Come to the Chili Throwdown on Friday

The Dorchester Arts Collaborative invites you to join us for the 4th Friday Potluck on Friday, March 25, from 7 to 10 p.m., at 11 Pearl Street, Dorchester, Mass.

The Dorchester Arts Collaborative has lots to celebrate on its second 4th Friday.  First, its SPRING!  Second, we will be showing off our new office and arts space, Studio D  (11 Pearl Street) and our current show featuring Chuck Sullivan and VIncent Crotty.  Third, we will be launching our new, fully functional and comprehensive web site for a sneak peek, and we will be asking everyone to sample a variety of chili and vote on their favorite to help us decide which  recipe to enter in the Dorchester Chilli Cook-off.

There is a BONUS for anyone who buys a painting, becomes a member or patron of DAC, or registers for Open Studios 2011 using our online registration forms (a laptop will be available): You will get the recipes for all the chili you will be tasting!

A filling breakfast

Rachel Goodwin, pianist; Stephen Hamilton, artist; Valerie Owen, gallery owner and DAC board member; Florence Rawls, DAC co-chair; Ayanna Pressley, Boston City Councilor at Large; Bob Thornell, artist and DAC board member; Larry Pierce, artist; Pat Burson, artist and DAC board member; Mariko Kanto, actress. Not pictured, but also present, Amy Butterfield, Destiny Palmer, artist, and Jackney Prioly, director of external affairs for Ayanna Pressley.

A hearty crowd gathered on Friday, Jan. 21, 2010, at the Hancock 309 Gallery to hear Boston City Councilor at large and Dorchester resident Ayanna Pressley speak at the breakfast series sponsored by the Dorchester Arts Collaborative.

Councilor Pressley gave an impassioned plea for arts in the schools and an endorsement of the arts in the community. In her role as co-chair of the Arts, Film, Humanities and Tourism sub-committee, Pressley is taking an active role learning about the arts scene all over Boston. She addressed the link between the economy and the arts, and how culture levels the playing field for children from different backgrounds.

The artists and arts lovers who attended each had a chance to articulate how and why they are involved in the arts, and to describe the challenges they face. Pressley then shared a concept offered by Massachusetts Cultural Council to identify and focus support on arts districts across the state.

Stay tuned for details about the next DAC breakfast gathering.

Call for artists and musicians

Dot2dot Cafe, 1739 Dorchester Street, in Dorchester, Mass., is looking for artists who want to display their art in a local venue and musicians who want to perform live on either Friday evenings or at weekend brunches. The cafe will feed the musicians, and musicians can put out a tip jar for the event. Performances usually start at 7 p.m. on the Friday evening or around mid-day on the weekends. Artwork is typically displayed for a month to two at a time and the cafe hosts an event for the artist to promote the work.

For more information, contact dot2dotmanager@gmail.com

Dorchester Reporter article about concert

The holiday concert at the Strand was a big success. And the Dorchester Arts Collaborative helped make the event even sweeter by providing the refreshments. The Dorchester Reporter wrote an article about the event. Read all about it here.

Christmas concert at the Strand

Can you believe that it is December already?! The holiday season is off and running. And what better way to get started celebrating than with music? Mayor Thomas A. Menino is inviting you to “A Dorchester Christmas at the Strand Theatre” on Monday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. The Boston Classical Orchestra will be performing, along others.  And the refreshments are compliments of the Dorchester Arts Collaborative. Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

DAC Open Studios week starts Oct. 17

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Dorchester Arts Collaborative-sponsored Ninth Annual Open Studios Week features a series of events from Sunday, October 17th through the Open Studios weekend, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24, 2010, from noon to 5 p.m., at various locations throughout Dorchester, Mass.

Locations

Exhibition locations for Open Studios on Oct. 23 and 24 include: First Parish Church, 10 Parish St. (Meetinghouse Hill); Pearl Street Studios at 11 Pearl St.; Humphreys Street Studios, 11 Humphreys St.;  The Boston Home at 2049 Dorchester Ave.; and Walter Baker Lofts at  1231 Adams St.

Illustrated maps depicting  the group sites, eight combined home and business studios, and the participating artists will be available beginning October 17th. You can pick up a map at one of the group sites and at local venues, including restaurants, libraries, banks, and real estate offices.

Events

This year’s annual celebration of the arts will feature visual artists as well as performance art. The kick-off performance, The Art Show, conceived, written and presented  by ARTiculation, a group of young poets, musicians and spoken word artists will take place at Humphreys Street studios October 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. The public is invited and there will be a cover charge of $5. All proceeds will go to the performers.

The opening reception for Open Studios weekend will be on Friday, October 22, from 6:30 to 8:30, hosted by Hancock 309 Gallery, at 309 Hancock Street in Dorchester. Other events include: a Tuesday, October 26, 4 p.m. dedication ceremony for Sleeping Moon, a monumental sculpture by artist Joseph Wheelwright, with Mayor Thomas M. Menino and The Boston City Singers, at Ashmont Station Plaza (corner of Dorchester Avenue and Ashmont Street.); and a Saturday, October 23, 11 a.m. Discover Dorchester’s Public Art Treasures bike ride with DotBike leading bikers on an 8-mile ride around Dorchester to view public art, historic sites, and Open Studios venues.

This year 122 participating artists  will showcase a wide range of artwork and handmade crafts for sale—from paintings and photographs to jewelry and wearable art. Also appearing will be living statue performer and painter Cady Vishniac, as her character “The Witch.” Come see her at First Parish Church and Walter Baker Lofts on Saturday.

We are delighted to welcome 16 artists new to Open Studios. Several artists, including John Lowe, The Chicken Painter, DonnaMarie Pare (who creates Marilyn Monroe multi-media work), Robin Chandler, and Iris DuPont will be opening their home studios, giving visitors an opportunity for an up close and personal look at both their work and their work environment.

Continue to check the Dorchester Arts Collaborative’s web site www.thedac.org for information about artists’ sites and updates on events, and read artist profiles on this blog.

Dorchester Arts Collaborative is a membership organization facilitating the arts in Dorchester since 2002 for the social, cultural, and economic enrichment of our diverse neighborhood.

DAC Open Studios artist: Tim Johnson

Meet  artist Tim Johnson, who will be at the DAC Open Studios on Saturday and Sunday, October 23 and Oct 24, from noon to 5 p.m.:

I grew up in North Quincy, went to RPI in New York to study computer science, spent seven years on the West Coast, and have now lived in the South End for six years.  I’m a proud Bostonian, but also feel lucky to have been able to spend a lot of time in Seattle, San Francisco, and New York City. Living in the South End and having a studio in Dorchester is the perfect combination for me.

For the past 14 years I built software, as a product manager, designer or engineer.  I had a fantastic experience in that industry because I was able to work with so many talented and fun people at awesome companies like Microsoft, Akamai and several small startups.

Outside of the software world I’ve always called myself a “builder” and a “designer” more than an “artist”— the 2010 Dorchester Open Studios will be my first time talking to the public about my work as an artist and woodworker.

Now when people ask me what I do, I usually say, “I’m a former software geek who is trying to build furniture.”  But “former” is really only half true.  Instead of setting aside my passion for technology, I’m using it as inspiration and foundation to build modern, contemporary furniture.  Despite computers being mathematical and logical, software design is primarily a creative activity.  So I’ve really been wandering around as a geek and artist my whole life, just using a different medium.

I fully committed to this new chapter in my life in June when I started a company called Furnetcha.  Naturally the first thing I did was design a logo, and put up a Twitter feed!  Later that month I found a shop at the Humphreys Street Studios, sub-leasing from Peter Thibeault.  A fortuitous find since Peter was supposed to be my teacher at a MassArt class that happened to be canceled.  Peter is an amazing furniture maker, designer, craftsmen, and teacher at MassArt among other schools.  I’ve spent the past few months outfitting my shop with the proper setup and tools.

With a yet-to-be-robust gallery, my vision for Furnetcha is to use my design knowledge and technology passion to build amazing, tangible, and meaningful goods that people love. To that end, I have built my own computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) machine.  CNC allows for creating surfaces unattainable by traditional woodworking methods.

I hope to further learn and respect the art of woodworking while blending it with the new world of CAD and CNC.  To start, I will design and build my own furniture, but I am also very much excited to collaborate with others in various fields and diverse expertise.

My primary medium will be wood, often layering or joining different types of wood.  I love the look and feel of work, but I also love the technique and skills required to work with wood.  Plus wood is extremely versatile, everlasting, and renewable.  Eventually I hope to collaborate metal and glass workers.

At the Open Studios, I hope to demonstrate the power of combining technology and woodworking, and possibly showcase some pieces.

Inspiration for committing to this work full time came from several sources, most notably my late father and my older brother Erik.  My father was an avid craftsman, woodworker, and artist, tackling projects from the ultra small (handmade model ships) to the very large (complete house remodel on his own).  I learned a lot from both, and continue to take on new challenges with my brother. We built his house by hand, just the two of us—one of the most rewarding experiences of my life!

My passion for this work is reignited every time I deliver something that makes someone smile, say “wow,”  or simply helps them do something they never could before.  I hope this happens a lot with my work at Furnetcha.

I don’t take myself very seriously and love to laugh, so please join me at the Open Studios and feel free to point out where I’m crazy!

See www.furnetcha.com for more.  My CV is available at http://www.linkedin.com/in/timjohnson0

DAC Open Studios artist: Erica S. Nazzaro

By Erica Nazzarro

By Erica Nazzarro

By Erica Nazzarro

Look for Erica S. Nazzaro at the Dorchester Arts Collaborative Open Studios, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24, from noon to 5 p.m., at various locations throughout Dorchester.

Erica has attended Open Studios for as long as they have been held. She has worked in Dorchester for the past seven years. It has been her goal to be a participant in Open Studios, rather than just an observer. And this year she will be, along with some other young artists she plans to showcase.

She graduated from School of the Museum of Fine Arts in 1984. For the past 16 years, she has been making her own cards. It is not a business yet, but it may be someday, she says.

We asked her about her work. Here’s what she shared:

“I am a social worker and an artist. I combine my background in teaching art and art therapy with the work I do as a social worker.  I believe in expressive therapy as a vehicle for healing.

“I have been doing art my whole life. Currently I do collage, jewelry making, photography and pastel drawing. Most of my life I have been a painter. I love working with pastels (plein air style) currently because it makes me feel entirely present in the moment.  Being connected with nature and creating art are the things that bring me the most freedom and contentment.

“I would describe my work as trying to capture a feeling rather than the representational aspect of the image.

“I joined Open Studios in Dorchester because I want to showcase art that is created by the youth that I know.”

The artwork that will be shown at 88-98 Nightingale Street is part of The Home for Little Wanderers Young Adult Resource Network’s creative side. Erica works at The Home for Little Wanderers, so the exhibition venue is very special to her.

“I plan to have some music, poetry, and visual art to display,” she says.  “We have found that expressing ourselves creatively can be a healing process as well as empowering.”

Open Studios artist: Robert Thornell

Robert William Thornell will be showcasing his work on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and Oct. 24, from noon to 5 p.m., at the Dorchester Arts Collaborative Open Studios.

Bob developed his strong interest in drawing, painting and photography in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Bob’s earliest influence in the visual arts was from his grandfather, William A.Perry, an educator, composer and landscape painter.  Though he only knew of his grandfather, spiritually, he always felt a strong kinship through his landscapes and large painted portrait ever present in his parents’ and now his own home.

He was encouraged to develop a his talent in school and at the age of 13, through  parental support, he enrolled in more formal study the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit.  Bob attended Alma College as Sociology undergraduate, minoring in art and worked in the Art Department as an intern.

Spending several years in Manhattan in the mid-’60s, he also did course work at the Student Art League. After moving to Boston, and completing graduate studies at the BU School of Social Work, he continued honing his visual art skills through course work in watercolor and acrylic painting at the Boston Center for Adult Education.

Bob’s visual imagery, driven often out of his need for social comment, finds expression through an eclectic mix of style and tools.  He prefers to be free to explore figurative, as well as abstract themes using drawing, painting and photography.

Bob exhibits his work through several group sponsored venues such as the Harriett Tubman Gallery at USES, Boston African, American Artists Association, the Dorchester Arts Collaborative and his recent affiliation with the African Winter and Pearl Street Galleries.

For a number of years participated in the annual Beacon Hill Art Walk, Art in the Park and in both the Dorchester, and Roxbury Annual Open Studios. He’s exhibited in group shows at the University of Massachusetts-Boston and Simmons College. He has had individual shows at the Fuller Gallery of Boston Medical Center and both the Dudley and Grove Hall Public Libraries.

His work is also in private collections in the Boston area, the Midwest and the South.

DAC Open Studios artist: Carolyn Kegler

Carolyn Kegler, owner of  Carolyn Kegler Floral Designs, Inc., has more than seven years experience in the floral industry. She creates unique, high quality arrangements and specializes in event flowers (weddings, funerals, bar/bat mitzvahs, showers, private parties, etc.). She also caters to the local residents. Look for her creations at the Dorchester Arts Collaborative Open Studios on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24, from noon to 5 p.m.

We asked Carolyn about her background and how she ended up working with flowers:

Tell us a little bit about yourself: “I was born in a small city in Wisconsin.  I started out as a software design engineer on fighter jets. Then I realized I was more “people oriented” and moved on to marketing positions with IBM and Texas Instruments.  Still, I was not completely satisfied with what I was doing and wanted to move in a different direction.  I received my MBA specializing in International Business and studied and lived abroad in Marseille, France.  I was a professor at a business school and got involved in the jewelry industry.  I moved to California and studied at the  Gemological Institute of America, receiving certifications in gemology and jewelry design. I worked as a jewelry designer for a while before moving to Massachusetts to start my career in floral design.  It took me a while to determine what it was that I really wanted to do.”

How long have you been an artist: “About 10 years, but I was always dabbling in something artistic, whether it was cake decorating, making Christmas ornaments or remaking hand-me-down clothes to be updated style-wise.”

What do you love about working with flowers? “I love working with the vibrant colors, the fragrances, and the delicate beauty of a ‘living’ medium.”

How do you describe your work? “I like my designs to be unique, high-quality and a statement of elegance.”

What inspires you as an artist? “Colors, shapes, textures, fragrances.”

What makes you happy as an artist? “Bringing joy and beauty into the lives of others. Receiving calls and notes of thanks really is a wonderful sense of accomplishment.”

Tell us a little about what you plan to showcase at Open Studios: “I plan on creating an event showpiece and a sample bridal bouquet. I will also have unique stems on hand for those that wish to purchase single stems or a wrap of stems.”

What is your favorite place in Dorchester? “Lower Mills. I love the atmosphere, shops, restaurants, the historic trolley, and the Neponset River and dam. It has a very European and artistic feel about it, as well as being a bit nostalgic in reminding me of my childhood home.”