OFF THE WALL: PREVIEW: 50-100-150 @ RIVERSIDE GALLERY

On Sunday August 26, the Riverside Gallery is hosting their annual 50-150-100 Pop Up Summer Show. The show features 50 pieces from local artists, each piece going for $100 for only 150 minutes. It’s like speed dating for art. But not awkward. In addition to the possibility of finding the artwork of your dreams, there will be snacks and live music. Not too shabby for a Sunday evening!

What makes this show so unique is that it’s curated and juried by local artist Lola Baltzell and Gallery Director Carol Moses. These ladies have chosen the cream of the crop for the Pop Up Show. I was excited to talk to Lola about her experience co-curating the show.

“It’s really exciting to be in this position because the artists are so fun and intriguing. So basically I went with the work I found interesting. I’m not necessarily looking for colors or themes. I’m just interested to see which pieces go for 100 bucks. We have encaustics, black and white photos, drawings, mixed media collages. It’s mostly 2-D work. And it’s great to be a Juror and see all this work.”

The show is very low maintenance in terms of promotion and presentation, which creates a laid back atmosphere. It’s always nice to see galleries take a modest turn away from the usual sterile, white-walled, stuffy sort of gallery into something more warm and community-oriented.

“I’ve been an artist for some years so I have many great connections, and I was really amazed by how many people have contacted me to be in the show. The show is really accessible and down-to-earth because the prices are already set and everyone is allowed to hang their work however they like.”

As an artist herself, Lola understands the creative process and what it really takes to produce quality work. Her informed taste paired with her connections in the art community have attracted some of Boston’s greatest local talent to the upcoming show. Kyle Lindholm‘s submissions were gladly accepted into the show because of skill and his hilarious description of the art:

“A traditional subject, such as a hare, need be revisited and have the
stuffing knocked out of it on occasion. If not, such subjects tend to take
themselves too seriously and become ostentatious. That’s kinda the gist.”
-Lindholm

Katrina Majkut‘s work seems to be more serious in comparison, however her impressive black and white photographs are an exciting addition to the show

“I have a real immediate yes or no kind of feeling when I look at work. I can remember a few that really impressed me. Somebody did some very beautiful black and white photographs. Her name is Katrina Majkut,” Lola said.

“This other woman sent these really wacky drawings and it just shows that there’s something for everybody. Her name is Sarah Kinnie. She does political maps about no international boundaries. I amazed at what came into my inbox.”

Kinnie’s work is particularly interesting because of her effective balance of literal representation and ambiguity. This concept is not only conveyed through shape, but also in her unique choice of neutral or subtle colors.

“Who knew that all this great work is out there? I mean, if I had the space and money I’d buy something from everybody. And it’s all such thoughtful work.”

“I’m intrigued in this pop up idea. I would love to do more pop up shows. People are less inhibitied and theres a certain freedom that I’m seeing. When you show at a gallery its always so fricken precious. It’s really not that fun.”

“I’m really turned on by the price aspect. Because people have so many ideas of how to price things and it gets really uptight around pricing. And when you go to galleries you never know what things cost and it can be really intimidating. And I think most artists really want to have their work out into the world rather than just make money. I think there’s a natural impulse to get it out there.”

In addition to the fun, laid back environment, the show supports something very near and dear to my heart: local art. The price is accessible and the talent is raw. I couldn’t think of a better way to go about hanging something beautiful on your wall and feeling good about it.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to Pier One and bought [artwork] to throw on the wall because I have to. This is such a better way to spend money: on local art.”

The gallery also features some great local music. A couple of acoustic sets will set the mood during the 150 minutes of the art sharing goodness.

“We also have two musical acts coming in. One of them is Mike Davis, who plays music from the Greek Aegean Islands, and the other is Kyle Davis (no relation). They are just thrilled because they are up-and-comers. Kyle is 17 years old and he’s an experienced musician. He is a guitarist, pianist, and a singer. So there are a bunch of really cool things in the show.”

50-100-150 POP UP SUMMER SHOW

SUN 8.26.12
THE RIVERSIDE GALLERY
5 CALLENDER STREET
CAMBRIDGE MA 02139
5:30PM-8PM
FACEBOOK.COM/RIVERSIDEGALLERY