Arts

Art for art's sake

by Michele D.  Maniscalco
Thursday May 31, 2018

Gateway art sale benefits public art drive

Washington Gateway Main Street (WGMS) threw itself an art party and fundraiser at 460 Harrison Avenue on Tuesday, May 22, celebrating the work of Boston's contemporary and street artists and raising money to launch WGMS's upcoming public arts initiative to sponsor more outdoor and public art.

WGMS board president Kristin Phelan reported that her organization sold 350 tickets to the event, which had a casual, friendly feel. Guests washed down small bites from local eateries with the wares of Woburn's Lord Hobo Brewery and Blue Chair Bay rum cocktails while DJ Braun Dapper spun funk, soul, disco and hip-hop favorites.

Downstairs in the old Mohr McPherson space, there was a large board on which guests could write their wishes the type and location of future public art. The ARTSE collection, curated by Cambridge's Street Theory Gallery and Adam Adelson of Adelson Galleries, 520 Harrison Avenue, includes works by Victor "Marka 27" Quiñonez; Tyson Andree, who created the 2015 whale mural on Traveler Street facing Ink Block ; Rob "Problak" Gibbs, founder of Artists for Humanity; and Imagine, a Nepalese woman street artist whose work incorporates her unique calligraphic style of the Nepalese alphabet. Works in the exhibit were priced from under $100 to over $3,000, with a portion of the sales proceeds benefitting WGMS.

ARTSE encompassed not only art on the walls but live creation by Go5 of the GN Crew, who painted live during the reception. Photographer Gabriel Ortiz had three photos in the show, all taken in an abandoned commuter-rail station inhabited by homeless people: "Black Swan," a portrait of dramatically made-up and dressed, dark-haired woman in the station; "Product of My Environment" and "Train Spotting."

When this writer described his images as painterly in their depiction of their subjects, Ortiz responded, "Even though they are painterly, they still have a gritty darkness to them. I kind of like the contradiction of something nice in a gritty environment."

In a follow-up e-mail, WGMS board president Kristin Phelan declared the benefit a success. ? "We were thrilled with the launch of ARTSE?; the vibe and energy felt throughout the night was inspiring. Not only did the event raise funds for a new South End public art initiative, we gained a great deal of feedback from the community regarding the type of art they want to see in the neighborhood," Phelan wrote.

Art lovers will have another chance to acquire local art and support WGMS's public art campaign when ARTSE returns on June 1 from 5:00-9:00 PM at 460 Harrison Avenue as part of SoWa's First Friday. The purchase price of artworks is tax deductible. For more information, see http://www.gatewaymainstreet.org/.