 1 pm.

Susan Nichter’s drawing and brushwork is at the same time simple yet deeply complex, reflecting the ideas of string theory and psychic intuition that heavily influences this new body of work. Susan skillfully balances a palate of electric yet soothing colors and emotional tensions with calmness. A painter for more than twenty years, Nichter’s work explores a multifaceted narrative. Her figures dance in between layers of colors and transparency as if they are traversing through different layers of existence. The exhibit Never Been Seen features a new series of figurative paintings and related digital prints.
Susan Nichter is a full time painting professor at the New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University. She has an M.F.A. from Boston University and her work has been widely seen in recent years around New England, New York and Canada.

About her work Susan states “In my recent narratives I ask, "what are the dimensions that exist simultaneously to this time and space?' Drawing upon elements of the string theory and psychic intuition, I paint about levels of consciousness and states of being. In trying to wrap my mind around the other dimensions, I explore the possibility of interchange between dimensions that simultaneous coexist with height, width, depth and time. Is there a quiet interchange between life on earth-now, and the life force once it moves on?
Psychics would tell us that people, who have passed on exist in a dimension much closer, nearer, than we would imagine - three feet off the ground. In my recent body of work, "Dimensions 5+,” I investigation the many perceptions of what happens to the life force once it has left its vehicle--our bodies. Are there some among us who can hear, and see? How do we access the truth about the microcosm and its relationship to the universe? The images in my paintings arise and emerge in those moments when paint transcends the structural or formal limits of pushing and pulling space. In those moments a narrative arises that speaks to enduring life forces.”

(above right, Susan Nichter, "Airwalker" oil on canvas 2007, 62” x 72”)

Boston Symphony Orchestra 2007/2008 season

2007-09-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

Next Thursday (10/4) marks the beginning of the Boston Symphony Orchestra 2007/2008 season. The evening's all-Ravel program welcomes James Levine and the Symphony back to Hall on the heels of their recent European Tour and features solo performances by legendary musicians Susan Graham (mezzo-soprano) and Jean-Yves Thibaudet (pianist).

Boston Symphony Orchestra
301 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02115

BSO Music Director James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra open their 2007-08 concert season on Thursday, October 4, with an all-Ravel program featuring mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. The orchestra launches its 127th season with Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso. Ms. Graham joins the BSO for Shéhérzade for mezzo-soprano and orchestra, and Mr. Thibaudet performs Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G. The Opening Night at Symphony program closes with the second suite from Daphnis et Chloé. Cadillac and Shreve, Crump & Low are this season’s Opening Night at Symphony partners.
On October 5 and 6, Maestro Levine leads another all-Ravel program that includes the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, John Oliver, conductor, in the complete Daphnis et Chloé. Mr. Thibaudet returns for Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, and the orchestra also performs Alborada del gracioso and Pavane for a Dead Princess.

The 2007-08 season marks James Levine’s fourth season as Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Named Music Director Designate in October 2001, he is the orchestra’s 14th music director since the BSO’s founding in 1881 and the first American-born conductor to hold that position. Highlights of his season with the BSO include Debussy’s La Mer (November 29-December 1), Smetana’s Má Vlast (November 23-27), and Mahler’s First and Ninth symphonies (November 15-20 and November 8-10, respectively), as well as Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (April 17-18). Mr. Levine leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the world premieres of Elliott Carter’s Horn Concerto (November 15-20), John Harbison’s Symphony No. 5 (April 17-18) – both BSO commissions – and the world premiere of William Bolcom’s Symphony No. 8 for chorus and orchestra (February 28-March 1), a BSO 125th Anniversary Commission, as well as the American premiere of Henri Dutilleux’s Le Temps l’Horloge for soprano and orchestra (November 29-December 1), a BSO 125th Anniversary Co-commission. Maestro Levine also remains Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, where he has developed in the 35 years since his debut there a relationship with that company unparalleled in its history and unique in the musical world today. He has led more than 2,000 performances of 80 different operas at the Met. Maestro Levine inaugurated the “Metropolitan Opera Presents” television series for PBS in 1977, founded its Young Artist Development Program in 1980, returned Wagner’s complete Der Ring des Nibelungen to the repertoire in 1989 (in the Met’s first integral cycles in 50 years), and reinstated the former Met tradition of recitals and concerts with Met artists at the opera house.

Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham is regarded as one of the world’s leading opera singers. In recent seasons, she has performed leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Vienna State Opera, and Opéra National de Paris. A Grammy Award-winning singer, her repertoire stretches from Baroque to contemporary. Ms. Graham’s most recent solo recording, Poèmes de L’amour, includes Ravel’s Shéhérazade, Chausson’s Poème de l’amour et de la mer, and several Debussy settings of Baudelaire poems arranged by John Adams. Her most recent appearance with the BSO was in July 2002 performing Berlioz’ Les Nuits dété, Op. 7, at Tanglewood.

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet has built strong relationships with such orchestras as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony. Highlights of his recent performances around the world include recitals in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain, as well as engagements with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Spanish National Orchestra, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Also a prolific recording artist, Mr. Thibaudet’s diverse repertoire includes works by Gershwin, Rachmaninoff, Ellington, Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schumann, Liszt, Chopin, Grieg, Messiaen, Debussy, and Ravel. He was the soloist on the 2005 Oscar-nominated soundtrack of Universal Pictures’ Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Thibaudet’s most recent appearance with the BSO was in October 2005 performing Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F at Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall.

Tickets for Opening Night of the Boston Symphony Orchestras 127th season are priced at $75, $95, $200, $1,000, and $2,500. All ticket prices include a pre-concert reception. Silver Benefactor tickets ($1,000) include exclusive pre-concert cocktail reception, premier seating for the concert, premium seating for the gala dinner at The Fairmont Copley Plaza, commemorative gift and listing as a Silver Benefactor in the concert program. Gold Benefactor tickets ($2,500) include exclusive pre-concert cocktail reception, premier seating for the concert, premium seating for the gala dinner, commemorative gift and listing as a Gold Benefactor in the concert program. The purchase of a Gold Benefactor table of ten includes door to door limousine service for you and your guests. The purchase of a Gold Benefactor ticket entitles you to complimentary valet parking at The Fairmont Copley Plaza.

Tickets for the 2007-08 Boston Symphony Orchestra season are currently on sale. Tickets for the regular-season Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, as well as Friday afternoons, are priced from $29 to $103; concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons are priced from $30 to $114. Open rehearsal tickets are priced at $19 each (general admission).
Tickets may be purchased by phone through SymphonyCharge, in person at the Symphony Hall Box Office, or online through the BSO’s website, http://www.bso.org/. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday; when there are concerts, the box office remains open through intermission. American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, and Discover, as well as personal checks (in person or by mail) and cash (in person only) are all accepted at the box office. Call the BSO’s SymphonyCharge at 617-266-1200 or 888-266-1200 Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to charge tickets on a major credit card. There is a $5.50 service fee for each ticket purchased online or by phone.

A limited number of rush tickets for Boston Symphony Orchestra subscription concerts on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Friday afternoons are set aside to be sold on the day of a performance. These tickets are sold at $9 each, one to a customer, at the Symphony Hall Box Office on Friday beginning at 10 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursdays beginning at 5 p.m. Please note that there are no rush tickets available on Friday or Saturday evenings or Sunday afternoons.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra offers 30-minute Pre-concert Talks in Symphony Hall before all BSO subscription concerts, beginning at 6:45 p.m. prior to the 8 p.m. evening concerts and at 12:15 p.m. prior to Friday-afternoon concerts. Open Rehearsal Talks begin one hour before the start of all Thursday-morning and Wednesday-evening Open Rehearsals. These informative talks, which include recorded musical examples, enhance the concert-going experience by providing valuable insight into the music being performed.
BSO concerts can be heard regularly on the radio. The Friday-afternoon concerts are broadcast on WGBH 89.7 FM, and the Saturday-evening concerts are broadcast on WCRB 102.5 FM. Both stations also stream the concerts live through their websites at www.wgbh.org and www.wcrb.com.
Patrons with disabilities can access Symphony Hall through the Massachusetts Avenue lobby or the Cohen Wing on Huntington Avenue. An access service center, accessible restrooms, and elevators are available inside the Cohen Wing entrance. For ticket information, call the Disability Services Information Line at 617-638-9431 or TTD/TTY 617-638-9289.

Symphony Café offers buffet-style dining from 5:30 p.m. until concert time for all evening Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts. In addition, Symphony Café is open for lunch prior to Friday-afternoon concerts. Patrons enjoy the convenience of pre-concert dining at the Café in the unique ambiance of history Symphony Hall. The cost of dinner is $32.50 per person; the cost of lunch is $19. The Café is located in Higginson Hall; patrons enter through the Cohen Wing entrance on Huntington Avenue. Please call 617-638-9328 for reservations, or visit the BSO website at http://www.bso.org/.

The Symphony Shop, located in the Cohen Wing on Huntington Avenue, is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., and from one hour before concert time through intermission. A satellite shop, located on the first-balcony level, is open only during concerts. Merchandise may also be purchased by visiting the BSO website at www.bso.org.
Gift certificates are available in any amount and may be used toward the purchase of tickets (subject to availability) to any Boston Symphony Orchestra or Boston Pops performance at Symphony Hall or Tanglewood. Gift certificates may also be used at the Symphony Shop to purchase merchandise.

Free public tours of Symphony Hall are available Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. from October 17 through December 5, 2007, and from January 2, 2008 through April 30, 2007, and every first Saturday of the month at 1:30 p.m., October 13 through May 3, 2008 during the BSO season. This schedule is subject to change. Tours begin at the Massachusetts Avenue Lobby Entrance. For further information, please e-mail bsav@bso.org or call 617-638-9390. This is a project of the Boston Symphony Association of Volunteers.

2007-08 SEASON SPONSORED BY UBS
UBS will continue its partnership with the Boston Symphony Orchestra as its exclusive season sponsor, building on the mutually successful partnership that began in 2003. EMC Corporation is the supporting partner of the 2007-08 BSO season. Pre-concert talks and the Symphony Café are supported by New England Coffee, the official coffee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston, together with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, is the official hotel of the BSO. Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation is the official chauffeured transportation provider of the BSO. Cadillac and Shreve, Crump & Low are Opening Night at Symphony partners; Shreve, Crump & Low is the official jeweler of the BSO. All programs and artists are subject to change.

For current program information, dial 617-CONCERT (266-2378). For further information, call the Boston Symphony Orchestra at 617-266-1492. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is online at http://www.bso.org/.

BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PROGRAM LISTING, OCTOBER 4-6
Thursday, October 4, 6:30 p.m. (Opening Night at Symphony)
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
JAMES LEVINE, conductor
SUSAN GRAHAM, mezzo-soprano
JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET, piano
ALL-RAVEL PROGRAM
Alborada del gracioso
Shéhérazade, for mezzo-soprano and orchestra
Piano Concerto in G
Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2

Friday, October 5, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 6, 8 p.m.
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
JAMES LEVINE, conductor
JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET, piano
TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL CHORUS, JOHN OLIVER, conductor

(Jean-Yves Thibaudet, pictured top right, Susan Graham, pictured bottom left.)

FPAC Gallery Presents: TIME AND SPACE

2007-09-22T12:33:00.000-05:00

Seven Fort Point Artists Celebrate the MacDowell Centennial

Pam Bernard
Bebe Beard
Ruth Fields
Sarah Hutt
Susan Nichter
Lenore Tenenblatt
Nan Tull

August 24-September 28, 2007
Opening Reception: Friday, September 7, 5:30-8:00 pm
Artists' Talk: Friday, September 28, 6:30 pm

FPAC Gallery is located at 300 Summer Street on the mezzanine level.
Driving Directions & Parking Info

In honor of the MacDowell Colony's centennial year, Time and Space features the work of seven artists with ties to Fort Point who have benefited from MacDowell's opportunity for uninterrupted creative "time and space."This exhibition was selected by guest juror James Hull, former director of the Green Street Gallery.

(artwork pictured above by Susan Nichter)

We're kicking it OLD SCHOOL

2007-09-11T17:44:00.000-05:00

Puma celebrates YO! MTV Raps with special limited edition shoes and apparel.

PUMA, MTV & VICE present:

YO! MTV Raps official drop

Where: The Puma Store - Boston
333 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115

When: Friday, September 14th from 6-10pm

Special Guest: Stretch Armstrong
Featuring: Dr. Claw and Miss Thang

....a landscape show

2007-09-05T13:40:00.000-05:00

September 7 -- October 20
Opening: Friday, September 20 - 6 to 8PM

Samson Projects
450 Harrison Avenue, Storefront 63
Boston, MA 02118
T 617 357 7177
Gallery Hours:Wednesday to Saturday 11 to 5 PM &, of course, by appointment
click for preview

Oliver Boberg, Rackstraw Downes, Noriko Furunishi, Maureen Gallace, Jeffrey Gibson, Julia Hechtman, Alex Katz, Shay Kun, Sarah Nesbit, Anri Sala, Claire Sherman, Dan Torop & Neil Welliver

It is a dry, sterile and mathematical consideration to regard the landscape as exhausted, which our studies consider, the natural, as non-lasting under human hands. As the summer ends we retreat inside and regard the indoors taking account of the constraints that our existence as an audience imposes on the sort of universe that we can observe and experience. The idea that fundamental constants may have the values they have not for fundamental physical reasons, but rather because such values are necessary for life (and hence observers to measure the constants).The horizon is a metaphor for the future. An ideal view. It all has to line up with it.I don’t know who said: “Artists use lies to reveal the truth”. To depict scenery: mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, oceans, buildings, sky and weather are elements of the composition.“Are you stealing my rocks?” “No, I was throwing out my cigarette. Rocks are abundant.” -overheard in the HamptonsSir Kenneth Clark: "[it is] apt to assume that the appreciation of natural beauty and the painting of landscape is a normal and enduring part of our spiritual activity...”The release of the elements as kitsch fodder? Is it necessary to elucidate more on the decorative aspects as well as the intelligent designer/spiritual tenet?

Go outside!

(Above)Oliver BobergLandstrasse / Country Road (still), 2002, 30 min. looped 16mm film with sound on DVD, edition of 6, dimensions variable

ART TERROR: The Life & Art of Gordon Riker

2007-09-05T13:28:00.000-05:00

Opening Reception:
Friday September 7, 2007
6 – 8 pm
@ BODEGA
6 Clearway St
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 421-1550
http://www.bdgastore.com/

An exhibition of Gordon Riker's final works will take place at Bodega in Boston. The show features prints, paintings, custom t-shirts and a 15 foot mural by Josh Falk, Kenji Nakayama and Mr. Never. This show also marks the release of new t-shirt designs by Gordon's clothing label ART TERROR.

South End Open Studios

2007-09-04T15:31:00.000-05:00

Artist Studio Building

Sept. 15 - 16, 11 am - 6 pm

Now in its 21st year, South End Open Studios gives you the opportunity to look inside the Artist Studios at the BCA, see an incredible range of creative expressions, interact with the artists and learn about the process behind their work. This is your chance to meet artists working in oil, watercolor, photography, sculpture, mixed media, fiber arts, jewelry, wood and glass, as well as filmmakers, writers, poets and other visual and performing artists. To help celebrate Open Studios weekend, the BCA is offering tours of its theaters on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 12 - 6 pm and demonstrations and performances on the BCA Plaza all weekend long.

Click here for more info.

The 5th annual Boston Ahts Festival

2007-09-04T15:13:00.000-05:00

Where: Christopher Columbus Park.
The park is MBTA accessible by the Blue Line (Aquarium).
Sat/Sun, Sep. 8 & 9
Hours: 12:00 to 6:00
Web Page: http://www.cityofboston.gov/arts

The 5th annual Boston Ahts Festival In Christopher Columbus park is a whole weekend packed with activities. The Arts Festival was designed to launch Boston's performing arts fall season and provide an open studios preview.
This year includes the addition of artisan foods and more artists. Over 70 jurried Boston artists and craftspeople gather in the park to show and sell their work.
There will also be a performing arts program through out the day. Musical and performing acts will be centered on the picturesque waterfront stage. Returning performances include the Boston Ballet and the Boston Pops Ensemble.
Participatory arts and family friendly activities will be programmed for the two-day event, last year included face painting, story tellers and a large group drawn mural.

John Powell: The Ellipse Series

2007-08-24T17:03:00.000-05:00

The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University
75 Arlington Street Boston, MA 02116
Gallery Phone (617) 573-8785
http://www.suffolk.edu/nesad/gallery

Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 8 am-10 pm
Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 12-5
Enter from 10 Saint James after 7 pm and on weekends
Exhibit runs September 5th through October 6th 2007
Reception with the artist Thursday September 6th 6-8 pm

This exhibit is free and open to the public.
The NESADSU Gallery is accessible by the MBTA Arlington St. Green Line stop.

John Powell: The Ellipse Series opens at NESADSU Gallery
For its first show in the fall 2007 season, The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University presents John Powell: The Ellipse Series. Curated by interim NESADSU gallery director James Manning, the exhibit runs September 5th through October 6th 2007. There will be a public reception with the artist on Thursday September 6th from 6-8pm. The Ellipse Series features a new series of prints as well as an ambitious site specific projected light installation. The digital prints in this show are of manipulated abstract colored light projections that Powell created in his studio. To compliment this work, the artist has created a new lighting installation using the architectural details of the NESADSU gallery space. The installation is particularly interesting as it involves the audience as part of the artistic process. There will be four projectors with ellipsoidal shapes aimed at the ceiling, from four spots in the gallery. Each projector will be attached to a motion sensor. The only time the whole image will be projected is when all four sensors are activated. That will be harder than it seems, as each will have a slightly different delay time.
John Powell’s work involves creating an interesting dialogue with architectural structures and environments. About this new work Powell states: “This body of work is derived from digital photographs of abstract light projections. The imagery is then distorted in a way that simulates projection through a very small lense with a strong light source--a fish eye lense. The projection on the ceiling approximates the source lighting.”
Powell uses the power of projected light to turn a space, such as an ordinary wall, in to a canvas, where he can project colors and shapes to create art and a deeper meaning. Powell sees light as more than just a means to light up spaces, it is a tool integral to accentuating the essence of an architectural space. Over the course of his long career he has worked with a wide range of light based media ranging from holography, fire and light projections in a variety of settings from the sides of buildings to under bridges and underwater.
John Powell has a MSVS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a founding member of the Reclamation Artists. Powell has exhibited extensively both in galleries and in public spaces. His work includes the permanent lighting installation of the Evelyn Moakley Bridge in the Fort Point Channel and the lighting for three bridges on the Charles River – the Larz Anderson Bridge, the Weeks Memorial footbridge, the Western Avenue Bridge and soon the River Street Bridge. Recent gallery exhibits have included solo exhibits at the Howard Yezerski Gallery, Boston and the Starr Gallery at the Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center in Newton, MA. His long list of public commissions has included installations at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, the Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Boston Public Library, Boston City Hall and First Night Boston.

(Above right, untitled, "from the Ellipse series" abstract light projections 2007)

Contemporary Outlook: Japan

2007-07-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

The Museum of Fine Arts
Monday, July 2, 2007 - Sunday, February 10, 2008
click here for info and hours

Since Japan dropped its longstanding policy of national isolation in the 1850s, there has been an immensely creative give-and-take between the cultures of Japan and the West. After World War II, especially, many Japanese artists began working in art forms derived from the international scene, moving away from local traditions. At the same time, traditional subject matter and styles endured. While some artists explored new and different motifs and styles using traditional media, others embraced Western materials, subject matters, and styles. This installation is by no means a complete review of recent art from Japan; instead it focuses on a few selected works created by artists of three recent generations. The first came of age directly after World War II; some are just coming to the world’s attention now. Strains of western styles and approaches like abstract expressionism, pop, “happenings,” minimalism, and feminist art can be seen here, but the results are also uniquely Japanese in concerns and approach. The works are the product of a particularly fertile period of artistic experimentation, one that generated a unique synthesis of ideas and forms from East and West. Artists in the exhibition include Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami, Daido Moriyama, Mariko Mori, and Chinatsu Ban.

Contemporary Outlook is an exciting new series of small focused exhibitions, drawn mainly from the MFA collections, that examines emerging trends, issues, ideas, and ways of looking at art and artists.

STENCILS

2007-07-23T14:42:00.000-05:00

STENCILS: Public space and social intervention
July 26 – August 25, 2007
Reception: Thursday July 26, 6 – 8 pm.

The New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University
75 Arlington Street Boston, MA 02116
Phone (617) 573 8785

Gallery hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm
Enter from 10 Saint James after 7pm and on weekends

Organized by Hiroko Kikuchi and Alice Vogler

Participating artists: Dirk Adams, Beth Balliro, Michael Gardiner, Geoff Hargadon, Lazaro Montano, Lucas Murida, Liz Nofziger, Melina O'Grady & Niko, Vela Phelan, Paul Roax, Claudia Salamanca, Jonathan Santos, and Andi Sutton

For gallery information
For additional information about this exhibit go please visit here

For its summer 2007 summer exhibition, the gallery at the New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University presents:
STENCILS: Public Space and social intervention

As part of the gallery’s ongoing series of guest curator exhibitions, James Manning the interim NESAD/SU Gallery Director has invited two Boston curators/ performance artists to organize this exhibit which will push the boundaries of how the public experiences and interacts with art. The curators of STENCILS are Hiroko Kikuchi and Alice Vogler. Kikuchi co-organized the 2005 exhibit Sifting the Inner Belt at the Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts and is also a founding member of National Bitter Melon Council. Alice Vogler is a performance artist and member of the Mobius Artists Group and is a part of the TEST collaborative group.

STENCILS features an impressive list of fourteen of the areas best emerging artists specializing in interactive and performance based art. The artists include: Dirk Adams, Beth Balliro, Michael Gardiner, Geoff Hargadon, Lazaro Montano, Lucas Murida, Liz Nofziger, Melina O'Grady & Niko, Vela Phelan, Paul Roax, Claudia Salamanca, Jonathan Santos, and Andi Sutton. The exhibition itself is designed as an interactive event, each of the artists will be presenting work in the gallery that the viewer can also experience outside of the gallery space. Some of the work is
performance based with actual performances taking place during the exhibition at locations around the city, others will feature components that the viewer can interact with, both in the gallery space and outside of the gallery on their own. Works will cover a wide range of subjects, materials and media and will play with all of your senses. STENCILS will include painting, sound art, guided tours, scent based works, shadow projections, live interactive performances and more.

To get the full scope of the work presented one is encouraged to interact with the work both in the gallery space and outside. All of the work in the show is designed to spark discussion about art and its purpose as a tool for social commentary. A full schedule of all the related events and performance will be announced and available in the gallery space during the run of the exhibition.

About the project Kikuchi and Vogler state: “This is a public space intervention project that illustrates civic landscapes, using temporary marking and communication devices within the concept of stencil and stenciling. Not limited to traditional or commonly- known references of stencil and/or stenciling, this project highlights their definition and function in relation to the public in varying degrees as a medium. The exhibition will provide an experimental research platform to explore the public domain and social interaction, and juncture art and community development. The goal is to assemble a wide range of works that is driven by the above questions and encourage participants to develop works addressing the creative and informal "common" in publicly-accessible spaces. It is a dialogue-based project that is manifested with the participation and co-authorship of the public.”

Squealing Pegs: MassArt Animation

2007-07-19T02:57:00.000-05:00

Selected by Leland Burke, Steve Gentile & Flip Johnson
July 18 -- 20
Reception Thursday, July 19 / 6 to 8 PM

450 Harrison Ave.

Storefront 63 Boston, MA 02118

T 617 357 7177
Gallery Hours:Wednesday to Friday 11 to 5 PM &, of course, by appointment

Samson Projects continues Summer of '07 with an hour long (and change) selection of animated works.
Squealing Pegs was selected by Massachusetts College of Art professors Leland Burke, Steve Gentile and Flip Johnson.

Featured works by:
Ian McCormack, Shannon Anderson, Alex Butera, Ba'ra J. Kirkptrick, Daniel Rowe, Lindsay Small, Ramadani & Ruddick, Jeff McCarthy, Jasmine Graham, Alan Jennings, Matthew Witschinke, Susan Chien, Kim McLaughlin, Shawn Morris, Caroline Ramsey, Rob Lynch, Adam Giangregorio, David Concannon, Devin Ruddick, Kate Kraemer, Ashley Holzwasser, Grif Kimmins, Brian Duffy, Jamie McKiernan, Monica Garrison, Steven Madden, Geoffrey Gavett, Andrew Sopchockchai, Nathan Harkins, Dado Ramadani & Sarah Guy.

Summer of '07 is a series of one week projects to memorialize the summer of the Son of Sam. For more information go to http://www.samsonprojects.com/

FPAC continues its Summer Market season

2007-07-19T02:13:00.000-05:00

FPAC artists at the Boston Public Market: Hilary Law, hand-painted canvas bags and Kristen Alexandra, silver jewelry
(Photo by Bob Souther)

This summer, every Wednesday, FPAC has a booth to showcase local artists and to gain awareness of the Fort Point artist community that's located right over the channel.
Yesterday I displayed my work , alongside the elegant and meticulously designed sterling silver jewelry of Jennifer Chin.

It was a rainy day, but the vibe was great. Located in the heart of one of Boston's busiest areas, there was plenty of foot traffic and people watching despite the unfavorable weather.
There was a HOOD street team giving away free fat-free chocolate milk, a ceramicist(whose name I never got, sorry), fresh vegetables and fruit vendors and even a vendor selling assorted fresh baked bread from "When Pigs Fly". All in all, I'm excited to participate in this event again. I encourage all to come out and support this unique market and your local artists.

-Mike Hammecker

Next up is Margaret DeBruin and Robin Reilly (7/25)
(see below for more info and dates)

Boston Public Market Hours are 11:30-6:30
They are located just across from South Station at Dewey Square on the new Green-way.
You can also shop the farmer's market Mondays and Thursdays for produce, baked goods, and plants!
The Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC) will have a booth set up each Wednesday at the Boston Public Market at Dewey Square all summer and leading up to October’s Open Studios. FPAC is delighted to continue our partnership with the Boston Public Market, and supports their goal of a permanent, year round indoor market for Boston.
Fort Point Art Community artists will take turns exhibiting and selling their artwork as well as giving information about FPAC and our Open Studios programming. Artists will take the booth in teams of two. Our mission: provide an opportunity for increased visibility and an opportunity for sales

7/11 Rob Charlton and Marie Galvin
7/18 Jen Chin and Mike Hammeker
7/25 Margaret DeBruin and Robin Reilly

8/1 Marie Galvin and Mike Hammecker
8/8 Jen Chin and Rob Charlton
8/15 Deena Schnitman and Jean Hangarter
8/22 Hilary Law and Kristen Alexandra

Further dates to be announced

Fort Point’s Not Dead (not just yet anyway)

2007-06-07T16:24:00.000-05:00

The Fort Point Artist Community is alive and well.
It’s not just because it’s the new “hot” spot for development. It’s because of the strong arts community that gave this old warehouse district its character.

There’s a strong sense of family here in fort point and that’s what makes it so great.
When I moved here 6 years ago, it was under the assumption that this area was being gentrified and that our days (collectively) were numbered.
Thinking I only had a year or two in this amazing affordable loft space complete with tall ceilings and a freight elevator (every artist's dream) I decided to take full advantage of the space and my time here.
First I set out to meet as many local artists as I could. The first thing I recognized about the artists I was meeting was their talent and their work ethic.
Filmmakers, painters, sculptors, ceramicists, photographers and performance artists, all working hard(and often together) and loving every minute of it. The neighborhood is changing dramatically, with luxury condos springing up everywhere. Artists are being forced to move, or stay and pay ridiculous rents. While there is a little bit of "affordable" housing being offered to these artists that have helped shape this neighborhood into the unique community that it is being advertised as, it's still not enough. There are buildings that are artist-owned (300 Summer st co-op), and others offer cheaper rents to artists (15 Channel Center) that they supposedly can purchase after time (though that's not been put in writing yet). Ultimately I'm a capitalist and I understand change is inevitable. This is prime real estate so it was bound to be redeveloped, the only thing one can hope for is that the developers recognize the value of keeping as many of these artists in place to help retain some of the flavor that has made this small part of this equally small city so sweet.
The amount of quality art and knowledge and the number of collaborative ventures I’ve been exposed to over these 6 years here in Fort Point have been a blessing and a memory I will take with me wherever I move to next. (although I'd really like to stay)

THE END IS HERE: the greatest party that never happened

2007-05-30T23:27:00.000-05:00

It was to be a collaborative effort by many different local companies, ranging from graphic designers, promoters, fashion designers and musicians. It was sort of a going away party for a local designer and founder of 280 studios Bob Gatti, as hes been forced out of his loft in South Bostons Fort Point district due to skyrocketing prices and gentrification. This party was the one that was supposed to send him off in style. Styles ranging from the fashion sense of BIRDHEAD designs Michael Crigler, to the spray painted backdrops organized by WARHOL IS DEAD Curtis McMillan to the underground marketing and promotions professionals at street attack.
Live hardcore musicians and local dj collabo HEARTHROB were to round out the bill with their musical styling's.

The key word above is "was".
Unfortunately a party thrown in the building the night before was the reason for its cancellation.
Here's Bobs myspace post "That's right Boston, I am sorry to announce, but last night someone started a fire in my building and the cops and firemen have been there all day and will be shutting the building's power and elevator down today to prevent me from having this event.I am sorry, we will be rescheduling, this was going to be huge. Be on the lookout for our next big event. Thanks Bob G. gimme a ring if anyone knows of anything fun to do tonight cause i am super bummed....so... no HEARTHROB, no BIRDHEAD, no STREET ATTACK, no WARHOLISDEAD, and no 280 STUDIOS"

And there you have it. I know this party was going to be huge. Come on Boston, lets rally the troops and try to pull off more alternative venues for art and fashion. I know that the above people put in a lot of effort to make the event happen, but in the end it wasn't enough.
I also know that the next party they organize will be even bigger and better than this one was going to be.. so stay tuned, check out their sites and support their hard work. as these are the ones to watch.

Fort Point Art Walk: 2007

2007-04-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

Fort Point Art Walk

May 4th 4-7pm
May 5Th 12-5pm
May 6Th 12-5pm

Not to be confused with our Annual Fall Open Studios, the Fort Point Art Walk is a new Spring tradition! Visit more than 50 of your favorite Fort Point artists as they celebrate the return to warm weather with this Spring Open Studios event!
Participants include artists from the entire neighborhood. A comprehensive list of studio locations will be available at the event.

I will be in the group space at 35 Channel Center.

I hope to see you all sometime this spring and that everyone has a great summer.

-mike hammecker

the fung wah report: an expose of hysteria

2007-04-13T01:15:00.000-05:00

alternately titled (death bus for cutie)

if you're anything like me, you cant get enough of nyc.
i think its a great place to visit, but i would'nt want to live there
(unless i was rich).
seeing as how i'm (how do you say??) financially challenged, i opt to travel to said destination by a cheap and reliable method of transportation.
the fung wah bus!!.
i know, i know, everyone has a horror story, or has heard a horror story, or knows someone that lost an eye while taking the fung wah, but the reality is, is that its only 15 dollars one way and you cant beat that with a stick(even if its an eye poking stick).
for those of you unfamiliar with the fung wah, its a bus liner, similar to greyhound(only cheaper), that started off traveling from chinatown in nyc to chinatown in boston and versa visa... well, in recent history they've had some pretty troubling press. it turns out that some buses have tipped over, some have crashed into toll booths and some have just started on fire out of the blue(earning my favorite nickname, the flame wah). as crazy as that all sounds they've had very minimal (if any) injuries sustained and hey, whats a little bump and grind amongst you and your fellow thrifty new friends?. i have taken the fung wah on over 20 occasions and the worst thing that's ever happened to me was having to sit in the back next to the bathroom. never mind the time it took six and a half hours it took to get back to boston one rainy night, the weather was bad and i was grateful that the driver took it slow. to ride the fung wah is to be "with the people", by people i mean college kids, artists, young professors, single mothers, foreign tourists, lawyers and the occasional sketchy looking dude with a backpack, and you're pretty sure its filled with drugs or some other illicit, illegal goods so you do your best not to make eye contact with him(but its cool cause hes listening to his ipod and trying his best to go unnoticed anyway).
the fung wah is like your quirky cousin, its cheap, it smells weird, it has bad interior design taste, but you love it for who or/what it is.

click here to investigate for yourself
and here

i know its friday the 13th, but don't be afraid, get your tickets here.

Legends Of Style: Surreal City 4-20-07

2007-04-12T14:40:00.001-05:00

When
Friday, April 20, 2007
8:00 PM

Where
Boston Center for the Arts
539 Tremont StreetBoston, Massachusetts 02116 42.3442, -71.0714
Category
Visual Arts
Description
Created in 2004, Legends of Style showcases urban art, dance, music and fashion. With its roots in the underground, aerosol based graffiti art scene, Legends of Style has become synonymous with style, energy, and street couture. The Legends of Style live event features, street influenced artworks and live installations from leading urban, contemporary and pop artists all overlaid with beats from today's hottest dj's.Legends of Style, Surreal City will be held on April 20th, 2007 @ Boston Center for the Arts. This event is 21+, $15 in advance $20 at the door.Legends of Style WILL SELL OUT. It almost always does, so trust us and
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW from Legendsofstyle.net!
Homepage
http://www.legendsofstyle.net/

spring is in the air, and that means art!

2007-04-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

hey everyone!,

I currently have work in a show at the Gulu-Gulu Cafe in Lynn. They are planning to do a “Meet the Artist night” at the cafe the evening of April 28Th starting at 8PM. There will be live music beginning at 8PM as well, so I’m expecting a decent turnout. The proprietors of this event are big supporters of art and really nice people as well, If you cant make it to the party, def check out their cafe if you find yourself in Lynn.

Details of the evening are below
(taken from http://www.gulu-gulu.com/events.asp).

Meet The Artists Night! – Saturday April 28, 8PM
Come meet these artistic super-stars before they become world famous and get all snotty! All art is for sale and can be purchased directly from the Gulu-Gulu Café.
This show we are featuring the artistic talents of Mike Hammecker (Boston), Michael Crockett (Cambridge), Barbra Lena (Stoneham), and Greg Orfanos (Beverly)!
And for the evening’s entertainment we are featuring, not one, not two, but THREE musical acts!

Michael Crockett – one of our featured artists and solo acoustic guitar recitalist! Low-FI sound with lots of high hiss, Mid-level mush, and lots of clicky clicks and county counts!
To hear some beautiful music check out http://www.myspace.com/michaelcrockettmusic.

Adam Rich - solo acoustic guitar master!
Click http://www.myspace.com/adambrich to hear the grand master play!

Sway - Indie Country / Folk idols of millions!
Check out http://www.myspace.com/swaymusicforever for more...

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