Friday night, July 6th, was the inspiring opening reception of the current exhibition, The Female Spectrum: An Evolution of Feminism at The ODE Gallery, located at 681 Main street in Waltham, MA, sponsored by Central Realty. The ODE’s unique style as an innovative pop up surprises suburban neighborhoods in the Greater Boston area with its showcase of powerful artwork directed to highlight social and cultural change. Curated by Executive Director, Linda Ferrer, the theme focuses on women and female empowerment in society through different interpretations of strong artistic illustrations. 
While walking around the gallery, guests were able to discuss the artwork in depth with the artists. In the background, the sound of contemporary female musicians sets a mood of curiosity, magic, and embrace. The pleasurable aesthetic of twinkling lights brightened up the room and ground spotlight enhances the colors projected by the artwork on the pure white walls. Mingling visitors were surprised to the array of delicious hors’douvres and generous selection of wines and beer for those 21 and older. Halfway through the evening, Anne Plaisance, participating artist and guest speaker of the night, spoke on the importance of female empowerment in the 21st century, women’s issues, and the healing powers of art on women in transition from abusive relationships. Speaking from the heart, she enlightened the audience with the alarmingly current statistics of sexual abuse and harassment, acknowledging double standards in our society. Plaisances’ message echoed through the gallery as a call for justice. 
All and all, the exhibition showcases seven powerful local female artists whom all have one goal in mind— creating dialogue about the struggles women have and may face in their lives. While the subject matter might seem intimidating, the exhibition carefully unravels the nature of feminism at its essence. Through a well curated space, the artists merged their different views and opinions of the subjects through their powerful and unforgettable art works. The result is a show that emanates substance, a reminder to all viewers that conversation is always the first step towards change. All in all, the various pieces in the gallery challenge some of the misconceptions regarding society’s opinions of feminism and empowerment.
The night was filled with truly creative and thought provoking energy, where each guest left with a sense of the importance of bringing art into suburban areas to touch upon profound & relevant social issues in demand by the community. The beautiful art displayed throughout the gallery are not just about the aesthetic, but is an invitation to be an instrument of change for social justice and equality.
The gallery hours are Thurs- Sat 12-6pm. The closing reception for the exhibition will be held Saturday July 28, 2018 with all day activities including a women’s circle, REUSE Workshop, Student Artist Workshop, and Poetry Reading. All proceeds go to Open Doors Exhibitions in support of local artists and social causes. For more information, visit www.artinsuburbia.org or contact [email protected].
