MOHR & MCPHERSON CLOSING IN SOWA
Signs went up last week that the anchor Mohr & McPherson Furniture showroom and store in the SoWa Art and Design District is closing its doors forever.
This week, a note went up on the website confirming the store was closing and the owner was retiring. There are currently sales of 30-70 percent off all items according to the Web site. The closing of the store will leave a huge gap in the retail and showroom space in the SoWa District on Harrison Avenue, with the furniture store being somewhat like an anchor tenant.
Last February, Owner Kevin McPherson said the three-floor store with a coffee shop would scale back.
“We’re not closing, but we are decreasing the size of our store’s footprint and having more of an online, Internet business,” he said then. “Brick-and-mortar retail is really on the ropes and it can’t get enough neighborhood help and it can’t get too much support…Brick and mortar is as expensive as ever to operate, and traffic to the stores is down…Businesses can only survive so much.”
UNDERGROUND AT INK BLOCK SEPT. 9
The new Underground at Ink Block park beneath the Expressway in the South End will open with a colossal artistic celebration on Saturday, Sept. 9.
The opening is the culmination of a partnership between the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and National Development, the developer of Ink Block adjacent to the new park. It will unleash eight-acres of parkland, 175 new parking spots, boardwalks connecting the park, a new dog park, a waterfront walkway and a cutting-edge graffiti mural installation.
The park opens to the public with a full day of programming and events including the Underground Mural Project powered by Reebok in partnership with National Development. Reebok International Ltd., now headquartered in Boston, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of fitness and lifestyle footwear, apparel and equipment.
The 2017 Underground Mural Project brings together today’s most popular and influential street artists to transform over 150,000 square feet of mural walls. The 2017 participating artists include: Cey Adams (New York City), Don Rimx (Puerto Rico), Imagine876 (Boston) Hoxxoh (Miami), Marka27 (Boston), Percy Fortini Wright (Boston), Problak (Boston), Upendo (Los Angeles), Vyal One (Los Angeles), Ewok (Boston), Thy Doan (Boston) & Andrew Balboa (Boston).
The newly transformed walls and park will be unveiled at the first annual ‘Underground GetDown’ block party scheduled for Sept. 9, from 2-6 p.m. The event includes the Loco Beer Garden in partnership with Sierra Nevada, DJ’s Gucci Vuitton and Braun Dapper spinning hip hop, house, funk and soul, plus Epic ping pong, lawn games, activities for children and pets, food trucks and more.
The event is free and open to the public.
COPENHAGEN BEER FESTIVAL MOVES TO SOWA
The Copenhagen Beer Festival that was originally going to take place at City Hall Plaza has been relocated to the SoWa Power Station in the South End.
The Copenhagen Beer Festival Boston will bring together the brewers from around the world and pair them with live music. The Copenhagen Beer Festival has been held for years in its hometown of Copenhagen, Denmark, and is returning to the U.S. this September for one weekend only to SoWa Power Station, Boston, on Sept. 22 and 23.
This event is strictly 21 and over. Tickets range in price from $65 to $250.
Doors open Friday evening at 5 p.m. and close at 10 p.m. Saturday the doors open 10 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to take public transportation as no parking will be made available in the area.
CHESTER SQUARE BLOCK PARTY
On Sept. 9, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., the Chester Square Area Neighborhood Association will be holding their very first block party in Chester Park. There will be free food, live music, and games.
The Huntington YMCA will be donating games and other supplies to help facilitate the fun. The carriageways along with Massachusetts Ave., along the middle of the park will be closed down to allow for kids to ride bikes or draw with chalk on the street.
Nick Horan who has been organizing the event on behalf of the neighborhood organization said that the goal is to get more people engaged in the parks and meeting their neighbors.
“We are trying to be exclusive as possible and get people out there,” said Horan. “We will have free good and games. We want to get the kids out there and use the park…we want to have neighbors meet one another.”
Donations are still welcomed to help support this event. To learn more visit: www.csana.wordpress.com.
SOUTH END DATES
- The Eight Streets Neighborhood Association will have its first meeting of the fall season on Tuesday, Sept. 12, in Project Place at 6:45 p.m. On the agenda is a presentation from the South End Historical Society.
- Old Dover Neighborhood Association has settled the discussion on moving its meeting date, deciding on the third Tuesday of the month. The first meeting this fall will be on Tuesday, Sept. 19, in Project Place at 6:30 p.m. The agenda is forthcoming.
- The next Working Group on Addiction, Recovery, and Homelessness in the South End will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 4 p.m. in the Hampton Inn and Suites meeting room.
- Blackstone/Franklin Square Neighborhood Association will have its general business meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. in the D-4 police station.
HUNTINGTON AVE PUBLIC MEETING
A public meeting for the 252-264 Huntington Ave. project will be held on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at Symphony Hall, 301 Mass Ave. in the Chorus Room. Please enter through the Cohen Wing on Huntington Avenue. You can find more details at bostonplans.org.
BREAKFAST WITH TIFFANY’S
Did you know that the largest intact collection of Tiffany church windows in the world is right here in Boston? You’ll find them in the heart of the Back Bay, at the Church of the Covenant, which is celebrating its milestone 150th anniversary this fall. It’s not just windows, either – there’s also the largest Tiffany lamp ever created, and countless carvings and mosaics to admire.
This Oct. 14, Breakfast With Tiffany’s: A Celebration of Art & Design gives a unique chance to enjoy these 42 spectacular windows (and the giant lamp!) in style. Attendees at the event (from 10:30a.m. to 12:30p.m., tickets $150 each) will enjoy: a delicious ethically-catered breakfast, specialty coffee and mimosa bar, guided tours by Tiffany window scholar and art historian Charlene James, live music, silent auction with many one-of-a-kind items and experiences on tap and, photography tutorials – get the perfect photo to share with friends and family!
Best of all is the chance to savor a hidden gem that many Bostonians do not even know about! Guests will have the chance to relax and appreciate the largest, most complex, and most intact Tiffany interior in America – and their support will help maintain the beauty of this unique National Historic Landmark.
Although the Church of the Covenant is committed to a wide-ranging social justice mission – including the housing of the Women’s Lunch Place in our lower level – funds raised at this unique event will go to the Covenant Boston Preservation Project, a 501(c)(3) organization committed solely to maintaining these priceless Boston treasures. This event will give these windows – and the entire Tiffany-designed interior – a bright future!
FENSFEST
On Saturday, Sept. 9 from 11 – 3 p.m. at the Fenway Victory Gardens, everyone is welcome to join in on fun activities in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the community garden.
NASTY WOMEN ART SHOW
Laconia Gallery in the South End is presenting the first Nasty Women Art Show and Fundraiser all this wee, with an opening art sale on Friday, Sept. 8, from 6-9 p.m.
On Saturday, Sept. 9, the sale continues, and then on Sunday, Sept. 10, there will be raffle drawings and ink portraits by artist Kate True.
The gallery is at 433 Harrison Ave.
BOOK SIGNING AT THE PRU
Thursday, Sept. 21, at 5:30p.m. at Barnes & Noble Prudential Center, 179 Boylston St., Boston, award-winning screenwriter, producer and author Maryann Ridini Spencer will sign her new novel, “Lady in the Window” (SelectBooks).
Drawing from personal experience and her home in Hawaii, Spencer weaves a universal work that serves to inspire hope, healing and celebrate the bond between mother and daughter.
To learn more visit, maryannridinispencer.com.
FAIRMONT COPLEY PLAZA TO HOST IGERSBOSTON
On Wednesday, September 27, Fairmont Copley Plaza will host the second annual @IGersBoston gallery event, exclusively exhibiting more than 100 stunning images of Boston and Massachusetts photographed by the @IGersBoston community.
The special event will gather the city’s top photographers in the hotel’s Venetian Room, all for a good cause. Prints of the photographs on display will be silent auctioned during the event with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting Transition House, a Cambridge nonprofit working to prevent and end domestic violence through education, outreach, and intervention.
@IGersBoston and Fairmont Copley Plaza are encouraging Instagrammers to submit their best images now through Friday, September 8 for the chance to be featured in the gallery and attend this one-of-a-kind event. To be considered, photographers must use hashtag #IGersBoston_Gallery17 and #FairmontCopley, and tag both @IGersBoston and @FairmontCopley, on submissions. The limit is 10 submissions per person, and only photos posted to Instagram within the above time frame will be eligible.
“We are delighted to host the gallery event and celebrate the beauty of our great city and state with @IGersBoston,” said Lauren Soriano, PR Director at Fairmont Copley Plaza. “Our iconic hotel is one of the most photographed properties in Boston, and we look forward to welcoming this talented and influential group for an elegant evening.”
Please visit https://igersboston.com/gallery17/ for more information on the gallery event and submission instructions. RSVP is required as space is limited.
FENWAY COMMUNITY CENTER EVENTS
- On Thursday, September 7, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., the Fenway Community Center, located at 1282 Boylston Street will be hosting a plant-based potluck. Price is $5 and guests are asked to bring a plate to share for at least three people. Plant-based means free of any animal product including meat, dairy, eggs, etc. Everyone is welcome to join whether you are an established vegan or are curious about healthy plant-based eating. For a guide on plant-based recipes, ChooseVeg.com is a great resource.
- Also on Thursday, September 7, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. there will be a canning workshop co-hosted with the Fenway Garden Society. The Fenway Garden Society will be teaching techniques for turning your summer harvest into a winter bounty. Bring veggies and can it for the winter. Guests are asked to bring their own Mason Jars with lid and seal. No veggies to harvest? No problem! Learn techniques to use for store bought veggies.
- Community Gardening: On Friday, September 8 from 3 – 5 p.m., the Fenway Community Center will be working on the raised garden bed in the teaching garden in the Fenway Victory Gardens. The event is rain or shine every Friday in June through September. Attendees meet at the Community Center and then walk over. Everyone is welcome to join but they leave at 3 p.m. sharp!
- On September 11 from 1:20 – 3:20 p.m., everyone is welcome to join the Fenway Community Center for barroom dance to traditional Chinese music. No instruction, just dancing.
- On September 12 from 6:30 -7:30 p.m. Fenway Security Discussions will be hosted by the Fenway Garden Society’s Security Committee. Discussions include safety and security in the Victory Gardens and surrounding neighborhood.
- On September 13, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. the Fenway Community Center will be hosting Death Café. R.S.V.P. is required online before attending. Death Café is a friendly roundtable conversation about death. The idea is to bring people together over tea and cake and, by putting death squarely on the table, help each of us make the most of our lives. Participants say that the experience is meaningful, therapeutic and often very joyful.
MAYOR’S CUP SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department have announced that registration is now open for the 2017 Mayor’s Cup Soccer Tournament.
This year, the Mayor’s Cup Soccer Tournament will be held on the weekends of October 21 – 22 and October 28 – 29 at Moakley Park in South Boston.
The Mayor’s Cup Soccer Tournament offers local youth soccer programs the opportunity to compete against each other for the right to be called the best soccer team in Boston. Reflecting changes implemented by U.S. Youth Soccer, divisions are now grouped by grade and age. This year’s age/grade groupings are Grades 3/4 (U10), Grades 5 /6 (U12), and Grades 7/8 (U14) with boys and girls divisions for each age/grade grouping.
Coaches may register their teams online at http://tinyurl.com/2017MayorsCupSoccer. Registration is open now through Friday, October 13. For more information about the Mayor’s Cup Soccer Tournament, please contact Woodley Auguste at [email protected] or call (617) 961-3084.
THRIVE AT THE BEEHIVE
On Wednesday, September 13 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. the Beehive at 541 Tremont St., will be presenting the 25th installment in It’s continuing art series “Sting! entitled Thrive!”
The paintings, photographs, and sculptures featured in this exhibition champion feminist expressions in their subject matter and represent artists who are fiercely committed to non-traditional, collaborative artistic practices. The eight artists selected in this all-female exhibition were chosen for the mastery of their craft, their stunning aesthetic, and their convictions. Whether the subject matter is supporting incarcerated women, drawing attention to our impact on the environment, or lifting up the voices of underrepresented women, all works in the exhibition explore the power of female resilience and creativity by promoting social change and the world in which we can all thrive. Our ongoing Sting! series always signifies the launch of a new art installation, bringing together great live entertainment, delicious food and libation specials along with amazing art! Thrive was co-curated by Jennifer Epstein and Kate Gilbert, founder, and director of Now + There, as part of Now + There’s Year of the Woman programming. The exhibition takes its name from one of the works in the exhibition, a word is hidden in Ann Lewis’ collage “Objects of a Dehumanized World.” Sting! XXV: Thrive will be featuring the work of Ann J Lewis, Rania Matar, Maria Molteni, Chanel T Thervil, Silvia Chavez, Elisa H. Hamilton, Evelyn Rydz, and the Safarani Sisters.
OPEN NEWBURY STREET
On Sunday, September 10, shoppers, diners and pedestrians can explore new restaurants, local boutiques, and international brands — or rediscover your favorite Newbury Street gems from a different perspective. This will be the last of the season.
SOWA MARKET THEME PARTIES
Boston’s largest outdoor market is in full swing, with the SoWa Open Market now bringing 100+ artisans, 50+ local farmers and food makers, a dozen iconic food trucks, craft beers, live music, and good vibes every weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October.
As part of the weekly beer garden and food truck bazaar, attendees will be able to enjoy themed dishes from food truck favorites on seven special weekends throughout the summer alongside tasty beers and ciders from top local breweries.
- Grilled Cheese & Mac and Cheese & Steak and Cheese & Beer Festival
Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10
When the worlds of cheese and beer collide. Don’t miss this exclusive festival!
- Sausage Fest Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17.
From brats, dogs, wursts and craft beer – is there anything better?
NU GATEWAY MIXER DELAYED
Due to the rain, the Northeastern Gateway Mixer has been pushed to Monday, September 18, from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. The event will take place in Ruggles Plaza. The second annual Gateway Mixer is a free outdoor networking event for students, faculty, staff, and local residents to build and bridge community.
Activities range from food and music to dance and art. Some of the highlights of the evening will feature a chance to listen to President Joseph E. Aoun as he wishes one and all the very best start to fall, the Fine Art Superheroes whose performances will explore various aspects of artistry as they don different avatars, and music of DJ Jose Masso.
The festival will have complimentary food and drink and is free and open to the public.
RAMSAY PARK CONSTRUCTION BEGINS
The renovations to Ramsay Park in the South End are set to begin the week of September 4, 2017. Construction fences will be seen going up at the beginning of this week.
The project is approximately a $2 million design and construction renovation. Upgrades will include a new play lot/playground, basketball courts, tennis courts, a splash area, plazas, passive areas, and lighting.
The design went through a robust community process, ending with a second community meeting in December 2016.
For more information, please call Nathan Frazee at the Boston Parks and Recreation Department (617) 961-3167 or email [email protected].
UNION PARK EVENTS
The Union Park Neighborhood Association (UPNA) announced its upcoming social events throughout the rest of the year. Some of the events include:
- Saturday, Sept. 10, Afternoon in the Park…There will be a kids entertainment hour at 3 p.m. with face painting and balloon making by Silly Sally Entertainment. Then from 4-6 p.m., we will have live music (from the Beatles to Motown to Billy Joel…and more) performed by the Carl Eisman Group featuring vocalist John Munro.
We will have appetizers compliments of Kava Neo-Taverna, cupcakes compliments of the Buttery, and other sweets provided by UPNA. The music is sponsored by the Hingham Savings Bank.
The concerts are free and open to all inside and outside our neighborhood.
- Saturday, October 7 (rain date October 8), 8 – 5 p.m., Pictures in the Park, Union Park.
- Sunday, October 8, 1-6 p.m., Crime Walk, City of Boston.
- Friday, December 1, 6-8 p.m., Holiday Party, Benjamin Franklin Institute.
MASSPORT AIRPLANE NOISE COMPLAINT LINE
Residents who are being disturbed by airplane noise are encouraged to call the MassPort Noise Hotline 24 hours a day. The phone number is (617) 561-3333.