When I first moved to Boston from the West Coast three years ago, I didn’t get the impression that it was a particularly artistic city. Of course there are fine institutions like Symphony Hall, the Museum of Fine Arts, and quite a few ornate theatres, but traditionally Boston has been defined more by the overwhelming presence of medical, financial, research and academic establishments.
Recently, however, I have become aware of several evolving communities working to create a stronger presence of art, theatre and music – all at the same time.
Some people like to go to concerts, some are fans of art exhibits, and still others prefer performances like plays and poetry slams. But with the communal art scene in Boston, you don’t have to choose between these. Multi-genre collectives that incorporate a wide range of artistic expressions are coming together in neighborhoods all over the city. They’re part of the movement to integrate different Boston art communities into a smorgasbord of creative juices.
Take for example the new Yes. Oui. Si. Space on Vancouver St., just down the road from the Northeastern campus. What may seem like a normal art gallery from the outside is actually a multi-sensory exhibition space, working to unite mediums ranging from 2D/3D art to live music, spoken word, illustration and performance. They also display local zines and allow vendors to sell their wares in a rotating bazaar.
Not to mention they’ve got just about the most ingenious name I’ve ever heard.
The couple of events that I have attended at Yes. Oui. Si. were lively and exciting, with bands performing, poets reading and creative minds sharing ideas and inspirations.
The Whitehaus Family Record, on the other hand, has been occupying its off-kilter home for over four years now. The eclectic folks at the Whitehaus actually live in their art space and have created a sort of living, breathing organism of imagination within the walls of their house in Jamaica Plain. Going to the Whitehaus is like stepping into an I Spy book. The walls, ceilings, floors, furniture, and stairs are overflowing with creations that have been altered and added over the years. They host regular events featuring music and performance pieces.
True to its name, the Whitehaus is also a small record label. Bands on the label play at local venues and a few have toured the Northeast.
Another multi-media group is unStandard, an event production company that works to connect the Boston art and music scenes through variety shows around the city. They’ve hosted events at the Middle East, All Asia, and picked up a Saturday night residency at The Savant Project this month. Their spectacles include art displays, live painting, comedy performances, and live music. unStandard hosts functions in a range of venues so as to bring artists from different neighborhoods and colleges together.
And then there’s The Brain Trust. These guys put together a dance party like none other in Boston. Their main focus is promoting local hip hop, electronic and metal music. I’ve only been to one of their events, a record release party at Wonder Bar for an aptly named Supersillyus.
I had the fortune of being there the night they had a costume contest, enabling me to groove with the likes of Scooby Doo, a wizard, a Chinese dragon, and a whole array of jungle creatures. Mind you, this was four months after Halloween.
The event at Wonder Bar also included free body painting, projected videos, art on display, glow-in-the-dark hula-hooping, and actual flapjacks being made onstage. The Brain Trust manages to throw together unexpected elements to create a truly strange and unique atmosphere.
There’s another new space known as Cavity.Lab that is in the process of opening. I haven’t been able to check this place out yet, but it seems to be along the same vein as the other collaborations I’ve mentioned. Their sneak-peek opening last weekend included a potluck dinner, and had it not been for the required trek out to East Boston on a Saturday night, I would definitely have been down for that.
In Boston, it may be that this trend of fusing all genres of art together is only new to me – something about being here for long enough to have established myself and found my niche. It does seem to be spreading, however. Many of these groups started quite recently, and a few have been featured in previous issues of the Huntington News. I’m just excited to have found them when I did.
It’s a very inspiring thing to experience; completely open and inclusive environments for local artists of any medium. Everyone involved seems to be thrilled to have new people contribute whatever they’re passionate about. These collectives provide an outlet for creators to showcase their talents with and alongside like-minded individuals, working together to produce entertaining and genre-bending experiences.
– Annie Henderson can be reached at [email protected].
