Celebrating 25 years: Somerville Open Studios....
Where creativity comes alive!
For this year’s milestone event, Somerville Open Studios (SOS), the Somerville Arts Council and the Inside-OUT Gallery will be “partying like it’s 1999 by showcasing a selection of first-time members as well seasoned artists that have been participating throughout the years.
Exhibit Theme:
Celebrating 25 years of Art in the ‘Ville
Somerville Open Studios’s milestone silver anniversary is one that shimmers with anticipation. In its purest form, silver is a malleable element with the highest form electrical conductivity. The art community, just as its silver metaphorical counterpart, is a catalyst that uses its unique ability to spark creative energy from its surroundings. For twenty-five years, this has been the Somerville Open Studios mantra-- to create, inspire, ignite, and bring Somerville-created art to the masses. In the spirit of this theme, we asked applicants to reflect on what SOS has meant to them over the years. So, don that funky raspberry beret and get ready for another exciting SOS event.
As a way to reflect on the significance and impact SOS has had on the community, artist were asked "what has SOS meant to them over the years and what was their hopes for when they first participated". Here are a few of the selected responses.
“I have participated in SOS for almost all of the 25 years. In the beginning, I was a young mother, new to Somerville with a studio just
beginning to fill with work. SOS was a great way to become a part of my community and share my work and receive wonderful feedback. It has become a healthy yearly ritual of cleaning my studio, pulling out old work, intermixing it with new work and taking a step back to think about what I might want to make next. I am now an empty nester, with a studio cluttered and filled with years of work to share. Now, after all these years, SOS is a reunion of all the folks I have come to know during my years in Somerville.” - Julie Peck
“I first moved to Somerville in winter of 2014 and SOS was one of the first events I attended in my new city. I walked through Vernon St. Studios and stopped in people’s at-home studios and I knew I wanted to be involved in this community. After 10 years of attending SOS as a visitor and admirer, I’m excited to be on the other side of it this year. ” - Stephanie Vecellio
"Since I moved to Somerville nine years ago, SOS has been my guiding light in my art. It’s the light I can’t wait to see again, year after year. Trepidation wasn’t in my book when I first participated, only anticipation. And it was met with great fulfillment and success.
Thank you SOS! Here’s to you, for another 25 years!" -Yildiz Grodowski
“My first Somerville Open Studio I participated as a local graduate student in a group show. I hoped to sell some work and gain some
feedback about what I was making from a broader audience. Those goals haven’t changed, but in the intervening years I have become a full-time artist and pottery teacher. From an artist perspective the show has become a cornerstone of my annual engagement with my neighbors and the Somerville arts community which I find incredibly valuable.” - Robert D Boyer
Participating Artists:
Aliza Arzt
Clint Attebery
Jim Baab
Robert Boyer
Liv Cappello
Alison Drasner
Stan Eichner
Yildiz Grodowski
Michael Kersh
Pauline Lim
Melissa London
Charles Daniels Photography
Samantha Paris Estes
Julie Peck
Judith Prager
Hilary Scott
Nicholas Shectman
Stephanie Vecellio
Find out more about the featured artists & this year’s Somerville Open Studio event by visiting:
somervilleopenstudios.org
About Somerville Open Studios
Somerville Open Studios (SOS) is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of producing an annual open studio and related events in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Through its programming, SOS gives access to the work of visual artists living and working in the city of Somerville. We provide opportunities to view art made within the community; to interact with local artists; and to have access to artists’ working spaces. Our goal is to broaden the public’s exposure to, and appreciation of, finished works of art as well as the art-making process. This exposure both educates the community and raises awareness of the diverse artistic experience available in Somerville.
Somerville Open Studios is managed by a Board of Directors comprised of participating artists. An Open Studios executive committee is formed each year to organize the event. This committee is assisted by many dedicated volunteers. New volunteers are always welcome. Please contact us if you would like to become involved!
About the Inside-Out Gallery
Initiated in 2009, The Inside-Out Gallery is located in the CVS Window in Davis Square, a unique space that allows the public to view an eclectic array of works from artists and local organizations each month. The mission of the Somerville Arts Council is to cultivate and celebrate the creative expressions of the Somerville community. Through innovative collaborations and quality programming we work to make the arts an integral part of life reflective of our diverse city.