FPAC boston

We are Moving!

2012-02-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

A NEW FPAC blog is now online!

Log onto www.fpacboston.blogspot.com

January Photo of the Month

2012-01-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

Photo of the Month - Jodie Baehre

Upstate New York - On the 90

Fort Point Inspirations: Sylvie Agudelo

2011-12-27T08:32:00.001-08:00

Challenging traditional ideas about portraiture, Fort Pointartist Sylvie Agudelo has been engaged in a long-term project to moreaccurately capture the essence of a person. Embedded in the intersection of scienceand art, the fifteen-year resident of the neighborhood explains, “I’m inspiredby hybrid science-art people.” She lists Michelangelo, Lars von Trier, MatthewBarney, Vincent van Gogh, and Edgar Degas as a handful of artists whose intensefocus on art and representation continues to impact her work.

She says, “A portrait is traditionally a 2-D image withpeople formally dressed, of a particular moment in time—you don’t really get asense of what that person is really like, what makes them special.” Hoping fora more intimate and revealing picture, she has recently been making mixed mediaportraits, or “a natural history collection.”

Photo courtesy Sylvie Agudelo

Looking at her earlier work shows that her questions aboutportraiture are not new ones. From photographs of the inside of people’srefrigerators—or as she says, “another kind of portrait”—to large-scalephotographs of people and landscape merging, her work continues to work towarda better language for representing personality.

In 2011, Agudelo was part of a team with James McLeod whocreated “Embroidered,” a public installation in Fort Point. The pair broughttogether text and images from contributors in the neighborhood and theseelements were used in composing the art for installation. Silk-screened glasspanels interacted with large embroidered cut-out silhouettes and became “Acollective portrait of the neighborhood by the neighborhood.”

Installation of Embroidered, 2011

Another example of her inventive take on portraiture is theworking piece that was included in a City Hall new media show in 2011. “Using3rd party / government / institutional portraiture, the picture questions howthe government sees us,” Agudelo says. “Is it a more accurate portrait becausethe machines have no relationship with you—because you aren't posing forposterity?”

This idea of data collection and exploration has emergedcountless times in Agudelo’s career. She says, “I’m trying to figure out thealgorithm of what makes us who we are,” which is precisely where science andart, and the artist’s reverence for these oftentimes competing elements, unitesin her work. Describing this recent series as “Investigations into what is anaccurate portrait,” the overriding question, “what do you really know about aperson?” attempts to be answered by collecting and presenting elements of theirpersonality. Rather than the stale trappings of portraiture, Agudelo’s workseeks alternate measures.

Image of Third Party Identity Project, SylvieAgudelo

“When someone close to you dies,” she says, “you may chooseto save a t-shirt, letters— things sentimental and intimate.” Likewise, her newpictures “involve the biology of the person. I’m trying to combine that withthose other unguarded moments.”

The connections to artists like Van Gogh and Degas are clear,as they sought to present a different sort of truth in portraiture as well. InDegas’ case, these revealing and harsh, often unguarded and disquieting imagesrepresented a wholly unique method of capturing the essence of the emergingmiddle class. Often enabled by his study and use of photography, he no longerpresented an idealized version of people—as his pictures sought a truerdepiction of life than portraiture had allowed prior to his moment. And withVan Gogh, his drawings and paintings depict an emotion so separate from the traditionalmask of portraiture, he often rendered the subject’s face completely obscured.

Edgar Degas, Bellelli Family Portrait, courtesyWikipedia

Continuing in the tradition started by the Impressionists,Sylvie uses alternate means for creating a representative identity in herportraits. In this regard, the scientific approach can be seen throughout herwork. “Observe, collect data, make hypotheses,” is here, and the former fieldbiologist who once lived and worked in Woods Hole says “I really want to knowwhat makes anything tick—I can’t help it.”

Sorrow, and Old Man in Sorrow, both by Vincent vanGogh.

Part of her current project includes capturing portraitsubjects in their natural environment using video and still photography. Belowis one of these stills from a video of Agudelo and fellow artist PaulLaffoley during a typical Sunday lunch. The project uses natural light and atrue environment for a greater sense of person and place. She says, “I see portraitureas an extension of observing animals—some form of being a naturalist—fromscientific collection.”

Video Still, courtesy Sylvie Agudelo

In addition, Agudelo’s focus on art and science in her workextends from approach into process and methodology. “I like to make my owninstruments, my own filters,” she says. “My grandmother encouraged this—I amvery comfortable around machines—but maybe don’t understand people as well.” YetAgudelo’s portraiture reveals an uncanny understanding of the personal andintimate, as revealed with new methods for rendering.

While she says, “In math, in machines, in systems you stringtogether, you can count on X + Y = Z. But with people… you get…”

And clearly these explorations only serve to provide anotherset of questions for the artist to answer with art. But despite theirfoundations in science, these works are steeped in emotion. “Maybe it’s a big part of living in the city—butI feel we are farther and farther away from one another,” she says. Even so, Agudelo’spictures bring us closer.

About the Author: Kurt Cole Eidsvig is an artist and poet who lives andworks in Fort Point. To learn more about Eidsvig visit http://www.kurtcoleeidsvig.com/

Shaping Up Fort Point

2011-12-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

If you’re anything like me, when asked about the perfect combination ofart and physical fitness you likely conjure thespian bodybuilder Arnold Swarzeneggerfrom one of his various acting roles. Perhaps you picture the massive Hungarianin Kindergarten Cop, or given the season, his tour de force with Sinbad ascostar, Jingle all the Way. But nestled inside the heart of Fort Point, Channel Fitness—the owner-run and operated fitness center—is paying homage to ourneighborhood’s long standing tradition of the arts in a way that puts the seventime Mr. Olympia to shame.

Above photo courtesy of Channel Fitness

Located at 303 Congress Street, and facing the Fort Point Channel, oneof Channel Fitness’ main goals has been to become an integral part of the FortPoint Community. Managing Partner Erica Duggan explains, “Artists are the veryfoundation of what makes the Fort Point area so unique and it is very importantto us that we develop and nurture a strong connection with that facet of thecommunity. To do that, we utilize our large space to display the works of FortPoint artists.”

The fitness center features a rotating show of FPAC artists and in the last6 months they have showcased three different artists. The duration of eachexhibition varies and is determined by the gym and the artist. Currently ondisplay are photographs by Fort Pointers Karen McFeaters and Larry Plittfeaturing images captured throughout the neighborhood.

Above photos by Karen McFeaters & Larry Plitt

The importance of neighborhood extends into the basic operatingphilosophy of the gym as well. In talking with Duggan she says, “ChannelFitness brings a unique quality to the Fort Point Community that you don’t seeevery day in a gym. We promise that you’re not a number here. It is one of ourmain goals to know the name of everyone who walks through our door.” Further,the ideal location makes it impossible not to appreciate the beauty of thisarea of Boston. “When you walk on the treadmill or ride one of the bikes, yourview is of the water and the city.”

For their art lending program each artist receives a complimentarymembership for the duration of their show, with the option of an artist’sreception to launch the event. Duggan says, “We are grateful that this programhas been an organic process. In one instance, the artist was already a memberand in another, we researched local artists and approached them about hangingtheir work in the gym.” Further, Channel Fitness doesn’t take any commission onsales. “No,” Duggan explains, “we want to do this to strengthen ourrelationship with the Fort Point Arts Community. We feel it’s our privilege topromote the works of the artist.”

In a neighborhood that is heavy with change, Channel Fitness is a modelneighbor due to their focus on art and artists, as well as their communityspirit. As Duggan says, “We havedeveloped a strong relationship with the Fort Point Arts Community. WhenChannel took over ownership over a year ago, we knew it was important to gainthe trust and respect of FPAC so we developed an offer that still stands today—whereevery FPAC member pays our lowest rate of $59/month.”

Above photos courtesy of Channel Fitness

But don’t let their neighborhood feel and atmosphere fool you, asChannel Fitness offers top-notch space for fitness and extensive equipment. “Wehave some of the greatest instructors and trainers in the Boston area whosemain goal is to help you get healthier,” says Duggan. “We’re owner-run andoperated so if there is ever an issue, it is resolved quickly and efficiently.We have a vested interest in making this community the strongest in the region.We have just added a pay-per-class membership where you buy a class or a packof classes. You don’t need to be a member to take advantage! We added 6 newclasses to the schedule including Zumba and Combat Conditioning.”

So, you can take your pick—either blender up your art and fitness bywatching Arnold and Danny Devito flirt with artistic genius in the comedyblockbuster Twins one more time, or head over to Channel Fitness and startfighting off those extra holiday pounds while you still have a chance. - Kurt Cole Eidsvig

Channel Fitness is open Monday – Friday 5:45am-9pm; Saturday and Sunday9am-3pm. For more on the gym and their current offers visitChannelYourFitness.com

About the Author: Kurt Cole Eidsvig is an artist and poet who lives andworks in Fort Point. To learn more about Eidsvig visit http://www.kurtcoleeidsvig.com/

Photo of the Month - Lauren StoeckerSylvia

2011-12-11T05:31:00.001-08:00

December photo of the month:
Our First Holiday Tree. 2011
Lauren StoeckerSylvia is a costume & set designer

BIG Ideas

2011-12-08T20:03:00.001-08:00

Big Ideas

December 9, 2011 - January 9, 2012

Big ideaas - YES, we have them. Come check out this new series of work that is a parallel to the Made in Fort Point’s SMALL Works Show, at the Art at 12 Gallery.

Big Ideas, a show of Fort Point artists’ works of grand scale. The show includes paintings and sculptures by 25 artists.

Art at 12 Gallery
12 Farnsworth St.
Boston, MA 02210 gallery@fortpointarts.org
617 423-1100

Above: Ari Hauben

www.arihauben.com

Sahara. Mixed Media. 2011

Fort Point Holiday Sale

2011-11-30T19:15:00.001-08:00

We caught up with some of the local artists who will be selling their work at the Fort Point Holiday Sale. Here's a sneak peek at their work tables. Check out what they're up to as they get ready for this weekend.

December 2, 3, and 4, 2011

Friday 4-8pm • Saturday and Sunday 11am-4pm

FREE TO THE PUBLIC

FREE PARKING thanks to Gillette/P&G and Central parking in their A & Binford Street Lot

Opening Reception: Friday, December 2rd, 5-8pm
Festive holiday snacks and refreshments

12 Farnsworth Street • Fort Point, Boston • 617-423-1100

25 local artists will be set up, displaying their wares over the three-day event, in one convenient location

From Top to Bottom:

Alys Myers - "The color choosing process for each necklace takes longer than you might think. I change them all around until the right combination jumps out at me, and sometimes change a small aspect at the last minute, as each one is unique."

Julia Groos - Halo Designs. Julia at her workbench

Katie Rowley - Katie is busy making ornaments and magnets this week.

Kristen Alexandra - Kristen putting the final touches on a spider web necklace by fusing the ends with her acetylene torch.

Linda Huey glazing a large bowl for upcoming holiday sales with Choo Choo, her quality control manager. Linda's pottery will be available at both the Fort Point Holiday Sale at Made in Fort Point, 12 Farnsworth Street, and at her studio at 249 A Street (# 57), a few blocks away, during the same hours. December 2 - 4, Friday 4 - 8 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 11 am - 4 pm. 10% off on Friday during the Fort Point Holiday Stroll.

Dan Osterman has been outside, drawing and painting new work.

Gabrielle Schaffner working at the wheel, throwing a new series of cups for this week's holiday sale.

To learn more and see all the artists in the Holiday Sale, log onto www.fortpointarts.org

Fort Point Inspirations: David Palmer

2011-11-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

“Whenever you break through a doorway, the first discoveries are always the easiest. Then it gets to be more and more difficult.” –David Palmer

A little over ten years ago David Palmer hit a wall with his painting. Dissatisfied with the work he saw around him, he says, “One day with brush to canvas I made a disturbing realization—I was part of the problem. I was only succeeding in communicating in maybe two out of ten paintings.”

While he’s known now for his marvelous single stroke paintings that have been exhibited from New York to Paris; Brussels and back home to The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, for about fourteen months between 1999 and 2000, he stopped painting entirely. That moment of realization, paintbrush in hand, led to a total break from painting.

During his hiatus, Palmer searched for a next step. Or, as he explains, he tried to find a way of “Painting without messaging or branding.”

“In the landscape of our daily lives rarely is there a moment when there is not branding taking place. A visual space absent of that is so rare.” He sought to create that space, to “Give the viewer a moment to experience visual space absent of branding and messaging—a moment to feel our humanity.”

But, as he says, “It’s easy to figure out what you don’t want to do.”

During his break, he started “Looking for visual hints. Little things that excited me. I remember three stripes that popped on a placemat at a friend’s house.” Another graphic drawing his eyes were the bubble lettered graffiti patterns he saw around Fort Point and in various cities he traveled to. How the letters “Lean into each other—hug one another,” fascinated Palmer. Which led to thinking about different fonts.

He was “Enamored with the fact that there are only thirty-six main characters in the English language. Yet fontographers have come up with tens of thousands of variations. Font is so strict and there seems to be limitations—a D is a D. But we humans have that ingenuity.” Consciously looking outside of traditional art for guidance, he found inspiration. “It would be a label of a can at Super 88, or something like a piece of graphic design in a Martha Stewart magazine.”

“I wanted gesture—the human hand in its largest form—and started to push around paint.” Up until then, Palmer had been an oil painter for over ten years. But he turned to acrylics as a new medium. “Oil paint was too noble for the work I was trying to do.”

“The middle of the stroke was rather unexplored territory.”

One night back in 2000, David Palmer couldn’t sleep with all these ideas swirling in his mind. Getting up from bed about 4 a.m. and walking through his studio—lit by the city light outside—he stepped through a maze of the canvas scraps strewn around the floor where he had been experimenting with pushing paint around.”

He “Started cropping with my feet and suddenly there between my left and right foot—this little piece—was the answer I had been looking for.”

Part of this early exploration was getting—literally—to the middle of what is important in rendering a line, a gesture. “The middle of the stroke is what is important. The beginning and the end needed to be eliminated. The middle is where the action is. Other painters have explored the end. That territory has been explored—Lichtenstein with his illustration of a brushstroke. But not much happens in the middle.”

So while he had initially removed the process from the arc of traditional Art History, Lichtenstein and others began to have influence—if only to push against. “I mentioned Pollock in my first artist’s statement regarding this work. I felt the path he took was not yet completed. Not that I felt I, or anyone else, could complete it. Just that it hadn’t been completed.”

“Especially in Lavender Mist. Is it surface or deep space? The two of them together. Looking at his [Pollock’s] work, this is still not fully explored. There is more to be found—might be more relevant to contemporary society. Goes back to creating work that is neither branding or messaging.”

“Pull opposing ideas together with simplicity.”

In the past ten years David has completed approximately 90-100 paintings in the series spawned by that hiatus—or about ten a year. The great majority are 62” or 64” square. And while the works bear the marks of intense technical craftsmanship, there is a startling amount of emotional content as well. “They are done on the floor. I can only reach out so far. They are bound by my own physical geometry,” Palmer says.

And perhaps the works themselves are so effective because of the existence of a variety of tense contradictions. They resist traditional art, yet engage with art history; draw from graphic design, but hold all the earmarks of elevated fine art; engage completely with the line, yet are incredibly painterly; push against the question of nobility, and hold a domineering presence and grace—all simultaneously.

Finally, these paintings are completely David Palmer’s, recognizable in their intensity. So, “As much as I try to avoid it (a personal brand) that’s where I end up. I still have yet to discover how I feel about it. And whether I wish to avoid or embrace it.”

Remaining true to his goals at the outset, Palmer has unified disparate elements while creating personalized variations on some graphic design/pop art fusion with painterly techniques and expressionism. Lucky for fans of the series, Palmer is still enthusiastic about the work.

The artist, who has lived in Fort Point for over 20 years, says, “I’m still having fun. Every time I walk into the studio to paint a painting, I think—this is the one that is going to whoop my butt. As long as that is going on, I think I am going to keep going with these.”

- Kurt Cole Eidszvig

Find out more about David Palmer and his work at http://www.sonicboomstudio.com/sbs_home.html

About the Author: Kurt Cole Eidsvig is an artist and poet who lives and works in Fort Point. To learn more about Eidsvig visit http://www.kurtcoleeidsvig.com/

Other photo credits:

Image 1: David Palmer, Janine, 2009. 64” x 64” and Grace, 2009. 72” x 72”

Image 4: Roy Lichtenstein, Brustroke, 1965. Courtesy of Tate.org

Image 6: David Palmer, Niki, 2009 76” x 76” and Camryn, 2009 76” x 76”

The New Big is Small

2011-11-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

The New Big is Small is a collaborative exhibit where contrast of scales is taken to the extreme. Small works deal with psychic, expansive space in the confines of inches. Large works take the inches of those artists hands and measure them in feet—intimacy at maximal magnification. Alternately abstract, surrealist, conceptual and sensual, the artists here invite you to size us up and join the conversation.

Jennifer Amadeo-Holl works in the historic Fort Point district of Boston. She has received a NEFA Award, a NEFA-Benton award, a Trustman Fellowship, the Harvard McCord Arts Prize, and a Swedish Institute Fellowship. Her work explores the complement of abstraction and representation and the relationship between individuals, the animate and inanimate. She sees painting as a physical and philosophical practice, one which examines the nature of reality, the relationship between mind and matter, and the interplay of fact and value. She is drawn by the mystery of why the inanimate, including painting itself, should so often and so urgently feel sensate. She finds the world simultaneously mundane and fantastical, and therefore sees the incorporation of imaginary imagery as native to reality; that is, the ordinary is the imaginary. Her hope is to make formidable but tender, paradoxically harmonic paintings that may be inexplicable and yet speak.

Judith Page lives in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. She received Individual Artist’s Fellowships from the Gottlieb Foundation in 2002, from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation in 2005-06 and 1998-99. Notable exhibitions include The Photograph as Canvas, The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT; Disarming Beauty: The Venus de Milo in 20th Century Art, Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL; Peace Tower at the Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; Memoirs of a Beast, Wake Forest University, Winston -Salem, NC; and Holes of Truth, Massry Center for the Arts, Albany, NY. Her recent solo exhibition at Lesley Heller Workspace in New York City was reviewed in the September issue of Sculpture. Page says that her "art emerges from a Gothic sensibility, a place where beauty and horror exist in close proximity, where innocence encounters depravity, where the spirit is consumed and revived from moment to moment."

Tom Wojciechowski is a visual artist working in a variety of media; he produces paintings, drawings, installations and books in addition to his large-format photo-based projects. The photo-based work usually involves some a subversion of the photographer's craft, or an experimental approach to the hardware, software, and traditions of photography. He organized/curated a group show of immersive miniature cycloramas at Art at Twelve in 2009. In 2008 he received an FPAC grant for public art, installing a one hundred foot long fence banner in Fort Point, Boston. His work has been exhibited in numerous group shows and solo shows in venues like libraries and corporate/theater lobbies. Thomas holds a BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an MFA from California College of Art in Oakland.

Charles Yuen is a Brooklyn painter with an extensive exhibition record in commercial galleries, museums and universities. Grants awarded include the Adolf and Esther Gottleib Foundation (2011), Joan Mitchell Foundation (2006), and a NYSCA Artist in Residence (1984). Reviews of Yuen's art have appeared in numerous publications including Art in America, the New York Times, Time Out, Brooklyn Rail, Cover, Art Papers, House and Garden, as well as many community papers and culturally oriented blogs. Viewing art as a project connected to a social and civic vision, Yuen has also participated community based activities including being a founding member of Godzilla, an Asian American arts organization. Inherently iconoclastic, his art champions personal, human-centric values as rationality and poetics coexist.

The New Big is Small:
2011/2012 guest juror: Randi Hopkins

Fort Point Arts Community Gallery
300 Summer Street Boston MA 02210
617-423-4299 • gallery@fortpointarts.org
November 7, 2011 – January 6, 2012
Reception: Thursday, November 17, 2011 5:30–8pm

November Photo of the Month - Dan Osterman

2011-11-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

Made In Fort Point Shadow

Dan Osterman

www.danosterman.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DanOsterman

Jesseca Ferguson: Inspirations

2011-10-25T04:35:00.000-07:00

-Kurt Cole Eidsvig

While Jesseca Ferguson typically finds her inspirations from the work of other artists, or the process she uses to make images, the acclaimed pinhole photographer and creator of photo objects is in the middle of a new project that draws from very different sources. Her art has traveled in exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe, and museums like the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, France, the Museum of the History of Photography in Krakow, Poland and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston currently hold her pieces in their collections. Most recently, Handmade Pictures by Jesseca Ferguson, a solo show of over 35 of her works, was on exhibit at the Fox Talbot Museum in Wiltshire, England. But in working on an artist’s book for the upcoming exhibition “Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here,” the longtime Fort Point resident (Ferguson has lived here since 1987) is finding inspiration in unlikely places—poetry and politics.

Top: Al-Mutanabbi Street after the bomb attack, 5 March 2007. Photo: Khalid Mohammed, AFP/Press Association

Bottom: The Friday book market on Al-Mutanabbi Street, 24 March 2006

The travelling exhibition Ferguson is currently preparing a piece for is a show of 259 artist books made by 259 international artists/artist teams from 24 countries. The books are being made to reflect upon the March 5, 2007 car bomb attack that took place in Al-Mutanabbi Street, the ancient street of booksellers, poets and writers, located at the literary and cultural heart of Baghdad, Iraq. The show is unique in that each artist team will create three versions of their book, with one entire set being donated to the National Library in Baghdad, Iraq. The other two sets will tour on exhibition in various countries starting in mid January and extending for an indefinite period of time. The first scheduled exhibition in the UK will be at the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England.

Image by Jesseca Ferguson, courtesy of museumofmemory.com

“It upset me that someone was so angry that they wanted to eradicate history—their own history,” Ferguson says of her decision to help organize the project and create a book for the travelling exhibition. This decision also led her to return to the writing of Meena Alexander, a poet Jesseca met when they were both in residence at the MacDowell Colony in 1993. The book Jesseca is producing for “Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here,” will incorporate text from Alexander’s poetry combined with visual imagery created through photographic processes.

The decision to use poetry for this work was partially due to the destructive nature of the bombing, and the desire to create new books for the exhibition, but was also motivated directly by Meena Alexander’s poetry. “She talks a lot about her history and family—is always conjuring up India in her memoirs, poetry, and books—and has these exotic locales imploding in New York,” Ferguson says of the poet.

Image by Jesseca Ferguson, courtesy of museumofmemory.com

Considering Ferguson’s career and her drive to preserve antique methods for photography and collage, it is easy to see why the March 5, 2007 bombing would be so emotional for the artist. Not only is pinhole photography a laborious technique which requires hours for a successful exposure, the very use of these methods speaks to holding things from the past as somewhat sacred. “I feel photography is a way of stopping time,” she says. “You have something that only looked that way then.”

But the story behind the project also crosses personal lines. Although the bombing reminded Ferguson of Nazis and book burning, she also explains, “If my husband and I were there [in Iraq] at the time, we would have been on this street.” As Al-Mutanabbi Street, with its shops and books, is a focal point for artists and writers—not to mention those who collect materials and texts for use in their art. Artists like Jesseca Ferguson.

So despite the very different motivation, Ferguson’s current project also combines elements of preserving a moment from the past and making it immediate and lasting—embedded with personal emotional response.

Photo Object by Jesseca Ferguson, courtesy of museumofmemory.com

“Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here” will tour various locations in the US and Europe starting in 2013, and will also include work by Fort Point artists Mary McCarthy and Laura Davidson.

www.MuseumOfMemory.com.

About the Author: Kurt Cole Eidsvig is an artist and poet who lives and works in Fort Point. He maintains a website at www.KurtColeEidsvig.com. Look for Kurt’s Inspiration posts each month on the site.

2011-10-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

The ICA's Bridget Hanson recently selected Alys Myers' piece for the 2011 ICA Curators Choice Award in our annual members' Group Show. Each year a representative from the Institute of Contemporary Art's Curatorial Department recognizes one piece from our members' Group Show, in partnership with FPAC's Open Studios.

Hanson was drawn to Heavy, Light, Heavy: "It stood out to me because it seemed to function as both a sculpture and a 2-D work, and the tension created by the mix of the hard metal and soft fabric materials was very interesting."

Alys' piece is the beginning of her collaboration between steel (a previous medium) and textiles (her most recent one) and reflects her current focus on loss, memory and impermanence.

Congratulations to Alys: in addition to the recognition, she gets a one-year membership to the ICA.

The Annual Members Group Show is on exhibit through Friday, October 28th, at The FPAC Gallery at 300 Summer Street.

Thank you to the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, and to Bridget Hanson.

Embroidered - FPAC Fall Public Art Series

2011-10-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Check out the full interview with "Embroidered" Artists

Studio View - Jodie Baehre

2011-10-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Artist, art enthusiast and art administrator, Jodie Baehre utilizes her studio as not just a work area, but home base for her family.

“My studio is a safe – haven for my work and my ideas, and I have to admit even though my husband lives there too, sometimes I think, “who is this person in my studio looking at my work?” And then he of course asks me to remove my hundreds of tiny canvases off his air hockey table and I think, “oh yes, I know him.” Your Studio just become a place to escape and everything else fades away sometimes” - Jodie

Jodie’s recent body of 100 small works is a collaboration of places she has been, books she has read, architecture and design. Each of the small works has been covered with plastic resin to seal in the moments of thought and provide a smooth, wrapped 4 x 4 or 5 x 5” gift – like box. From the artist studio to your screen, check out her work in person during Fort Point Open Studios, October 14-16. 15 Channel Center Street - #219

Fall Public Art Series: From Conception to Completion Part 2

2011-10-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

FPAC's Fall Public Art Series is funded by a grant from The Fund for The Arts, a public program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible by generous support from anonymous donors. Floating art is sponsored by generous support of The Friends of Fort Point Channel. Special thanks to the City of Boston, The Department of Public Works, and The Boston Art Commission for support and assistance.

An Interview with James McLeod & Sylvie Agudelo
"Embroidered"

FPAC: How did you come up with the inspiration for your public art project in Fort Point?

JM & SA: There was a call for temporary public art for open studios and at the time, there had been a number of physical changes in the neighborhood that had become more visible… many of the artists who had been here were gone.

SA: The changes were amplified because I was dealing with the death of a friend. At the time I had discovered some scrap books and quilts that had been contributed by other people and thought it would be interesting to find out how people think of this place (fort point). Many of my art installations incorporate time and collective memory as themes. Lately I have been studying ways to increase participation in public policy decision-making and effective community leadership, so the prospect of implementing a process to reach people who were not living here…was appealing.

FPAC: Was it difficult to choose a location within the area?

JM & SA: The location was chosen by FPAC. The location is difficult because one is working outside in changing weather and the wind really takes its toll on the work that is out there. It is a frequently travelled path and we want to keep the way safe for people and honor the safety features of the fence.

FPAC: Can you talk about your method and materials in constructing your project?

JM & SA: There was a lot of testing of materials prior to beginning. Prototypes have been hanging out my window for a few weeks. We had worked on other outdoor art pieces and had a good sense of how materials interact, but there were a number of new lessons we learned. Tyvek (material) uses up a lot of scissors and doesn't like to be crushed. Tempered glass cannot be cut. The fence is covered with a fine plastic coating and we didn't want to ruin it, so we switched the hanging method. I can tell you a lot about welding aluminum (a method we abandoned for this project), and I can tell you there are a lot of men in the neighborhood who know how to sew on machines. There are a lot of hands - on work in this project, which makes it more interesting, but it takes a lot of time. There is also a challenge of working with a wide range of people who aren't necessarily artists… so that has been interesting to find a common language both literally and visually. We helped in facilitating neighborhood collaboration and sharing different ways of viewing and doing public art.

FPAC: How do you hope your work will connect with the public and community?

SA & JM: People's submissions were surprising and so, so, so much fun to read. Their reactions to the work have been even more rewarding, and for me it has been nice to connect to people more directly. It is interesting to be directed by other people in making work. We took people's submissions and made work from those submissions, and it changed our original proposal a little bit. We hadn't planned for so many flowers, however the Wormwood Park garden was the number one submission. We hope the work cheers people up and gives them another reason to talk with one another.

FPAC: Dialogue, a simple thought to build a community relationship...

The fall public art projects were selected by a jury of artists, arts professionals, and community members:

Ricardo Barreto, Director of the UrbanArts Institute at Mass. College of Art & Design (Floating art only). Kate Gilbert, Director of Public Programs and Outreach at Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, artist. Danielle Pillion, Executive Director of Friends of Fort Point Channel.
Karen Stein, previous recipient of FPAC Public Art Series Funding, FPAC Board member, artist/designer of goodgood. Mary Tinti, NEFA Public Art Fellow, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum Koch Curatorial Fellow. Jane Marsching, Associate Professor at Massachusetts College of Art, artist.

Scan It

2011-10-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Just Scan it.

Claudia & Michael - A Duet

2011-10-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael Moss, part of FPAC's 2011 Fall Public Art Series, also have collaborated on sound installation art. Their piece, Musical Chairs, is in the permanent collection of the Boston Children's Museum. Precious, first created for Fort Point Open Studios, has been exhibited in Boston City Hall, and was the subject of a profile on National Public Radio.

Fall Public Art Series from Conception to Completion Part 1

2011-10-05T02:59:00.000-07:00

FPAC's Fall Public Art Series is funded by a grant from The Fund for The Arts, a public program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible by generous support from anonymous donors. Floating art is sponsored by generous support of The Friends of Fort Point Channel. Special thanks to the City of Boston, The Department of Public Works, and The Boston Art Commission for support and assistance.

An interview with Michael Moss and Claudia Ravaschiere
"Street Cathedral"
Fall Public Art Series in Fort Point

FPAC: How did you come up with the inspiration for your public art project in Fort Point?

CR & MM: We first worked with these materials in 2006 when we were part of the public art project sponsored by the FPCC utilizing repurposed windows from buildings in Fort Point that were being renovated. There was an installation along the post office fence on A Street. Each artist was given a window to transform. We created a piece entitled ”Candy Glass”. The piece was in the office at the Midway Artists’ Studios until a few years ago.

“Street Cathedral” uses these similar materials. The piece is made to create areas of discovery, manipulate the light and evoke both reverence and whimsy. We wanted to do a piece that would celebrate Fort Point as a special place full of possibilities, and a place to gather, as it has always been for artists.

One quality that was important for us to evoke, was the nature of the glass that is in the warehouse buildings’ windows. Having been in these buildings for many years, the original glass in the windows create amazing effects when the sunlight streams through the panes of glass. Though they are clear, the original glass in these windows causes the light to shimmer like water, and even take on a prismatic quality. Sadly as these buildings are renovated and these windows replaced, this will be lost. It has always been something that we loved about the buildings in Fort Point.

It was equally important for us to place “Street Cathedral” squarely within a contemporary sensibility. So we designed these pieces to possess a scientific quality, mathematical and physical. In this way they are very much in the present day and evoke the future as well as the past.

FPAC: Was it difficult to choose a location within the area?

CR & MM: No, we knew that we wanted to place the piece where people could stand and see several at the same time, much the way one would if they were in a sacred place with stained glass windows. At first we thought that the street signs would be a problem, but because it is public art and meant to be integrated into the urbanscape, we were ultimately happy with the way the installation appeared from different positions from the street signs which are so very much a part of any urban street. Again, it adds to the sense of discovery. Gabrielle Schaffner, Karin Goodfellow, Caitlin Greely, Commissioner Joanne Massaro and Anne McNeil at Public Works were all very helpful in helping obtain the permits for this project.

FPAC: Can you talk about your method and materials in constructing your project?

CR & MM: We consulted with a number of chemical engineers and plastics fabricators to ensure that the construction would be sound. We subjected the pieces to water, weight, pressure, heat, and cold. As we mentioned, we hope that the method in which they are constructed will evoke a shimmering quality to the light in addition to manipulation of natural light into color.

With public art, because it is in the truest sense, naked to the world, you have to ask yourself, “Will this work?” You toss and turn at night, but after a certain point in the project, you have to grab the wheel and as they say; “Drive like you stole it” and just get it out there and put the work forth. At a certain point it becomes more about what you are offering to people with a random spirit and complete faith beyond whatever you originally intended.

FPAC: How do you hope your work will connect with the public and community?

We hope that as people walk through Fort Point that these pieces will bring them a sense discovery and joy. To illustrate that Fort Point is a special place, full of history, creativity and constantly evolving, much like the light that changes throughout the day. Here one can find innovation inspired by something ancient like the stained glass of sacred places.

The fall public art projects were selected by a jury of artists, arts professionals, and community members:

Ricardo Barreto, Director of the UrbanArts Institute at Mass. College of Art & Design (Floating art only).

Kate Gilbert, Director of Public Programs and Outreach at Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, artist.

Danielle Pillion, Executive Director of Friends of Fort Point Channel.

Karen Stein, previous recipient of FPAC Public Art Series Funding, FPAC Board member, artist/designer of goodgood.

Mary Tinti, NEFA Public Art Fellow, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum Koch Curatorial Fellow.

Jane Marsching, Associate Professor at Massachusetts College of Art, artist.

2011-09-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

Check out Paper Chase 100 and support the arts in your community.

More than 60 works on paper in all media are installed in the FPAC Gallery, 300 Summer Street. Each piece is available for the special price of $100 plus tax, with proceeds to support the Fort Point Arts Community.

To purchase a piece please email gsos@rcn.com to make arrangements. show will remain through September 29th, but works will be removed as they are sold.

Paper Cranes

2011-09-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Paper Cranes

FPAC Guest Blogging Series 001

By Tracy Bennett Stewart

Interview of Bob Packert on Paper Cranes

TBS: As a former producer and now rep, the key to any great project has always been to know that collaboration is a tool for creativity, together you will inspire each other and create another great masterpiece. Having worked with Bob Packert throughout my own career, he’s always been and continues to be an open-minded collaborator. At times Bob has approached me with personal projects and tests to discuss their marketability. With Paper Cranes, as you will read through this interview; a bunch of artists had ideas – the talent each of them brought to this video represents artistry and the perfection of each role from poet, stylists, hair and make-up, artistic direction, music, editing and that sixth sense of everyone knowing what the end product will look like before it’s seen; Bob and the creatives he worked with are always pushing the envelope and to call this latest video simply a vision brought to production is an understatement.

TBS: Can you tell me how the video project "Paper Cranes" came together?

Bob: Stylist Amanda Antunes and I have collaborated on various projects in the past, and always with rewarding results. We both wanted to challenge ourselves with a project that would combine different things that we both share a passion for, the love of video as a medium, fashion, music and dance but with a bit of an edge to it.

TBS: How did you come up with the storyline?

Bob: Amanda and I sat down over a cold PBR and hashed out a rough script, a lot of back and forth of sharing possible ideas. For me personally doing any shoot whether it is video or stills, it is almost as much about the "process" and the collaboration along the way as it is about the final imagery, sounds corny but I like to use the phrase, "It's all about the journey". I learned early on that if you build a good team of people that can each bring their talents to the table, chances are the end result will be amazing.

TBS: How did you choose the talent for the video?

Bob: Amanda should take all of the credit on that one, she knows some amazingly talented people in the arts community and had heard good things about the female lead, Sara Murphy from other photographers. As for Jake Brennan, again all Amanda. They both brought their talents and energy to the table. Jake had never acted before but I have found that if you but people in their comfort zone in this case Jake and his guitar and music, it helps them relax.

TBS: How about the set and the props for the shoot?

Bob: The sets were created by Jennifer Dunlea and Daniel Brisson. I used an empty loft space located in Fort Point, Boston as a base, I was trying to convey the sense of a bohemian loft for most of the action to take place. I did some initial sketches on a napkin and showed them to Jennifer, from there she and Daniel kind of took the concept and ran with it. Seeing as this was a self funded production they came up with some great ideas to help keep the budget in place. I especially loved the idea of creating a room scene using old pallets as walls, I could already visualize a camera dolly move peering through the slats. I would also like to mention that Amanda "created" the amazing dress for Sara to wear. We had discussed the importance of a scene where Sara actually becomes consumed by the "power of the dress". I kind of "suggested" that Amanda take a crack at creating something unique and agreed to take on the challenge.

TBS: Finally, what about the edit?

Bob: Don Packer from EngineRoomEdit.com pulled all the pieces together. Don has a music background and plays a mean sax in his own band as well, so he was really intrigued by not only the visuals and the story-telling but also the mash up of different music genres. I wanted a sense that Sara and Jake were coming from two different worlds, Sara from a more classical background and Jake more from the world of Rock.

TBS: Bob, can we address the art versus making a living issue? Who would “Paper Cranes” apply to as far as growing your client list?

Bob: Not an easy answer to that, this video could be a pretty awesome piece for the client or clothing label open to what I would call “urban grit”. As far as specific clients, Levi’s or Wrangler or perhaps Converse would be clothing lines that come to mind for having a gritty edge and pushing creativity beyond the expected. That’s a bit of the bottom line that shows up quite often in my work: pushing beyond the expected, and making viewers think about imagery or story lines differently. I have always been inspired by combining music and fashion!

Shoptastic!

2011-08-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Ashley O'Dell

FP: How did “Twelve Chairs” begin? What was the inspiration behind this décor/interior design business?

TC: It all started with an email. "We should open up a shop and interior design studio!" The rest is history. Neither of us really had any pause...we went full steam ahead from that very moment. Having studied interior design together in college and having worked in the design and retail industries we felt that we had the background and experience to pull off the hybrid business. And so far so good!

FP: Why did you choose to settle in Fort Point?

TC: We loved the creative energy, the architecture, the sense of history and most of all the people. Sounds like a killer combination!

FP: Now that you have lived in the area awhile, what do you find most interesting about its indigenous, creative population?

TC: We love the sense of pride that the Fort Point residents have. It's like no other neighborhood in Boston and everyone here really values its history and uniqueness.

FP: What is your favorite local hang-out? We want to catch you in your savvy skirts and seriously swanky slacks? Just look for a pair of young, professional fashionistas in Fort Point and you will know what we mean!

TC: This is a tough one. Here it goes: Sportello for "Bagel Friday," Flour for cookies (Miggy likes ginger molasses and Roisin likes peanut butter), Yada Yada for chai lattes, Lucky's for fish tacos. How did this become all about food!?

FP: We love the greeting card selection! They are so witty! Who makes those? And that killer dining table, where do you find this stuff?

TC: Narrowing down what cards we should carry in the shop was torturous. Their are so many fantastic lines out there that it was nearly impossible to decide. We ultimately settled on Rifle Paper Company, Sycamore Street Press, and Smock. They're a perfect balance of sweet and sassy. The dining table is another one of our favorite pieces. The top is made from salvaged pine from trees that came down in a huge storm in Upstate New York and the legs are industrial pieces from an old factory. The gentleman that makes them can do custom sizes all with unique legs. It's been a very popular piece. We love getting to meet so many interesting and talented people who are behind the items in our shop.

FP: You often have local art that is for sale in the store. Why go local? How would a local artist have the opportunity to show work with you?

TC: We love the fact that Fort Point is such a welcoming, supportive community. We feel so fortunate to have been embraced by the neighborhood and showing local art is one small way we can be supportive, not to mention the artists here are beyond talented. We're so lucky that they're willing to show in our space! We're also extremely lucky to be working with Glovebox. They're the real catalysts behind all of this. Artist members of Glovebox are hand selected by the fabulous Jodie McMenamin to create fantastic exhibits in the shop. We can't wait to start planning the next one!

FP: Beach Vacation or Europe Tour? Definitely a Europe Tour.

TC: We're both too antsy to relax on the beach. Plus we can't get enough of great art and architecture.

FP: Where do you see “Twelve Chairs” in the future?

TC: This is a frequent topic of conversation. We love to brainstorm/ daydream about the future of Twelve Chairs. In the immediate future we plan to have a web-store. More long term goals include our own furniture and home decor lines and maybe a book!

Log onto www.gloveboxboston.blogspot.com on 8/24 to read part 1 of this interview by artist organization, GLOVEBOX

2011-08-16T04:31:00.001-07:00

Announcing the MCC 2012 Artist Fellowships Program

Harold Reddicliffe (Painting Fellow '10), PROJECTOR AND LIGHT STAND (2009), oil on canvas, 18x16 in (photo credit Clements/Howcroft)

Mass Cultural Council announces the launch of the 2012 Artist Fellowships Program. MCC's Artist Fellowships are competitive, anonymously-judged grants for individual artists, with awards based solely on the artistic excellence of the original work submitted*.

The 2012 Artist Fellowships Program accepts applications in the following categories:

Drawing, Painting, and Traditional Arts
Online application available: August 15, 2011
Application deadline: October 7, 2011
Grants announced by February 2012

Choreography, Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry
Online application available: December 15, 2011
Application deadline: January 30, 2012
Grants announced by June 2012

Read the program guidelines and apply online.

And, read tips on applying for an MCC Artist Fellowship.

* The Traditional Arts category has additional criteria. See guidelines.

Wendy Shapiro

2011-08-09T12:48:00.001-07:00

Wendy Shapiro
Reception: Wednesday August 10, 5:30-7:30 pm at 35 Channel Center, Boston MA

This exhibit is a part of the Fort Point Arts Community's ongoing art lending
program with our neighbors at 35 Channel Center. The work is on display
through August of 2011 and can be viewed by appointment. Contact
www.shapirodesigns.com or www.fortpointarts.org for more information.

What's In My Mind?

2011-08-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

You Hold it in Your Mind All the Time

August 11. 2011 through September 30. 2011
Opening Reception - August 11. 2011
5 to 8 PM
Where? Art at 12
12 Farnsworth Street

Michele Jaquis - It's Not You, I'ts Me

Sarah Rushford - Lens Portrait

Artists: Michele Jaquis , Heidi Kayser, Jeremy J. Quinn,
Sarah Rushford, Tom Wojciechowski and Marguerite White

FP: You hold it in your mind all the time is an exhibition about a shared human experience, can you explain more?

HK: The title for show references a … thought you wanted to say but didn't, the elephant in the room, the growing kernels of ideas you carry with you. It's about collective consciousness versus individuality, and your body vs. your mind, and you versus them.

SR: The word "proprioception" is really where this show began … It is the sense we have as humans that tells our own body where it is in space, how to fit our bodies into spaces in the world, how much pressure to exert on the objects. Proprioception is reflexive; the body is giving the body information about itself…related to the notion that the body is our infinitely personal, private selfhood, and also a physical object in the outside world.

FP: In a broad sense, it seems the artwork makes the viewer ask larger questions - Why am I here?, What is it all about? Was this something that was intentional or came to understanding after the work was gathered in a single room?
SR: All powerful art asks big questions, in specific, personal, and ideosyncratic ways. We knew which kind of big ideas we were talking about… we sought work that was highly specific, smart, not didactic, understated, mysterious, and made with great skill

FP: How did you come up with the title of the exhibition?

SR: "You hold it in your mind all the time" It's a sentence that is about the material world and about the immaterial world at once. How can one hold something in one's mind? An idea is not an object, but though convention and cultural metaphor we understand an idea as something you can hold onto. This play between the material and the ephemeral nicely parallels the other sets of dualities in the show…

FP: What is the relationship between the artists, how did you all decide to come together on this project?

SR: Heidi Kayser and I have worked together for the past several years on collaborative works for example Proprioceptive Refraction, which addresses proprioception. Jeremy Quinn and Michele Jaquis are LA based artists I've collaborated with in a group called Rise Industries an international forum for exchange between artists and a starting point for interdisciplinary collaborative projects. Their works immediately spoke to the themes I discussed above. Tom Wojciechowski is a Boston artist whose work we were made aware of through our contact with Art at 12. Tom's compelling photographs practically jumped off the screen… with his level of connection to the themes the show addresses and Marguerite White's approach is representational and has narrative elements, a much different approach than other work in the show, and further expands our ideas about this theme.

MJ: I haven't met all the artists … however Jeremy and I are married and have shared a studio space since 2000. We went to undergrad with Sarah and used to all be roommates back in Hartford during the late 90's. As one half of Rise Industries, the three of us have collaborated in various ways for years.

FP: You explain the show as "multidisciplinary contemporary art practice." Can you tell me more about this? I guess what I am asking is if you felt traditional art methods could not explain the concept in the way that you wished it conveyed? AND what contemporary art offers to the viewer?

SR: I define contemporary art practice as a way of working that begins with an idea or concept then is adapted to fit a medium. This is a change from the definition of traditional art practice in which artists are defined as "painters,” "sculptors," etc. Defining the work as contemporary art practice acknowledges that multi-disciplined does not mean unfocused, it means that the concept of the work is the foundation of the work and the artists are masters of many crafts.

Sarah Rushford - Quickening

MJ: As the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies at Otis College of Art and Design, I am always encouraging my students that it is good (and almost necessary) to work in a range of media and disciplines - I think the wider the range of technical skills and sets of knowledge one has, the more ways in which you are able to express yourself as an artist and the more employable you are (which is a growing concern of my students and their parents). I think it is a very "old school modernist" way of thinking about oneself as merely a "painter, sculptor or photographer."

I was trained as a sculptor, but quickly realized I was drawn to the expanded field of sculpture that included installation, performance, video and other conceptual forms. This training in drawing, welding, mold-making, sewing, video editing, etc., paired with a conceptual/issue based practice is similar to what Sarah described. I often start with the idea then decide the best media to get that idea across. Although in the last 13 years or so most of my work has been video-based I resist being labeled as a "video artist,” and that resistance gives me the freedom to make work that doesn't involve video from time to time (like the mask). In grad school, my peers and I spoke often about "sculptor's guilt" - the need to make things with our hands, smell the woodshop and hear the sounds of a MIG welder. I get that urge after working on the computer a lot, and then have to move around and do something physical. In our "post-post-modern times" artists can push the boundaries of the traditional art disciplines and still create a solid body of work with conceptual threads that tie it all together.

FP: I couldn’t agree more with that last sentence! What do you hope the viewer leaves with when they have experienced this show?

SR: I am touched by a quote from art theorist, Gabriele Brandstetter: “The body is a being of two leaves; from one side a thing among things and otherwise what sees and touches them.” and I hope that someone who sees and interacts with the show can apply that idea to their personal understanding of their own body and their own self in the world.

FP: Ultimately, how has the art in this show encouraged you to expand on your own work?

SR: This show has taught me that my work is heading in the direction of my piece "The lining of your coat." It is a spoken word piece. A recording of me reading …about someone who has a supernatural ability to mend the linings of people's coats, without even touching them. It’s magic realism…I will be writing more and recording more in the future, working with sound, and this show has pointed me in that direction! SR: I've also tremendously enjoyed calling on my colleagues, and new artists I've met, to put their work in a show I am organizing, it's an honor to be showing work with these artists I admire so much.

FP: A fun one! What is your favorite local FP joint where we can find you relaxing on some down time, contemplating all these life questions?

SR: I actually live in JP and have a studio in the South End. When in Fort Point I like to hang out at Made in Fort Point, and Art at 12! When in the South End, I love to relax by visiting galleries, Carroll and Sons and Howard Yezerski are some of my favorites. When in JP, the new bookstore at Tres Gatos is a real gem!

HK: My favorite local FP place is in the channel, sitting quietly in my kayak, watching the day go by.

FP: Thank All!! Looking forward to the show!

iLove iPhone Apps: Photo(s) of the Month

2011-07-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

In this special monthly edition of FPAC blog posts, I thought it was NECESSARY to post these photos by local FPAC member and resident, Laura Davidson. Laura took these photos out in the "FP hood" and is also the August Photo of the Month artist. Congrats Laura.

*Have some photos you want to share? Every month, FPAC features a photo on the blog. Send your photos along with any description, your website or link, and what the photo(s) was taken with to jodiebaehre@hotmail.com. Be sure to include your name. You could be featured next month!

Interview "Lost and Found"

2011-06-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

Nataliya Bregel and Maggie Connors at the opening reception for Lost and Found

Above Photo Courtesy Of : Daniel J van Ackere

"Lost and Found" opening reception

The ladies behind "Lost and Found" share their story:
Maggie Connors &
Nataliya Bregel
FPAC Gallery.
300 Summer Street.
On Exhibit until July 1. 2011

FPAC: What is the concept behind "Lost and Found: and where did this concept stem from?

NB: Maggie and I have known each other and each other's work for some time now. Though much in our work is different, much is the same. We both have an intensive process that comes from printmaking (for Nataliya) and sculpture (for Maggie) as well as painting. Additionally we both have an involvement in drawing and mark-making throughout the painting process.

FPAC: So the "Process" of the work has been the catalyst behind the exhibition?

MC: I saw that we both seemed to spend a lot of time editing our paintings. We were working on them long enough for them to have been several paintings in the process...I see that we both use a unique process to create paintings, that develops into paintings that often become intensely layered.

FPAC: What inspires you or what do you find most interesting about each other's work?

MC: I love that Nataliya can be so particular and focuses on very specific details. She immerses herself in her two inch tall paintings and makes them become her life. At the same time she creates a completely different work along side that detailed work, using similar forms, sources and material, but applies the paint freely to map out the general position and motion of forms. In "Lost and Found," the two smallest paintings of Nataliya's are like this. It seems a bit musical to me. In the way that a note can linger and sound wonderful, even if its just part of a whole work - but its only a tiny part of this involved process.

NB: Maggie's work manages to remain open, to improvise and accept passages that unconsciously occur in her paintings. That is something that I am trying to allow more in my work. She has such a deep knowledge of the human body, that the ethereal figures in her paintings (painted completely from memory and from the imagination) are utterly convincing.

FPAC: What is the most difficult thing in the process of creating your work?

MC: the most difficult part of the process is having to leave the studio to go to work but because my work schedule in this economy is so fragmented- I'll have an hour here and there but not a six or eight hour stretch.

NB: Knowing when to stop! I constantly want to get rid of distracting, inessential elements in my paintings, after the initial elements are placed, but the challenge is to do that while still being investigative - not bound by faithfulness to details. In these multiple-frame paintings it is also sometimes hard to develop the individual frames, while still making sure the painting reads as a whole.

FPAC: Who or what is the motivation behind you as an artist?

NB: I think I have an impulse to create narratives...I love the way composing an image creates a world, and I use the process of painting to make sense of that world.

MC: I am inspired by movement of the body, my own body, gestures and postures.

FPAC: When can we expect to see more from you?

MC: I'm participating in the chain letter project at Sampson Projects in July. I'll be adding a few more works to MIFP in July as well. I will be participating in FPAC"S fall open studios third weekend of October, 2011. 15 Channel Center Street, Boston- look for details at http://maggieconnors.com

NB: I have a one person show at the Hollister Gallery at Babson College, in Wellesley, coming up in October. For that exhibition, I am working on a couple of paintings on the inside surfaces of wooden hoops horizontally suspended from the ceiling. They will still be strip paintings from videos, but a viewer could step inside the hoop and scan the images that surround him or her.

Open Studios Sneak with Ari Hauben

2011-05-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

Boobs Not Bombs

Make Fun Not War

"My artwork consists predominately of a style I've developed over the past few years which is essentially painting with newspaper. The content of the articles reinforces what the art is saying. For example, in Boobs not Bombs, the entire plane is made from articles written about current wars being fought across the globe. I like the idea of taking this passing moment, which usually has a one-day life span, and freezing it into permanent relevance." ~Ari Hauben

Want to se more of Hauben's work?

Stop by Fort Point Spring Open Studios. May 6-8th, noon to five on Saturday and Sunday

Hauben's Studio is #211 at 15 Channel Center Street

www.arihauben.com

It's Coming ...

2011-04-30T06:42:00.001-07:00

Art Walk

Friday May 6: 4:00-7:00pm

Saturday and Sunday May 7 and 8: noon-5:00pm

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. Visit Fort Point’s art galleries and creative design shops. Explore Boston’s changing Fort Point and see the unique waterfront warehouse district that is one of New England’s largest arts communities. Enjoy the opportunity to purchase works of art and fine craft directly from local artists.

Artists’ Demonstrations • Talks • Hands-On Activities

It’s also Mother’s Day Weekend, making it the perfect place to

shop with or for your family.

mark your calendars for our Fall Open Studios
October 14, 15 and 16

Jonathan Stark Featured Artist at MIFP!

2011-04-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

FPAC: What is the inspiration behind your work?

JS: All of my work, whether street photography in Paris or working in thestudio with the human form is driven by my desire to communicate what is beautiful and/or important to me. And by beautiful I also mean ugly, in the sense that some of my images will address in a hopefully visually beautiful way "ugly" topics such as human trafficking. I feel I communicate best visually and find photography is the medium that I can bemost clear and expressive in. It is also the medium in which byinteracting with my subjects and collaborators I learn the most about whatI am photographing.

FPAC: "Ugly Topics" made beautiful through photography. It is so hard to communicate topics that need to be heard. You do this so beautifully. There is this great video by musician friends of mine that you would perhaps appreciate: The Click Five, new album about human trafficking.

FPAC: Do you always shoot in black and white, if yes why?

JS: I almost always shoot and print in B&W. For me, art always has at its root an expression of complex and or deep emotions. If my photographs donot have emotional resonance, I feel they are missing their mark. B&W images to me are emotional where as color photographs are representational. I am not saying that there aren't color images that express profound emotions. I mean this as a hopefully very global but accurate observation. For example, if you look at wedding photographs and you see an image of the bride and groom kissing. If the image is in color you think: "There is the bride and groom kissing and you notice their skin tone, their clothes, their hair, the environment around them, all the colors , matching and not matching

etc." If you look at the same image gray-scaled in B&W your are more likely to simply go:"Ahhh. They're in love". Having said that I am currently working on a project called "Security" that is based in people's choice of attire and I am shooting in color because the subject demands it and I hope the emotional resonance will be there.

FPAC: In this digital age why do you work in film?

JS: I believe that shooting film is a very different process than shooting digitally. Shooting film is an act of faith. You make your setting and then you photograph, engaged in the process of shooting and staying incontact with your subject whether animate or inanimate. You are not constantly checking the back of the camera looking to see if "you got the shot" while "the shot" is actually occurring right in front of you. I work a lot with people who are unclothed, trusting me with the work we are doing. When I shoot film I am in constant contact with them, visually andemotionally. If I were looking at the back of a camera or at a monitor,the trust, the moment, the image would be lost. And the darkroom is a place of mystery and magic. Yes, I think I know the images I am putting inthe enlarger put as the print slowly develops in the chemistry I seethings that weren't there, (sometimes good sometimes not so good) but Iwork slowly, patiently, in a more spiritual manner. To me, this isimportant. And at times I work with multiple exposures and the revelationsthat occur are wondrous to me. To use another analogy, its like the lostart of letter writing and that feeling of getting touchable handwritten correspondence and not just an e-mail. It's not just the physical sensation of the paper, but the obvious time and pace of writing that changes the very nature of what is written.

FPAC: Sounds like you are into traveling! How does this influence your work?

JS: Traveling, by taking one out of what is familiar simply open's one's eyesand perceptions. From this awakening new and interesting work can occur. There is a sociological construct called marginality, which is a group ofpeople who are part of a society but somehow apart from it. I did a film on people who worked the night shift. Yes, they are a part of or society and we expect them to be there, (e.g. nurses), but these people are seen by society as slightly different and they have different observations about the society they live in. To me, traveling makes me marginal to theculture I am in and I can observe and see things that I cannot in my own comfortable milieu. Hopefully this helps me create different images.

FPAC: What is the Zipper Project?

JS: The Zipper Project was an exploration of the moments when we decide to reveal ourselves to others, physically and emotionally. This project evolved into a series called Skin Deep that explored this concept furtherbut losing the artifice of clothing and where I used mud as the medium forcovering and revealing. In the past two years this has evolved into thebelief that we can be most powerful when we are the most vulnerable. Arecent show "Hits Back" as well as a benefit exhibition called "StopTraffic" explore this concept of strength through experience in moredepth. I am hoping that images from this body of work can be used to helpaddress and fight human trafficking.

FPAC: Who are your favorite artists? Why?

JS: Krzysztof Kieslowski: His films speak to me of the incredible need forfaith in a world where chance seems to dictate so much. Edward Weston: His photographs are what inspired me to take photographsand to this day when I see his work I smile from the core of my being.

Michael Eder 35 Channel

2011-03-24T03:40:00.001-07:00

Large Abstract Landscapes

Michael Eder

Open by appointment through May: 617.980.2565

Opening Reception: Thursday March 24th from 5-7pm

FPAC is catching up with Michael Eder about his work on view at 35 Channel Center Street:

FPAC- What inspires you to paint landscape paintings? How did it all begin?

ME- I was always drawn outdoors to paint, from college days at RISD 30 years ago, and still today. I love the chaos and energy of working from an enormous still life, even if it's moving and changing. I carry that energy indoors to my studio and finish my larger work there.

FPAC- Rice Fields, Vietnam and the Desert Paintings at 35 Channel Center Street, are both inspired by black and white photos. Why/how did these photos become a focus in your work?

ME- To my surprise I found a similar energy and wealth of ideas in black and white photos that I get from working outdoors. An added bonus is they bring me places I can't go, and allow me to have greater choices in subjects and moods. It began when I came across photos of deserts in the US and tried and found plenty there to inspire larger oil paintings. I then found the photojournalist book from the 70's "Vietnam, Inc" and was inspired by the landscapes surrounding the victims and perpetrators of the war. I made studies in a series of woodcuts, and moved to larger and larger canvases, to better surround the viewer in the mood of the landscape.

FPAC- As an artist who uses color, how did you choose the colors for your paintings when working from black and white photos?

ME- When I paint outdoors I look more at the way light works than at color relationships. I leave those to chance, which can sometimes fail, or it can create surprises. The black and white photos move me in the same way being outdoors can, looking at the drama of lights and darks.

FPAC- How does your medium (oil paint) become parallel in your vision for the final outcome? I guess I am asking, what is it about oils that contributes to your work, what is unique about them? Are all of your works done in oil?

ME- Oils allow me to layer large areas easily, and work the subtleties with the slow drying wet paint. The surface stays "alive" longer. As lights and darks are so important to the final outcome for me, I find oils give me the greatest scope to work with. All my paintings are oils. I also use monoprints and woodcuts for studies, as they are good for layering, and are a great tool for exploring ideas.

FPAC-Your work appears to have many layers, can you tell us a little about your process?

ME- It's mostly intuitive. I refer back to studies, more recently to photos, and to other paintings to help me along. I respond to people's responses, and might continue on a piece for years. More often it takes several months to finish a painting. The layers are not intentional, but are the result of searching for better answers. Failed paintings are usually ones I cover up with color and hide that process of searching.

FPAC- Do you always work in large format? -( all of Eders' paintigns at 35 Channel Center Street are between 5-8 feet )

ME- A majority of paintings in the last 5 years are large. I do many small oils on wood, 12 inch square or so, as
outdoor studies. I also do prints and smaller watercolors. I like the large size because of the fuller experience it can give the viewer.

FPAC- Who is your favorite artist (s) and why?

ME- I constantly change my preferences. Long ago it was Arthur Dove and Hartley. A room full of Kandinsky at the Fogg stuck with me for years, as did a Florine Stettheimer. I love the fragile carvings and watercolors of Anne Chu. I admire many strong artists, like Gerhard Richter and Baselitz, but I love more tentative work.

FPAC- Whats next on the horizon for you?

ME- I'm working on a series on Gettysburg after a visit there last spring. I'm using Mathew Brady's civil war photos to build woodcut studies and currently three large paintings.

Check out Michael Eder's work at 35 Channel Center Street, Fort Point Boston and learn more about him at http://www.michael-eder.com/

All photos courtesy of Michael Eder, except black and white photo- by Phillip Jones courtesy of Vietnam Ink

Studio View with DannyO

2011-03-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

Danny O Studio View Interview: www.dannyostudio.com

FPAC: Tell us a bit about your

process for working and how your space where you work helps this process...

Danny O: My working methods have changed over the years, a long time ago I loved a studio that was cluttered and a floor covered in layers of torn paper. Now I prefer a

clean and organized space. Especially after I have finished a project. Then I like to do a full clean and organize so I can focus on the next project. This doesn't always happen, but my head is clearer when I do. The biggest influence is the area where I live with my family. We moved to the shores of NH and we are constanly surrounded by beautiful landscape, both rural and close to the ocean, so the light is always dramatic and wonderful. But the space itself is really nothing more than an empty living room with great north light. When I have larger work to do, I borrow Eric Legacy's studio barn. Otherwise I work small and use the outdoors as much as possible as my drawing studio during the day and paint from the sketches at night.

FPAC: What is the concept behind your work and how are the works created?

Danny O: This is constantly changing. I don't think about concept too much. At the core I am a

resourceful creator. Using paper instead of paint, came from being too poor to buy any paint. Once after spending $30 on a tube of red paint I spotted a stack of brightly colored magazines waiting for the garbage pick up. The colors were so vivid (and free) that I took them home and went to work. That led to a decade of pursuing collage. In recent years I began to collect half finished thrift store paintings and paint over them. After doing collage and cutting for so many years I have a strong desire to use my hand again, this time returning to drawing and painting in a chunky collage, carefree manner. So I guess the answer is that I follow my heart rather than my head and the compass is pointing toward loose, free intimate drawings and paintings rahter than well defined collages.

FPAC: Your work has a hometown, nostalgic feeling. Can you talk more about this? It reminds me of watching America Pickers! (have you seen the show?)

Danny O: My work does have a folk art fe

el, this may come from my early years as a cartoonist and later as an illustrator. Trying to walk that line between fine and folk art gives my work a feeling that it is more naive perhaps than it actually is. I am thrift store junkie and I think that has worn off on the work. When I was young I did a lot of cartoons for my dad, and later the US Navy. I think it became ingrained in me to make approachable work. This was later cemented when I read a quote by Matisse that talked about making work that was for the eyes not the mind. I feel a natural kinship to that quest.

FPAC: What is the most unique part of the space you work in?

Danny O: Proabably that my nine month old daughter has a play pen in there and often keeps me company.....this is special.

FPAC: Adorable!

FPAC: Neat or Messy artist?

Danny O: MESSY to the core, but no

w that I am married, I have learned that organization creates balance and speeds the whole process of creation. Thank you Jen!

FPAC: Most inspirational artist that you are inspired by and why?

Danny O: Milton Avery, Sally Micheal and March Avery. For over twenty years I have been studying the whole family. The approach to art makes sence to me in a way that I am still in awe and discover deeper levels all the time. The color, design, improvisation and humor are the best in American Painting. I think Milton is an underated American, even though he is thought of as an American master and given praise for influencing so many of his generation and being the catulus for the great works of Rothko and Gotliebb. I think their life is worthy of a stunning movie that would unravel one of the most important creative collaborations of this past century. He and his wife lived together for over thirty years making paintings everyday in their living room. Sally's speed as an illustrator and her ability to capture the essence of a scene was on par with Milton's, and a quick study reveals how much her work had on his. So in the end it is Sally Micheal who I think is the greatest art figure of the past, for without her Milton would have been too stoic and formal. Her influence on him, and her supporting him allowed the work to flow from him freely. If you folow the family you can see that it was Sally who influenced Milton and Milton who influenced Rothko. Sally Micheal has a show up at the Childs Gallery now that illustrates this poit well.

FPAC: Your work embodies a lot of different materials, would you say your space for creating work can get a little overwhelming at time?

Danny O: YES! Sometimes there are too many images triing to get in, too many options with so much material. This has been the source of mental clutter and chatter, niether of which helps the process. Seeing this and feeling the work can sometimes feel over worked is why in recent years I have longed paint again and par down the available choices. Paint still can cost $30 bucks a tube, so I can still get very excited and inspired when I see a chunk of red paper on the cover of a magazine in a waiting room....quietly I tear it out and sneak it into my jacket for later.

FPAC: thanks! Your site looks great! www.dannyostudio.com

all pictures courtesy of DannyO

Whats Going this month?

2011-03-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

It seems Fort Point and Fort Point artists are busy with all things art this month, check it out:

March featured artist at Made in Fort Point is Andrew Woodward. Andrew is an animal! Well at least his art is, check out :

What are the 50 State Animals?

In 1782, the United States' founders selected the American Bald Eagle as the official symbol for the infant nation. The majestic, soaring bird and its life in the vast frontier inspired the country.

About 150 years later, individual states began choosing their own animal symbols for local representation and regional pride. Each state in the union has at least an official bird symbol. Many states have also selected a variety of other species within the animal kingdom as representatives. The animals reflect their local habitats, regional economic strengths and historical significances.

In 2008, Andrew Woodward embarked on the painting project, 'Fifty State Animals.' A piece dedicated to Americana, fifty 8 x 8" panels hang in a grid displaying fifty state animal symbols. Woodward begins each painting with an abstract, patterned backgrounds. He then selects the animals that fit best for each composition. "What is Fifty State Animals," at Made in Fort Point, explains the animals' history for the viewers with prints and is highlighted by an installation of the series.

Opening Reception is TOMORROW, Thursday, March 10th from 5-7pm

Made in Fort Point: 12 Farnsworth: m-f 11-6pm: sat 11-4 pm:

Parallel Play: A Kinship

New works at FPAC gallery by Kate Baldwin, David Curcio, Edward Monovich, Edie Overturf and Serena Perrone

image S. Perrone

The term "Parallel Play" relates to the work habits of printmakers in the shared, collective space of the printshop.

Opening Reception is Thursday, March 17. 2011 from 5:30-8pm

FPAC Gallery: 300 Summer Street:

Mentoring

image H. Kayser

Artists who teach share their understanding of the artistic process. They guide their students through explorations, present problems and coach them to craft their ideas into visual solutions. Sometimes during this process a special interest is taken, a special bond is formed, an a teacher becomes a mentor.

Artists:

Ivan Fernandez Gonzalez, Heidi Kayser, Lisa Knox,Cat Mazza, Mary McCarthy, Amy MacDonald, Jose Santos, Karen Stein, Christine Vaillancourt, Jennifer Wood and their students.

Art at 12: 12 Farnsworth: m-f 11-6pm: sat 11-4 pm:

Also:

Jose L. Santos: Landscapes: FP3 Gallery: 346 Congress Street

You Are Here: Boston Childrens Museum

Christina Watk: Undulating Thumbs: 12 Chairs: 319 A Street

Elisa Hamilton & aren McFeaters: Interior/Exterior: Fort Point Framers: 300 Summer

Robert Siegelman: The Windows at 259: 259 A Street

Vexed: The Midway Gallery: 15 Channel Center Street

Grand Circle Gallery: Vintage Ski Posters: 347 Congress

Martin Donnelly: Front & Bob's Your Uncle: 25 Channel Center Street

Jodie Baehre: New Paintings: Lord Hobos: Cambridge

Meredith Morton: Hallspace: Dorchester

Drawing the Line from Process to Purpose: Robert Siegelman and others:Arsenalarts

Chris Faust: Hollister Gallery: Babson College

!ND!V!DUALS: Lovesick Cafe: Allston

Kevin L. Obrien: Artslant 2011 Showcase Winner and Dis(Connect)

AND MORE.... more information here

Tony Savarino

2011-03-09T07:14:00.001-08:00

ARTWALK 2011

2011-03-09T06:12:00.000-08:00

FPAC's Art Walk is May 6-8, 2011

Our Spring Open Studios features more than 75 studios open to the public, a unique series of artists' talks and demonstrations, gallery shows, participatory art projects for all ages, and more.

Boston Arts Festival

2011-03-09T05:16:00.000-08:00

The 2011 (ähts): The Boston Arts Festival Call to Visual and Craft Artists is now available for download at http://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/AHTSCall2011_tcm3-23840.pdf

The festival will be entering its 9th year and will be returning to its original format as a two-day festival. The 2011 festival will be held Saturday, September 10th and Sunday, September 11th. There will be a specially built artist village in Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park that will showcase over 60-juried visual artists who exhibit and sell one-of-a-kind and limited edition works of art including painting, sculpture, ceramics, pottery, jewelry, fine glasswork, woodwork, mixed media and photography. The festival is designed to launch Boston's arts season with a diverse and vibrant performing arts program, its visual and craft artist village and family-friendly activities. Past performances have included the Boston Ballet, BalletRox, Zili Misik, Boston Lyric Opera, Chu Ling Dance, Blue Man Group and several other incredible acts. The festival celebrates the Boston arts scene in its many forms and attracts over 50,000 people each year.

The deadline for applications is April 15th at 5 p.m. We look forward to receiving and reviewing your applications and äht submissions!

Interview with Ann Scott

2011-03-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

FPAC: Can you tell us about the inspiration for your recent work:

AS: My current work is all about the ancient walls of Italy. I've been there twice in just over a year and in one super ancient hillside town with a total population of 42, I started noticing the walls all covered with moss and water stains that had been going on for centuries. The effects of time and weather made for exquisite abstractions! Last Fall I received a Visiting Artist Fellowship to the American Academy in Rome so was able to continue finding inspiration for the wall paintings and have been hard at work on them, loving every minute.

FPAC: It seems that travel and painting from life around you is a huge influence on you, why the need to capture it all?

AS: Well it's like Picasso says "Painting is just another way of keeping a diary." It's not so much I need to capture it but I want to, there is so much beauty out there. More and more of my painting is travel influenced I am struck by the light raking across a weather-beaten wall it's just breathtaking, there's nothing like

Mediterranean light! I also love the structure of the villages & unique shapes of houses. It's too cookie cutter here. In Europe villages tumble up and down hills in every shape and direction. I've been all over Europe but have developed a special affection for Italy for thousands of reasons but primarily because the entire country's underlying color is yellow ochre and all else plays off that. And so many pink houses, just fantastic!

FPAC: What is your medium? Can you tell us a little about the process of your work?

AS: The medium I use depends on what I'm painting. For the Ancient Walls series acrylic works best. I have a special fondness for watercolor & gouache which I use when I travel or do plein air painting. I use oils for all else and just love them.

FPAC: What can we see next from you?

AS: Many more Ancient Wall paintings are coming up and as soon as the weather gets better I'll be outside painting as often as possible. And drawing...lots and lots of drawing.

FPAC: And your next travel plans are....

AS: Definitely to get back to Rome and Italy as often as possible. Now that I've been to the Academy I can go back anytime and so will head there. Another big plan I'm working on is, when I retire from the working world, which is soon, I hope to wander across the US and paint paint paint.

Ann Marie Scott

http://www.annscottpainting.com

http://annscottpainting.blogspot.com/

Lovesick Cafe

2011-02-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

Artist collective, !ND!V!DUALS are finally in Beantown! “Lovesick Café” will be on display beginning Saturday March 5. 2011 through April 3. 2011. Using salvaged materials and screen printed wood, !ND!V!DUALS create site-specific installations typically inhabited or characterized by surreal and bizarre creatures. Their sculptures exhibit innovative gestures and witty formal invention combined with detailed craftsmanship that showcases humor, playfulness, and savagery. “Lovesick Café” is the newest addition to the Allston/Boston restaurant scene and it’s guaranteed to serve the most exotic and creative dishes in the city. Opening reception will be held March 5 from 8pm-11pm at 156 Harvard Ave Allston MA and it will run through April 3rd. Full menu available March 1st at www.individualscollective.com Bring your mustaches.

INDIVIDUALS have exhibited in New York City, Portland Maine, and Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee.

Armin Bachman (co-owner of Orchard Skateshop) is a social entrepreneur who founded the nonprofit Extension, which makes skateboarding more accessible in the greater Boston area. Orchard donates 1% of its revenues to local non-profits and assists new artists by hosting shows in the gallery above the shop.

Lovesick Cafe

Extension Gallery at Orchard

156 Harvard Avenue

Allston, MA

On view from SAturday March 5. through April 3. 2011

Opening reception March 5. 2011 from 8-11PM

www.individualscollective.com

http://individualsartcollective.blogspot.com/
www.lukeosullivan.com

Thinking Big! with Bob Siegelman

2011-02-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

Spring is in the air and we are all looking for a new hobby. My husband actually made his second ever meal for me tonight and we have been married for five years! So maybe cooking is not your thing. Your looking for something BIGGER.... why not check out a two-day intensive Monotype workshop and get your art on! Not only can you pick up a new hobby, you can get away for the weekend to Vermont.

Monotypes are one-of-a-kind prints that lend themselves to working quickly, working in a series and working in large format. Monotypes are a great experimental art. A great way to make finished works or just get that artist block thats been cramping your style, over with. Work in formats 22 x 30 or even larger. This could be your BIG weekend.

Join Bob Siegelman for this two day workshop, Saturday and Sunday, March 12 & 13 from 10am-4pm. $195 plus $20 material fee. To register call 802. 295. 5901

www.tworiversprintmaking.com

85 North Main Street, Suite 160

White River Junction, Vermont 05001

Tallboy Presents: Jodie Baehre at Lord Hobos

2011-02-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

Fort Point artist, Jodie Baehre is showing her latest urban landscapes at Lord Hobos Bar in Cambridge. The work will be on view until April 1. 2011, courtesy of Lord Hobos and artist promoter TallBoy. Stop by, enjoy some grub and grab a pint.

About the Artist: Jodie Baehre grew up in Buffalo, NY and now lives and works in Fort Point Boston with her Husband, Paul and dog, Allston. Jodie's paintings stem from her graphic background in Industrial Design and Printmaking. Her work is inspired by photographs she takes around the Boston and New York metro areas. The photos are often a glimpse at billboards, old signage, buildings and unique angles of the city. She then works in acrylic to interpret her own twist. Her favorite artist is Jill Magid because of her highly conceptual ideas and work

Jodie also is the Co-Founder of an artist organization called Glovebox that supports local artists through exhibitions and events in which artist(s) are teamed up with organizations or businesses to exhibit work. Gloevbox's latest endeavor can be seen at Fort Point's own Twelve Chairs on A street. The show is called Chairs at Twelve Chairs with artwork by Kate Castelli. Glovebox is also excited about their first short film and animation festival that will take place at the Somerville Theatre this June 11. 2011.

Jodie Baehre

Lord Hobos

92 Hampshire Street

Cambridge MA

weekdays 5pm-1am

weekends 1pm-1am

Reconstructions

2011-02-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

Reconstructions, art by Kippy Goldfarb is now on view until March 5. 2011 at the Accidental Gallery, 300 Summer Street. Stop by this Thursday, February 24th to meet and greet the artist at the opening reception from 5-8 pm

Be Mine

2011-02-10T05:41:00.000-08:00

So you're in love? Ok...maybe you just appreciate the slobbery kisses from a furry bud. Either way, take a break from your day today and stop by Made in Fort Point at 12 Farnswoth Street to learn how to make your own Valentine.

February 10. 2011

11:30-2:00

12 Farnsworth Street

Made in Fort Point

Happy Valentines~

Mentoring at Art at 12

2011-02-05T06:48:00.000-08:00

Now showing at Art at 12:

Mentoring features works by 10 Fort Point artist/educators and their students from local schools, colleges and institutions:

The show features works by: 

Ivan Fernandez-Gonzalez, Heidi Kayser, Lisa Knox, Cat Mazza, Mary McCarthy, Amy MacDonald, Jose Santos, Karen Stein, Christine Vaillancourt, Jennifer Wood, and selected students

Opening Reception Thursday February 10th, 5-8pm

12 Farnsworth Street, Fort Point, Boston

Hours: Monday-Friday 11-6, Saturday 11-4

images above, top to bottom, left to right:

Heidi Kayser, Jose Santos, Mary McCarthy, Lisa Knox, Cat Mazza

Studio View with Lenore Tenenblatt

2011-01-06T05:58:00.000-08:00

FPAC: Tell us about your studios and artwork.

LT: This is a studio view (featured above) of work that I put up for Open Studios 2010 that shows many of my freestanding sculpture, 4' to 7' tall and created from found materials, primarily from deteriorated bucket and barrel staves and metal surrounds. The artwork contain other materials and are often combined with wood burned marks. My studio itself is a homage to the original look of the area's industrial buildings with a centuries' worth of painted walls and ceilings left as found.

FPAC: Who or what inspires your work?

LT: Among other artists whose work I look at are El Anatsui, a Ghanaian sculptor who uses found materials such as bottle caps to create large wall hangings, or Rachel Harrison, a New York sculptor who uses diverse material in freestanding sculptures with cultural and political references.

FPAC: What can we see from you in the near future?

LT: Currently I am making some table top sculptures as well as the floor pieces. Also I spent time every summer making monoprints that you view at the Farnsworth store.

Lenore Tenenblatt Lenore Tenenblatt Studio 249 A Street #13, Boston MA 02210

Steven Muller Studio View

2010-12-15T05:24:00.000-08:00

FP: Tell us about your meticulously clean workspace.....

SM: ....yes I actually work in here despite the criticism I get for being too neat.

When I moved to this current studio after about twenty years on Melcher Street, this was the remains of a camera store. It more resembled a basement than the totally cool over the top studio I have today. I designed the layout, drove to Home Dept. and brought back the supplies and build out the space myself. Gay man who worked in interior design, who would have thought he could pull that off?

FP: What is the concept behind your work and how are the works created?

SM: The concept is to communicate or send a message, and as most of the photographs are men in different stages of undress, there is a certain degree of "edge" to the work. The messages along with the formate are delivered on a level that is challenging. You have to spend time with the work, you have to pick it up and look at it, you can't just walk by and get it. The current work I am doing (pictured above) are hand altered photographs with words and text constructed into a book format. Some of the "Books" are single photographs, some / most larger. All are altered or changed in some way with scratched text and de-solving chemicals.

FP: What is the most unique part of your space?

SM: The most unique part of my space is my windows gallery. As part of the studio design, I did a wall parallel with the street level windows with lights on timers. I do three of four shows of different artists a year during the winter months when the days are short and the work can be appreciated from dark until about midnight. Two years ago at the FPAC artwalk I did a group show of artists from different neighborhoods in Boston, not on the windows wall, but in the abundant space I am so lucky to have. It is great to have the opportunity to increase the visibility of this area as an artists community which is active and vital.

To learn more about Steven Muller and the Gallery at 259 visit:

www.stevenmuller.com

www.thewindowsat259.com

2010-12-01T15:08:00.001-08:00

Stop by Art at 12 this weekend and shop till you drop! The fort Point artists are at it again just in time for the holidays. Pick up unique, local, handmade gifts for friends and family...or maybe just for you. Art at 12 is located at 12 Farnsworth in Fort Point boston, just off Congress.

Kristen Alexandra: sterling silver jewelry with attitude and funky flatware

Cesar Baez: painting

Wendy Bergman: hand made jewelry:fresh water pearls/semi-precious gems

Carol Bugarin: glass jewelry. decorative and functional glass objects

Carrie Chang/Floral Lab: floral arts

Jennifer Chin/Lush Metal: unique precious metal jewelry

Laura Davidson: artists' books, playing cards: unique wire wrapped jewelry and other holiday creations

Jane Deutsch: encaustic painting

Dawna Davis: Wired Gems: Unique precious metal jewelry

Ivan Fernandez-Gonzalez: “Coyote Painting Walls”: Mural, painting and illustration

Julia Groos: contemporary jewelry

Mike Hammecker: painting

Linda Huey: ceramics

Ian Kennelly: paintings! drawing! Lego!

Leslie A. Miller/Original Papercuts: cards and ornaments from papercuts

Alys Myers: functional textile art

Danny O: collage, oil paintings & prints

Gabrielle Schaffner: functional painted pottery, tiles

Jim Shea: Shea Pottery

Deena Schnitman: paperarts

Sylvia Stagg-Giuliano: photo-illustrations and portrait photography

Anna Win-Leliwa: watercolor, hand-decorated Christmas ornaments

Andrew Woodward: painting

Holiday Night in Fort Point Tomorrow

2010-12-01T05:59:00.000-08:00

It's official, it is December. The Holiday Month is here and to kick it off with a bang, Fort Point is hosting a Holiday Night tomorrow, December 2 from 4-8pm. All of your favorite shops will be open later and all of the delicious restaurants will be serving up tasty delights for you to enjoy! So get in the spirit and get yourself to Fort Point. For more information:

http://holidaynightinfortpoint.blogspot.com/

Fort Point artists at the MFA

2010-11-18T16:21:00.001-08:00

Congrats to Fort Point Artists, Ari Hauben and Joanne Kaliontzis. There work was chosen to be on view digitally at the opening of the new Art of the America's wing on November 19th. 2010. We hope we can snag an interview with them soon!

( Below Ari Haben, Manifest Destiny 2010, Joanne Kaliontzis, Coy Fish 2009)

Landscape of Emotions

2010-11-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

Art at 12 new exhibition, Landscape of Emotions, will be on view until November 30th. Stop by to check out this group exhibition that reflects on travels.

"To travel is a decision to jump the banks, a decision to let our attention wash over unfamiliar terrain. The artists in this show made such a choice and used what they carried away to make art- inspired by their new found awareness."- Landscape of Emotions artists

12 Farnsworth Street (off Congress)

Fort Point Boston

617.423.1100

Gallery Hours:

Monday - Friday from 11-6pm

Saturday from 11-4pm

photo on right, art by Karen McFeaters

artists in Landscape of Emotions:

Jess Barnett, Ivan Fenandez, Liliana Folta

Gustavo Jimenez, Philip Manna, Mary McCarthy

Karen McFeaters, Jennifer Mecca, Krina Patel

Robin Shores, Sylvia Stagg-Giuliano,

Lenore Tenenblatt, Tom Wojciechowski

Dating Gorky's Granddaughter

2010-11-16T11:29:00.001-08:00

Dating Gorky's Granddaughter: artwork by Christopher Joy and Zachary Keeting

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 18. 2010 from 5:30-8pm at the fpac gallery (300 Summer Street). Stop by to meet and greet the artists and have a drink from the Channel Cafe.

The show is ongoing from November 4-December 29. 2010

An artist talk will be given on Saturday, November 13.2010 at 3pm

~Christopher Joy and Zachary Keeting are Modernists. They pull inspiration from the past hundred years and doggedly pursue new forms. They are young painters who appreciate the multifaceted plurality of their time, but see elements in early 20th century art worth re-exploring: its richness, its mystery, its courage.~

Made in Fort Point~ November Featured Artist

2010-11-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Masks from the Dark Side, by this month’s featured artist at Made in Fort Point, Leslie Anne Feagley.

Feagley’s deconstructed and then re-constructed masks are an exploration of her inner self. The masks are a representation of extracted negative or dark energy that have been manifested into carefully constructed objects that now have a literal face.

Stop by Thursday, November 11, 2010 from 5-8pm for the opening reception of Masks from the Dark Side. Meet the artist, Leslie Anne Feagley and enjoy complimentary refreshments from FPAC, Sportello and Sagarinos.

hours: Monday-Friday 11am-6pm
Saturday 11am-4pm
Sundays in November by chance

additional hours for special events

12 Farnsworth Street, just off Congress

617-423-1100