The heart of Roxbury pulsed with artistic energy as Roxbury Open Studios held its 25th annual Arts Festival Oct. 5 and 6 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury. Running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the two-day-long festival was a multi-medium, multicultural and multigenerational community celebration.

This year, the event was held in memory of Darlene Smart, co-coordinator of A Good Piece of Glass and Roxbury Open Studios. The event, free and open to the public, aimed not just to display art, but to highlight the artistic splendor that thrives within the Roxbury community.

“We believe arts and culture are a vehicle for economic development and community upliftment,” said Candelaria Silva, founder of the Roxbury Art Series. This sentiment resonated throughout the event, where creativity was both celebrated and recognized as a catalyst for change.

The festival featured an array of artistic mediums, ranging from paintings and drawings to clothing and accessories. 

“I never considered art as a profession,” said artist Percy Davis. “It just came natural[ly] to me.”

Surrounded by his multitude of paintings, Davis exemplified the organic spirit and artistry of the festival. With a small canvas set on an easel, Davis continued his sketches amidst conversation with patrons.

Another vendor, Jacquelyn Fitzhugh, sold handmade pottery, some of which was thrown on a wheel and others hand-built slab pieces.

“I like meeting people and hearing what they have to say about my pieces,” Fitzhugh said. “They’ll explain to me what they’re going to do with it and why they like it.” 

Many people repurpose her creations in unexpected ways. People use her vases to hold their pencils and bowls to hold their hair accessories, she said.

Anne Nydam, an artist who specializes in relief print block making, sat in front of her work inside the track center. Nydam carves rubber and wooden blocks, then rolls ink over them and presses them onto paper. She had a rubber block and carving tool on her table, inviting patrons their hand at the medium, offering a glimpse into her creative process.

“Like a lot of artists, I’m an introvert,” Nydam said. “I’m all by myself, and I’m happy and I’m just doing my work, but it’s nice to balance that with actually then meeting people. It’s nice to meet the person who’s buying the piece and hear the story about why they’re getting it.”

Another inspiring presence, Rosalyn Elder, was selling books. She co-founded and operated a multi-cultural bookstore, Jamaicaway Books, from 1999 to 2012. She also founded African American Heritage in Massachusetts, a retail brand that focuses on preserving, celebrating and promoting the contributions and history of African Americans in the state through educational programs, cultural events and historical research. Her series of publications celebrates the legacy of African Americans in Massachusetts.

“People often asked ‘Do you have anything about Black history, or do you have anything about Black history in Massachusetts?’ and they were looking for trade publications as opposed to scholarly books, so I decided to put these books together,” Elder said about her time at Jamaicaway Books. 

Elder spent 12 years meticulously researching and curating her publications, searching to fill a vital gap in local history. “It’s exhausting, but not exhaustive,” she said.

The weekend-long art festival served to both educate the general public and display art in Roxbury. Artists shared their work and built connections with the community.

Artists like Nydam taught their art medium while others, like Davis, hoped to inspire the next generation of creatives.

“[Many artists] like being able to meet [new people] and talk to people, engage them and hopefully interest them in the subject,” Elder said. The spirit of connection was evident throughout the festival, where art became a bridge between creators and the community.

As the weekend unfolded, it was clear that the Roxbury Open Studios Arts Festival was more than just an event — it was a vibrant celebration of culture, creativity and community resilience. With each brushstroke, sculpted form and heartfelt story, the festival reinforced the vital role of arts in enriching lives and fostering connections within Roxbury and beyond.