I will be participating in this event on Saturday. Read below for the official press release.

On Saturday, June 22nd Cambridge’s historic Foundry building (101 Rogers Street) will host “The Foundry Equation,” an art initiative and open house. Presented by local art advocates FLUX. Boston, Opus Affair, Voltage Coffee & Art, and Yes.Oui.Si., this unique event will feature both contemporary and children’s art, live music and improv performances while showcasing the potential of a neighborhood landmark.

“Art plus community equals renewal that’s The Foundry Equation. In this building lays an opportunity to unite Cambridge, Kendall Square and East Cambridge, industrial and residential, kids and adults, art and music, past and future… ” said Ilan Levy, East Cambridge resident, host of Cambridge Community Television’s “The Foundry,” and one of the event’s organizers.

In addition to residents, area businesses are excited about the possibility of a vibrant community arts space, “There’s been interest in using this space to support local artists for some time. This event is a one day solution to the Foundry Equation,” said Lucy Valena, proprietress of Voltage Coffee and Art. “It’s a chance to show all the cool stuff that could be happening in this neighborhood. People could be making really great art, regularly, in Kendall Square.” Anna Schindelar, Art Director at Voltage Coffee and Art as well as curator of the event, added: “This is our vision, our take: an art initiative with the hope of engaging the community, residents, and kids in a dialogue about what they want to see happen to this space. We’re just providing an option, a suggestion to the Foundry Equation.”

Enthusiasm among community partners underscores the strength of this option: “Having access to such a large arts space in the city opens up a world of possibilities. It would create an environment that promotes collaboration, skill sharing, and the exchange of ideas. The Foundry would be an invaluable resource for the Cambridge community,” said Liz Devlin, independent curator and founder of FLUX. Boston.

The Foundry Equation is free and open to residents, arts enthusiasts, and the community at large from 11am – 3pm on Saturday, June 22nd. For updates, information, and a full list of collaborators please visit www.thefoundryequation.org and join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #thefoundryequation.

I generally hate doing multiple posts in a row about the same show but, this time it is a little different. Sloane Merrill Gallery is one of a small handful of new, commercial galleries that have popped up in Boston recently. Now, while we are no New York, Boston has a pretty solid scene of underground performance spaces and alternative art venues. In other words, there is no shortage of places for artists to hang out on the weekend or try out new ideas. When it comes to making actual sales, it is a different story. There are very few commercial galleries in town so, the emergence of three (I think?) new ones this season is pretty uplifting. That said, obviously times are still shaky for galleries everywhere and many around here seem to have responded by taking less risks and being sticking closer to their proven artists (not that I blame them).

With that in mind I am truly excited that Sloane Merrill Gallery has stepped a little outside the traditional commercial gallery comfort zone and partnered with the, more community based, Boston Figurative Artists Center for this show. They put their reputation on the line and did a lot of extra work (I sat in on some of the jury process and there was a considerable amount of entries to sort through) to allow more local artists and talented amateurs to hang in the gallery with their regular roster of artists. Mixing a juried component into the regularly scheduled show is a pretty interesting way to get people excited about a new space and a great way for a gallery to give a little back to the Boston arts community.

Come out this Friday (the 12th) for the opening reception or, for the next month or so during normal gallery hours to check out the show. I have not seen everything hung yet but, what I have seen looks great. Let the people that run the gallery know that their efforts are appreciated and if you can, maybe even buy a painting. I assume you will know my piece when you see the biggest, brightest thing in the gallery.

I just completed a new piece for a show at Sloane Merrill Gallery. The show opens next Friday, April 12th and there will be an opening reception at the gallery from 6:30-9:00pm. Check out the new piece and then see the official announcement below for more details on the show.

Please join Sloane Merrill Gallery in collaboration with the Boston Figurative Art Center on Friday, April 12th from 6:30-9pm for the opening of Back to Back!

The collaborative exhibition highlights the figure as an important subject in our modern world — one that is both beautiful and a struggle to capture. The theme of the show marries the often sacred and sensual use of the human back to represent form with the more abstract concept of what it means to be “back to back”. The participating figurative artists explored this theme in oils and their visual experiences will be shared at the exhibition opening.

Back to Back has two distinct components — one half is an invitational and the other is juried. Invitational artists include: Damon Lehrer, Jon Nix, Leo Mancini-Hresko, Nick Ward, Rick Berry, Tony Apesos, Gene Dorgan, Paul Goodnight, Brett Gamache, Jim Burke, Freda Nemirovsky, Britt Snyder, Ann Hirsch, Tom Grady, Janet Monafo, Paul Rahilly, & Kelly Carmody.

Jurors are Damon Lehrer of BFAC, Liz Devlin of FLUX. Boston, Jon Nix, Fr. Iain MacLellan of Saint Anselm College, and Ali Ringenburg of Sloane Merrill Gallery.

More information at: http://sloanemerrillgallery.com/exhibitions/2013/1/29/back-to-back

Join the event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/146883525483652/

For those that were not make it out to The Distillery for open studios last weekend, here is a great little pictorial tour of the highlights posted by our friend Liz at Flux-Boston.com:

http://flux-boston.com/?p=3418

If anyone else came through and managed to get some good pictures, be sure to send them my way!

Generally I have been hesitant to loan paintings out for display in restaurants around town although, it seems like a pretty popular/easy exhibition option in Boston… or maybe it is restaurants around Boston that have been hesitant to hang freaky portraits and morbid nudes? Either way, Voltage is different. Not only is is an awesome coffee shop, it also has a great exhibition space. Pieces actually look good hung and have enough space to command attention. So when Liz of Flux-Boston.com asked me to participate in a show that she was organizing there, I jumped at the chance. It also didn’t hurt that Liz collected such a great group of artists for me to share the walls with. Check out the facebook event page for the opening reception, and keep reading after the image for more details and a complete list of participating artists.

“What better way to kick off the return of fall than with a crash course contemporary art lesson on the who’s who of upcoming Boston visual artists. Come to Voltage Coffee & Art on Friday September 9th for the opening of FLUX. Offline, a brick and mortar curation by digital art reviewer/sweetheart Elizabeth Devlin.

Step away from the glow of the computer screen, get gussied and slough off the work week at the opening reception, Friday September 9th, 7:00-10:00pm for an evening of art, libations, grub, tunes, and delightful conversation.”

Participating Artists Include:

Autumn Ahn

Brian Daly

Corey Corcoran

Elizabeth Grammaticas

Jakob Fioole

Jennifer Lewis

Jessica Liggero

Kenji Nakayama

Nick Ward

Polly Becker