A monthly bowlful of tidings and tidbits for the creatively inclined
Grab some grass and park it downtown for an intense edition of Shakespeare on the Common with local acting heavyweight Will Lyman playing the title role of King Lear. From 7/22-8/9 the storm rages and the kingdom gets divided in this epic tale of power plays, family, and politics, as an aged king can’t let go. Free and open to the public // Tuesday-Saturday 8pm, Sunday 7pm. www.CommShakes.org.
You’ve only got nine more days to catch holy Hokusai’s knockout exhibit over @ the MFA. Do not miss it. And just so you’re not suffering from withdrawal, the MFA is following it up with a show featuring his students. In the Steps of the Master: Pupils of Hokusai is a testament to the versatility of the teacher and his place as one of the most influential artists of all time. New show goes up August 29th
Ride the commuter rails to the Worcester Art Museum which is FREE 4 ALL the entire month of August! From the protective armor of samurai and knights to frightening truth in Africa’s Children of Arms, the museum is packed with paintings and pieces that will be well worth the trek.
If you’re a cartoonist or writer interested in meeting up with some like-minded folks to talk with, collaborate with, or just to bounce some ideas off of, head over to Harvard Square any Thursday at 7pm for The Boston Comics Roundtable weekly meetings @ Cambridge Main Library. All skill levels welcome!
These are the final four weeks of the Free Fun Fridays summer series, offering free admission to some spendy spots throughout MA including museums, zoos, and historical sites. All thanks to the Highland Street Foundation who puts this together every year. More details at www.HighlandStreet.org.
The Hallspace Drawing Project is back for another year offering artists the opportunity to fill a blank twenty-eight page book with drawings, keeping in mind the concept that the book is a container of ideas. Deadline for submissions is 8/29. The actual show will be up 9/5-10/10. Details at www.HallSpace.org.
Central Square’s art space staple Mobius has an open call for work going out for one-minute-long solo movement pieces to be performed on 9/25 & 9/26. The timing is strict and this should be a finished work. Deadline is 8/15. Details at www.Mobius.org.
Art on the Marquee is taking submissions for their fifteenth round of thirty-second videos, animations, or computer-generated motion works. Deadline to submit is 9/7 and those selected will be screening on the eighty-foot, three-sided LED screen for Southie to see regularly this fall. Details at www.ArtontheMarquee.com.
Old nugs . . . still good.
Thanks to some mysterious, generous donor we’d all like to know better, the Rhode Island School of Design Museum is offering free membership for one year to all Rhode Island–based artists/designers. If this is you or a friend, hop on this gravy train while it’s around in 2015. Use Discount code: RI-ARTIST.
Are you crafty? Do you wanna be? Bring your current project over to Central Square’s Out of the Blue Too any Thursday night from 6-10pm for some camaraderie while you craft. Open Crafting Thursday runs along side open mic night for some entertainment while you work. All free.
Dress to impress and head over to the Museum of Fine Art’s new exhibit on iconic American fashion photographer Herb Ritts, whose work from the ’80s and ’90s you’ll be sure to recognize. His bold style and love for the figure elevated the public’s view of fashion as art, while his portraits helped establish cultural icons. Stop by any Wednesday after 4pm to get a free peek from now to 11/8.
This month the Worcester Art Museum welcomes an extensive private folk art collection based in Central Mass. These pieces from 1800s New England were created and kept as keepsakes rather than collectible art and include works by John Brewster and Ruth Henshaw Bascom among others. American Folk Art, Lovingly Collected will be on view from now to 11/29, so hop on the commuter rail or catch a ride to the Heart of the Commonwealth.
Are you an artist looking for some opportunities but don’t know where to look? Get the full scope over at ArtSake.MassCulturalCouncil.org for a thorough-as-shit list of upcoming and current calls for artists in and around town. What’ve you got to lose?
If you’re looking to sharpen your skills in the figure-drawing department, head over to Life Drawing with David Lee @ Outpost 186 in Inman Square (Cambridge) any Sunday, 10am–1pm. Bring your own supplies and $15 for the model. All are welcome. Details at www.Outpost186.com
*Header art by Brian Connolly (Nothing Mattress)
