Art for art's sake

Gateway launches art sales series to benefit public art

On Tuesday, May 22, Washington Gateway Main Street (WGMS) held an art party at 460 Harrison Avenue as the beginning of ARTSE, a series of benefit events to sponsor more outdoor and public art. The inaugural event was a casual-chic affair showcasing contemporary and street art by local artists.

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 benefiting 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 email, WGMS board president Kristin Phelan declared the ARTSE debut party 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.

A June 1 follow-up party, ARTSE X, was held at the same venue, with a student from Cathedral High School playing the piano. According to Phelan, WGMS sold 350 tickets at $15 each for the debut event on May 22, and between the May 22 party and its follow-up, ARTSE X, held in the same venue on Friday, June 1 as part of SoWa First Friday, the organization raised over $20,000 toward its outdoor-art initiative.

Elsewhere, a popular public art installation has returned to Washington Street. "Nimbus", the cloud-like cluster of lights that perched above the fountain in Franklin Square last fall, was placed in the same spot for the summer earlier this month. Across the street in Blackstone Square, WGMS brings back a warm-weather favorite, the Summer Solstice party, from 5:30-8:30 PM on Thursday, June 21 with live music by the Savin Hillbillies featuring South End Community Health Center CEO Bill Walczak and the Tyson Jackson Trio; food from a variety of local food trucks; a beer garden brought to you by Lord Hobo Brewing Co. of Woburn; a fitness class by barre3 and Endurance Pilates and Yoga; and kids' activities including soccer led by South End Soccer as well as balloon twisting.