Fort Point Open Studios This Weekend

Fort Point Open Studios is this weekend! Come explore the art being created behind the doors of our historic waterfront warehouses and meet local artists, craftspeople and performers. Find established artists and discover new emerging talents. Immerse yourself in a captivating array of artwork. Buy original art directly from the people who make it. (There are only 76 shopping days until the holidays.)

Fort Point Open Studios is free and open to public. It takes place:

• Friday, October 13, 2023 from 4pm to 7pm (select studios)
• Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11am to 5pm
• Sunday, October 15, 2023 from 11am to 5pm

Fort Point will be alive with art, music, demonstrations, performances and public art.

Numerous Studios will be open in the neighborhood. 

The Artist Building at 300 Summer

The Muse (formerly Factory 63) at 63 Melcher St.

249 A Street Artists Cooperative including the 249 A Street Open Studios Artists Group Show at The Gallery at 249A

Midway Studios including Midway Open Studios Artists Group Show at the Midway Gallery at 15 Channel Center St

More Galleries

Atlantic Wharf presenting "Unearth" at 290 Congress St.

Assemblage Art Space presents FPAC Members Annual Open Studios Showcase at 70a Sleeper St (across from the Barking Crab at the Envoy Hotel).

Special Events

The Muse (63 Melcher St.) is hosting live music performances and a wine tasting. 

• On Saturday, Thomas Collum (violin, classical) at 2pm, Hua Ye /Jane (host, piano solo, classical) at 3pm and Joanna Lee (flute, classical) at 4pm. 
• On Sunday, Guillermo del Angel (cello, classical) at 2pm, Madeleine Farmer (vocal, pop) at 3pm and Hua Ye /Jane (host, piano solo, classical) at 4pm. 

Midway Studios (15 Channel Center St)

Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) is offering family-friendly performances, demonstrations, and a showcase of work by Midway community artists. Programs will take place both indoors (Fort Point Lyric Room #102) and outdoors on BLO's Street Stage. 

Saturday

• Stage performances every half hour from 12pm to 3:30pm (rain date is Sunday) 
• BLO Demonstrations every half hour from 12:3pm to 3pm at Fort Point Lyric Room. 
• Special Guest:  Sharon Montella, Midway Studios’ dancer, choreographer and World Champion Black Belt in the dance-like form of Chinese Kung Fu, will perform her creative choreography at 3pm  
• Hansel & Gretel at 3:30pm for children aged 5 to12 years old.

 Sunday

• Fort Point Lyric Room Performances every half hour from12:30pm to 4pm.

Studio Troika is creating architectural experiences through virtual reality and is using Legos for model making (Saturday and Sunday in room 104).  On Saturday only, there will be an Architectural Wheel of Fortune. Come guess the correct architectural style to win a prize! 

For more details, visit Fort Point Open Studios 2023 or take a sneak peak at the digital Fort Point Open Studios program . 

Fort Point Open Studios is accessible by public transit from South Station, West Broadway  and the Silver line Courthouse station. Free parking is available at the Channelside lot (244 A Street). Open Studios parking passes can be found in the Open Studios program, which are available at any of the artist buildings or the information booth located at 241 A Street (Barlow’s Restaurant patio).

For over forty years, the the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC) and the artists of Fort Point have welcomed visitors into their live-work studios annually to share the arts, industry, and creative culture of this unique community. To learn more about the history of artists in the neighborhood and the history of Fort Point, read A Short History of Fort Point by Don Eyles including Fort Point: A Brief History by the Seaport Alliance for Neighborhood Design.

This Week and Next Week In The Neighborhood

updated 9/21 with South Boston Street Fest rescheduled to October 7th  

Please scroll down for happenings the week of September 11th.

September 5: 232 A Street Impact Advisory Group Public Meeting at 6pm The Proposed Project will construct a single-building 455,050 gsf lab/office/R&D development located at 232 A Street on the G8 parcel of 100 Acres Planned Development Area plus a waterfront park on the adjacent G7 parcel along Fort Point Channel. The public is welcome to attend and listen. Register 

September 5: The developer filed a combined Project Notification Form (Article 80) and Environmental Notification Form (MEPA); therefore, both City & State review processes are occurring around the same time with the MEPA comment deadline currently scheduled for  now extended to September 19th. Comments may be sent to Nick Perry.

September 6: CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE HEARING AT 10AM ON DOCKET #1043 to discuss increasing emergency services in tandem with population growth. For details for on providing written or verbal testimony (comments), click here.

September 6: Conservation Commission Public Meeting at 6pm. South and East Jetty (3 Dolphin Way) is on the agenda.

September 9: Insight Global: Be The Light hosted by WS Development will prepare you for your dream job. The event is from 9am-4pm at 88 Seaport Blvd. 

September 9: "State of Emergency, State of the Earth" art opening reception (4:30pm to 6:30pm) and runway show at 7pm at Midway Artist Studios. More details.

September 9: A Potter and A Painter- Creative Collaboration opening reception from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at FPAC's Assemblage at the Envoy Hotel, 70 Sleeper St

To Buy An Artist Live/Work Coop or A Condo, That Is The Question

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between a condo and an artist live/work cooperative? Join artist Christine Vallioncourt to learn tips on buying one versus the other. 

Monday, April 24, 2023

FPAC Assemblage Gallery

The Envoy Hotel (across from the Barking Crab)

5:30pm - 6:30pm

R.S.V.P. to this free event

Christine Vaillancourt is a painter and an original member of The Artist Building Cooperative at 300 Summer Street, a 47 live/work unit building for visual artists, founded by the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC) in 1995. The Artist Building is located in historic Fort Point within the South Boston waterfront.

In the 70s and 80s, Christine earned a real estate license to find, buy, move in, fix up, and sell houses in Newport, RI. She was 25 when she purchased her first house. On a teacher’s salary, she renovated and sold 7 houses from 1971-1987. One of those houses, Christine converted into 5 condos, marketed, and sold them; another, she renovated a fixer-upper Victorian and created a 17-guestroom inn, operated the inn for a few years and then sold the business. Her father was a home builder who taught her some of his renovating skills.

Christine moved to Boston in 1989 to join a bigger artist community and to experience Boston city life. In 2014, she retired from her teaching career. As Chair of the Sales Committee at The Artist Building, she provides buyers with information and hosts showings of new listings. You may see some her art at the new MBTA GLX Ball Square Station in Somerville and at ChristineVaillancourt.com.

FPAC Presents MBTA Integrated Art & Objects Screening

MBTA Green Line Extension Integrated Public Art / Seven GLX Stations
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 9th  |  5:00pm –7:30pm
Location: FPAC Gallery, 300 Summer Street
Curator: Christine Vaillancourt
R.S.V.P.

FPAC invites you to the opening reception for the MBTA Green Line
Extension Public Artists Exhibition at the FPAC Gallery!  The event 
will start at 5pm and end at 7:30pm. Refreshments will also be served
and alcohol for those who are of age. Though this is a free event,
registration is encouraged.

 
In 2014, the MBTA began selection of artists to create public art for
seven new stations for the Green Line Extension (GLX) through Cambridge,
Somerville, and Medford. The selection committee was comprised of the
Arts Councils of Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, and MBTA and GLX architects.

The MBTA’s GLX Integral Art Program incorporated art into the design rather
than add-ons or afterthoughts. The intent was to humanize the environment
and uniqueness of each station experienced by the ridership and the various
communities. Various concepts and final works are presented with some
of the artists juxtaposing work not related to the stations. 

OBJECTS Private Screening & Discussion

Film Screening: Thursday, June 9th  |  7:00pm – 9:00pm

Location: Assemblage, 70 Sleeper Street

Director: Vincent Liota

R.S.V.P.

"An Object's Promise" and FPAC invite you to a private screening of
"OBJECTS," an endearing, entertaining, and existential film about the
secret lives of the special objects that preserve memories, conjure
experiences, and create meaning in our lives. Followed by a discussion
with director, Vincent Liota.

The screening is part of the exhibition "An Object’s Promise", a
playful and poignant maximalist intervention that raises
consciousness about our possessions and intentions.

May Happenings Around or About The Neighborhood

updated 05.19.22 with May 26 Congress St Reconstruction Public Meeting and May 31st 51 Melcher St. IAG Public Meeting.

UPCOMING HAPPENINGS

May 18: Conservation Commission Meeting start at 6pm. Check out neighborhood items on the agenda from ICA Cliff Diving to Pier 10 (38 Drydock) to L Street Power Plant to MassDOT improvements on Cypher, Richards & Fargo.

May 19: Parcel X (310 Northern Ave.) Public Meeting 6pm - 8pm. The proponent proposes the demolition of the two (2) existing, single-story industrial buildings and the construction of a new, two (2)-building, approximately 742,000 square foot life sciences/research and development campus 

May 20 - May 22: HarpoonFest 2022 Celebrate the local Boston music scene with beer in hand! Friday 6pm - 11pm and Saturday 12pm - 7pm at 306 Northern Ave.

May 21: Boston Harbor Islands Free Ferry Day from 8am – 2:30pm. Tickets available on first come, first serve basis. 

May 24: FPNA Fort Point Seaport Neighborhood Gathering at 6pm. 

May 26: Congress St. (Fort Point) Reconstruction Project Public Meeting at 6:30pm. Boston Public Works will present revised designs to sidewalks, lighting, crosswalks and street trees informed by feedback from residents and businesses since February's meeting. Register Today.

May 27: Fort Point Arts Community Final Friday’s Open Mic @ Assemblage 5pm - 9pm. Artists interested in performing at the event should show up at 5 pm to get on the setlist and patrons interested in watching should arrive around 6 pm. R.S.V.P.

May 31: 51 Melcher St Impact Advisory Group Public Meeting at 6pm regarding proposed conversion to Life Sciences labs and office.  The purpose of the meeting is the potential impacts and mitigation for the project. Register.

June 2: MBTA Better Busses Route Changes For Boston Public Meeting at 6pm

City Budget Hearings Schedule

• May 26: City Council Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Dockets #0480-0486, 0497-0498, 0501, FY23 Budget: Environment, Parks, Environment Revolving Funds, Parkman Fund at 2pm
• May 31 City Council Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Dockets #0480-0486, FY23 Budget: Boston Planning and Development Agency | Boston.gov at 2pm

COMMENT DEADLINES

June 10th: MEPA BMIP/Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park Master Plan and 24 Drydock NPC. Watch MEPA Virtual RLFMPF Master Plan Update site visit. Direct comments to Alexander Strysky, MEPA Analyst.

originally published 05.17.22

Art Is Springing Up In The Neighborhood

3/28/19: Updated to include Friday March 29th's one night only show at The Distillery.

March into spring with a collection of diverse art happenings starting Friday, and street cleaning resumes Tuesday, April 2, 2019.  

Friday, March 29: The Distillery presents the premiere of Georden West's Patron Saint, an otherworldly black-and-white film, featuring the looks of fashion designer, and current Project Runway contestant, Jamall Osterholm. One night only 7pm - 10pm at 516 East 2nd St. More details.

Sunday, March 31: Fort Point Theatre Channel presents By The Book, a reading of a play

by Amy Merrill. Free admission. Donations appreciated. 2pm at Midway Artist Studios (15 Channel Center St.) More details.

Tuesday, April 2: Street Cleaning begins Tuesdays from 9 am to 1 pm on A Street and on Binford Street . Sign up for No Tow Alerts. (You will need to enter street name in search first.) 

Thursday, April 4: Opening reception of Regali: Sicilian Stories from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the FPAC Gallery located on the lower level of 300 Summer St. More details.

Saturday, April 6: Opening reception of Sustainable Photography from 6pm - 8pm at Assemblage at The Envoy Hotel. More details.

Monday, April 8: 20 Knots: Daffodils for Boston, a public art installation of enormous daffodils, at Seaport Common (85 Northern Ave). More details.

"Water Levels" Closing Reception This Friday

Vital, powerful, and beautiful, water is a critical resource for everyday life. In Boston, a city so close to the ocean, rising sea levels provoke serious conversations on climate change and the future. 

"Water Levels", an FPAC member group show, considers water formally, conceptually, and thematically across a variety of mediums including photography, painting, drawing, works on paper, and sculpture. 

If you haven't seen "Water Levels" at the Fort Point Arts Community's (FPAC) new art space, Assemblage, you are in luck. FPAC invites you to join them for their closing reception this Friday, November 2, 2018 from 5 pm to 7 pm.  Assemblage is located at 70 Sleeper Street on the ground level of the Envoy Hotel across from the Barking Crab.

A Weekend Of Hidden Treasures Awaits

Have you ever wondered about the value of that family heirloom or yard sale find? Join the Labouré Center today until 3 pm for Hidden Treasures: Skinner Appraisal Event. General admission is $20 and includes the verbal appraisal and evaluation of one item. All proceeds directly support Catholic Charities Labouré Center programs which focus on education & job readiness, family stabilization, and youth & senior services. The Laboure Center is located at 275 West Broadway (Broadway & D Streets). More details.

Don't have that treasured item yet? Don't worry. The Fort Point Arts Community 39th annual Fort Point Open Studios is this Saturday, October 13, 2018 and Sunday, October 14, 2018 from noon to six pm.  Hunt through the studies of over 100 artists to find your treasured piece(s) of art. Fort Point is home to painters, sculptors, photographers, fashion designers, potters, jewelers, graphic and industrial designers, and galleries. 

Explore the FPAC Gallery (300 Summer Street), the Midway Gallery at Midway Artists Studios, 15  Channel Center Street,  249 A Street Gallery, and the Atlantic Wharf Gallery at 290 Congress  Street and  FPAC's Assemblage, a community art space at 70 A Sleeper  Street. There will be live performances, artist demonstrations and art in unexpected outdoor places. For a complete listing of participating studios, special events, performances and public art  click here. 

Admission is free and so is the parking! Free parking is available all weekend at Central Parking Lot across from 249 A Street, access from Binford Street. Just pull a ticket when you enter, and scan the special bar code on the back of our 2018 Fall Open Studios brochure as you leave! Brochures are available in all the buildings as well as at information tables. You can also use the code on your phone here.

Happy treasure hunting.