This week, Boston’s art lovers will be appearing all over the city for ArtWeek Boston, a biannual program that celebrates the creative achievements of the city’s artists. With events ranging from painting workshops and music performances to gallery tours and liquor tastings, the ArtWeek initiative brings the general public and the arts community together for unique and diverse experiences. Although ArtWeek is already in motion, there are still plenty of events taking place over the upcoming week. Don’t know where to begin? We rounded up our top picks for the remainder of ArtWeek—and whether you’re an arts expert or new to the Boston arts scene, we’ve got you covered.
1. Boston Literary Cultural District Launch Week
Dates: Now Through Oct. 5
This October, Boston will be home to the first Literary Cultural District in the U.S.—an area covering Copley Square and downtown Boston that will feature events akin to the Boston Book Festival and promote the city’s rich literary history. For all you book lovers, no need to wait until the official launch—ArtWeek Boston will be hosting a series of events leading up to the district’s launch. Highlights include the “Writers Are In” pop-up booths, where you can “pop in” and visit a writer who will provide a writing prompt to guide you in your creative writing pursuits. On Wednesday, Oct. 1, Pulitzer Prize finalist Dick Lehr will be giving a reading and signing of his latest book Whitey, which comes after Lehr’s coauthoring of Black Mass—currently being turned into a film starring Johnny Depp as Whitey Bulger. Plus, Carrie Nation Restaurant will be offering a literary-themed menu throughout the week. Patrons can try the Poe-Boy Sandwich and Mel-Ville Chowder, or go back to the good old days with some Green Eggs and Ham.
2. Curator Tour of Arthur Griffin: A Singular Vision Exhibition Tour
Oct. 1, 4:30-6 p.m. | Lafayette City Center | Price: Free
Arthur Griffin is a photojournalist responsible for many “firsts” in the history of Boston’s photography scene. In the 1930s, he was the exclusive photographer for The Boston Globe’s Rotogravure Magazine, which was newly established at the time, and eventually photographed over 2,000 images for the publication. Griffin was also the first photographer to take a color image of Red Sox player Ted Williams and boxer Joe Louis, and also provided the first color images to appear in The Saturday Evening Post. During ArtWeek, the Griffin Museum of Photography, in conjunction with the Lafayette City Center in Downtown Crossing, will present an exhibition of this accomplished photographer’s work, called A Singular Vision. The curators will provide a free tour of the exhibit, with a comprehensive background of Griffin’s images.
3. Descience Final Garment Exhibition: ArtWeek at Koch Institute
Oct. 2, 6-8 p.m. | Koch Institute at MIT | Price: $10
For the team members at Descience, scientists are not just restricted to the labs—they are taking their research to the runway. Descience, a project that brings together scientists and fashion designers from all over the world, will be hosting an exclusive ArtWeek exhibition with the Koch Institute at MIT. The designers and scientists will be available to discuss the science-inspired fashions, and visitors can watch videos detailing the creative process. Featured garments will have recently been modeled at a runway show in the MIT Media Lab, which is judged by science research and fashion experts. If you want to see fashion beyond your weekly episodes of Project Runway, the Descience exhibition will showcase just what happens when arts and sciences fuse together.
4. PaintNite in the Pavilion at the Boston Harbor Hotel
Oct. 2, 7-9 p.m. | Boston Harbor Hotel | Price: $35
“Wine and cheese” is enough incentive for any event, and the Boston Harbor Hotel is offering painting lessons on top of fancy refreshments. With step-by-step instructions, participants can learn to paint their own custom canvas—with the beautiful Boston harbor as a visual muse. If you like wine and cheese, but have not picked up a paintbrush since middle school, have no fear: supplies are provided and no painting experience is necessary.
5. Frost Beat
Oct. 2-3, 5-8 p.m. | Frost Ice Bar | Price: $20 | 21-plus event
At this point, visiting Frost Ice Bar—New England’s only ice bar—is probably on everyone’s bucket list. For two days, ArtWeek takes over the bar as an icy venue for FROST BEAT, a performance featuring percussionists Maria Finkelmeier and Amy Garapic. The performers will be experimenting with the sight, sound, and feel of ice as a musical element, creating an interactive concert experience. We’re not exactly sure what happens when you put together music and ice, but it’s sure to be a chilling performance.
6. Roxbury Art Crawl
Oct. 5, 1-4 p.m. | Piano Craft Gallery | Price: $10
Roxbury Open Studios—an annual event for Roxbury’s visual artists to showcase and sell their works to the public—is featuring a walking tour of the neighborhood on Sunday, the final day of ArtWeek. The tour will stop at cultural landmarks, and guests will have the chance to speak with the members that make up Roxbury’s rich artistic community. The art crawl is organized by New Art Love, creators of ArtApp Boston+, an app which provides a consolidated guide to art events in Boston. For the art tour, however, visitors can take a break from their phones and enjoy a Sunday stroll through one of Boston’s most vibrant art neighborhoods.
Featured Image Courtesy of Frost Ice Bar
