Rejuvenation

Crossings Gallery at the Harvard Ed Portal, Allston  July 20 – August 22, 2017

See a special recap of the Charles River Speedway here and of St. Gabriel’s here

Curated by John Quatrale, Exhibition design by Karen Smigliani

Unbound Visual Arts (UVA) and the Harvard Ed Portal are pleased to be presenting Rejuvenation in the air-conditioned Crossings Gallery at 224 Western Ave., Allston, featuring 13 artists that are also members of Unbound Visual Arts.  The free kick-off for this exhibition is a party on Thursday, July 20th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm with jazz singer Beth Purcell and Brian Friedland on the keyboard, appetizers and refreshments, short artist talks* and a raffle for popular gift cards**. Reception photos are available. The exhibition is an opportunity to delve into the life cycle of six historic Allston-Brighton landmarks through the latest Crossings Gallery and the non-profit Unbound Visual Arts curated exhibition Rejuvenation. Through mixed media works by local artists, this exhibition surveys properties in the neighborhood that have gone through a cycle of birth, deterioration, and abandonment or renewal. The works on display will also explore parallel processes of rejuvenation in human life and ask how the past and future affect the present.

See the full exhibition and download the exhibition program.

*Short artist talks by Christine Winship, Ruth Rieffanaugh and Heidi Lee. Read the text of Heidi Lee’s talk here.

** Free raffle includes: Starbucks gift cards, Fandango Gift Cards, Harvard Art Museum passes, Rancatore’s Ice Cream and Yoga gift card, Los Amigos Taqueria Restaurant Gift Card. 

Silent Auction includes:  Boston Dental Teeth Whitening, Marathon Sports Gift Card, Boston College Football tickets vs. Virginia Tech on Oct. 8th, and Warrier Skating Package.

The exhibition is curated by John Quatrale and designed by Karen Smigliani.   The artists include: Marian Dioguardi, Angela Fiori, Deborah Flusberg, Mary Gillis, Heidi Lee, Mariel Leibovich, Susan Loomis-Wing, Aline Machado Martini, Brenda Gael McSweeney, PhD, Ruth Rieffanaugh, Diane Sheridan, Anne Silber, Christine Winship.

The exhibition runs through August 22, 2017.  The Crossing Gallery at 224 Western Avenue is open Monday – Thursday 10:00 – 6:00 pm and 10:00 – 5:00 pm on Fridays. It is served by the 66, 70 and 86 MBTA buses and is one mile from the Harvard Square Station.  The gallery is air-conditioned, wheel-chair accessible accessible, and has Hubway Stations nearby.

Cosponsors include the International UNESCO/UNITWIN Network on Gender, Culture & Development based at Boston University’s Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program; and Gender and International Development Initiatives/GaIDI of the Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center.

Try the 2-minute Landmark Quiz here.

See the press release here.

See the July 5th Email news here.

Read more about the Landmarks here.

National Landmark:

City of Boston Landmarks:

See a slideshow on the history of the Charles River Speedway here

See a video about St. Gabriel’s Monastery here

Curator’s Statement:

Delve into the life cycle of six historic Allston-Brighton landmarks through the latest curated exhibition Rejuvenation, presented by the Harvard Ed Portal’s Crossings Gallery and local non-profit Unbound Visual Arts (UVA). Through mixed media works by local artists, this exhibition surveys properties in the neighborhood that have gone through a cycle of birth, deterioration, and abandonment or renewal. The works explore parallel processes of rejuvenation in human life and ask how the past and future affect the present.

Allston-Brighton is home to five sites recognized by the City of Boston as historic Landmarks.  The Allston Depot, Chestnut Hill Reservoir and Pumping Stations, and Oak Square School have completed their re-use cycles. Saint Gabriel’s Monastery and the Charles River Speedway Administration Building remain in deteriorated condition but with new revitalization plans. Harvard Stadium is the only National Historic Landmark.

Structures in the built environment, including historic buildings, undergo changes over time just like people and the natural environment. Historic properties, like the visual arts, are direct links to our community’s cultural heritage. They provide valuable and prominent reminders of who we are, what’s important, and how we’ve progressed.

 

John Quatrale, UVA Exhibition Curator

Karen Smigliani, UVA Exhibition Designer

 

Unbound Visual Arts

Unbound Visual Arts, Inc. (UVA), incorporated in 2012, is the only community-based 501(c)(3) visual arts non-profit organization based in Allston-Brighton. UVA enriches the community with educational and inspiring exhibitions and programs.  UVA has over 140 artist and art enthusiast members. It has organized over 60 exhibitions related to cultural and/or contemporary social themes with a learning experience with interpretation for the audience.  The exhibitions feature local fine art by living artists and an independent curator and exhibition designer.  Past exhibitions, which are on UnboundVisualArts.org, have included Beasts of Burden, Context of Community, Earned: Women in Business and Labor, EPIC Strength, Healthful, Olympic SPIRIT, Song Cycles, Temptation of the Mind and Body, and Unlimited.  UVA also organizes and presents and participates in other art related events, such as the the City Heart Art Show and Sale and Allston and Brookline Open Art Studios, and other art learning experiences.  UVA has organizational memberships in the Americans for the Arts, New England Museum Association and MASSCreative and has received competitive grants from the Boston Cultural Council the last two years. It also received a Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) Festivals Grant to support its annual Mardi Gras & Carnival Arts Celebration.

The Board of Directors and Council of Advisors include: Louise Bonar, Tsun Ming Chmielinski, Francis Gardino, Marcie Laden, Heidi Lee, Jeanne Lin, Susan Loomis-Wing, Brenda Gael McSweeney, PhD, Andrea Newman, Ira-Iliana Papadopoulou, PhD, Ruth Rieffanaugh, John Quatrale, Diane Sheridan, Karen Smigliani, and Christine Winship.

 

John Quatrale, Curator

John Quatrale, a founding member and current Executive Director of Unbound Visual Arts, holds a master of arts from Boston University’s American and New England Studies Department. He has museum studies post-graduate training through Harvard University’s Museum Studies Program. He has planned, designed, curated and developed over 30 fine art and historical exhibitions in local museums and galleries and has served as Museum Director for the WaterWorks Museum in Chestnut Hill, MA. Mr. Quatrale is a member of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the New England Museum Association (NEMA), the National Association of Museum Exhibitionists (NAME) and the AAM’s Curator’s Committee. In recent years, John organized and led two workshops at New England Museum Association (NEMA) annual conferences – “Exhibitions: Commemorative or Interpretative” and “Where to Exhibit Art?” . He also led an additional workshop at the American Alliance of Museum’s Annual Meeting in Philadelphia entitled: “Choosing art for History and Science Museums Exhibitions.”  John also served on the Boston Landmarks Commission for 7 years and managed several successful historic rehabilitation projects and managed the establishment of the Brighton-Allston Heritage Museum. He was also an Assistant Director for Budget and Compliance for the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development and received an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School.  Most recently, he was a Guest Juror for the “8 Visions” exhibition at the Attleboro Arts Museum, a co-chair of the Allston-Brighton Boston Creates Team and an ArtWeek Boston Community Advisor.

Karen Smigliani, Exhibition Designer

Karen Smigliani is a Founding Member of Unbound Visual Arts (UVA) and member of the Council of Advisors. She has curated several group and solo exhibits with UVA. Karen has worked in Graphic Design and Advertising with recent experience as an Account Executive. She holds a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She is an experienced business and sales manager for major corporations, including Bloomingdales, Office Depot and Staples.