Four-day contemporary arts bonanza upon us once again
It’s a noble tagline. As Future Arts organizers put it, the festival has faithfully been showcasing local and national, emerging and established artists in New England since 2008. Better yet, the annual blowout has grown right along with a number of creatives it has helped flash big bright lights on, illuminating nontraditional talents from the Bay Area to Boston.
This year’s four-day schedule of events for Future Arts is baffling. From the music (ABADABAD, STL GLD, Tiger Man WOAH, as well as several kickass acts that don’t use all caps), to live painting, tangential parties, and an artist roster that includes the likes of Felipe Ortiz, Merkthose, TofuSquirrel, AngelOnce, and Dave Tree. We got the rundown from longtime Dig friend Shayna Yasuhara, the director of artist relations for Future Arts whose own work will be on display as well.
This is billed as “Boston’s largest contemporary arts festival.” What is “contemporary art” by your definition, and as far as the parameters of this festival are concerned?
Contemporary art is an umbrella term used to define a wide range of works, by living artists. We purposely chose to keep the term broad, leaving space to showcase a diverse range of styles and mediums, from both emerging and established artists.
What are the roots of the Future Arts Festival, and how would you describe the evolution of events over the last nine years?
This is the first year since Jon Regan, founder of Future Arts, has moved out to the West Coast. I’m in San Francisco and we both still feel an incredible loyalty to the Boston arts community. So, while the brand has grown exponentially and continues to gain more national recognition, we’re hoping this momentum will also bring up Boston artists at the same time.
What’s something that’s completely different this year versus past Future Arts events?
This is the first year Future Arts has been opened up to an all-ages crowd. Being in Future Arts as a young artist, close to 10 years ago, was a pivotal point for me as a young artist and curator. I really hope other young people will be moved the way that I was, inspiring them to throw their own events and/or make more art.
Oh! And one other thing that’s new this year is the art brunch on Sunday at the W Hotel. Appreciating art is not limited to staring at a gallery-styled wall—we want artists and art supporters to be able to interact and for everyone to just have a good time.
There are a lot of artists participating, but give us a quick run-down of a couple of people who really stand out to you and the curating team, and tell me what really excites you about their work.
I can’t pick favorites! But there is good mix of international heavy hitters like Amara Por Dios and talented emerging artists such as Danielle Coenen. On top of sharing a lot of Boston talent, the show serves as a reunion, bringing together artists who may have moved out to New York or other cities.
There are not just musicians playing, but in a lot of cases—STL GLD, Hayley Thompson-King, for starters—they’re artists who are deeply woven into the music scene.
I’m a true believer that music and art go hand in hand, both improving and expanding on the other. We wanted this arts festival to reflect that sentiment. We’ve expanded the festival to four days and, to match a stacked lineup of artists, we needed the musical lineup to be just as robust.
With all the mixing of so-called high art and so-called low art, and downtown galleries selling what used to be considered street art for big money, where are the lines still drawn between all this stuff, if at all?
At this point, it feels like all the lines are blurred. I’m glad street art has been recognized in the art world and that it’s become more documented, but I try to avoid thinking too much about the money aspect of it.
Traditional galleries tend to rely heavily on their art sales in order to pay their rent, so you will see the most commercial work there. We are hoping to get more creative in how we cover our costs so that the type of art we show is not jeopardized. I like to curate with a gut instinct not based on trends, and in turn, I like artists who are ever-evolving and not just making art with sales in mind either.
You’ve helped organize big shows like this in the Boston area for a while. How has that changed? From the spaces that artists are able to show, to the kind of work they’re selling and that people are really looking for, to the prices that they’re getting for their work.
Overall, the internet has given a lot more artists and galleries a platform to show work all the time, which is great. But not all artwork translates nicely onto a screen. You’ve got to see it in person! Art shows are an experience and should be valued as such. There’s always room for more opportunities.
You’ve also worked quite a bit on the West Coast. Obviously bigger cities like Oakland and Los Angeles have larger, more comprehensive scenes, but when it comes to the kind of work we will be seeing at Future Arts, what are some similarities and major differences between Boston and some of the trends you’ve noticed in Cali?
As an artist who was just getting their start right around the time of the first Future Arts, this was a pivotal experience for me. Future Arts was one of my first big shows. It really formed me as an artist and later as a curator. I’ve been pursuing both ever since.
In the San Francisco Bay Area there [are] so many shows and art events it’s difficult to get a good lay of the land. In Boston, it seems there are still plenty of artists but less curators, so big shows seem to happen less often. One thing I will say is that when a show does come together, Boston rallies. You will see artists and art supporters come out of the woodwork. It’s truly amazing.
Out of curiosity—how might an artist from out of town haul all their shit to Boston across the country for a show like this?
Teamwork makes the dream work! We have members of our operational team based in Boston and receiving art shipments for the show. Since there are quite a few artists being featured, each one will be showing a sampling of their work, which cuts down on any one artist shipping a huge amount of work. The whole thing is a coming together of community.
Thursday, October 5 Opening Night!
- Future Arts Exhibition Center, Arts at the Armory, 5:30-11pm
- Music by: Diablogato, STL GLD, Hayley Thompson-King
- Afterparty, 10pm-1am, Location TBA
Friday, October 6
- Future Arts Exhibition Center, Arts at the Armory, 5:30-11pm
- Music by: The Honey Sauce Band, Tiger Man WOAH, Dirty Bangs, These Wild Plains
- Afterparty, 10pm-1am, Location TBA
Saturday, October 7
- Future Arts Exhibition Center, Arts at the Armory, 5:30-11pm
- Music by: ABADABAD, The Dazies, Esh The Monolith
- Afterparty, 10pm-2am, The Gallery at W Boston Hotel
Sunday, October 8
- Art Brunch, The Gallery at W Boston Hotel, 12pm-5pm, W Boston Hotel
FUTURE ARTS FESTIVAL. THU 10.5–SUN 10.8. ARTS AT THE ARMORY AND OTHER VENUES. MORE INFO AT FUTUREARTSFESTIVAL.COM
Dig Staff means this article was a collaborative effort. Teamwork, as we like to call it.
