‘JOYWALK: A Fenway Cultural District Art Crawl’ returned for its second installment Thursday, May 7, again highlighting gallery spaces around the neighborhood.
During the event, which was sponsored by the nonprofit Fenway Alliance, with support from the Mass Cultural Council and City of Boston’s Planning Department, the public received free admission to Fenway Studios; The Fenway Gallery at Fenway Studios; Massachusetts Historic Society; The First Church of Christ, Scientist; Berklee Art Windows; New Edgerly Plaza Art Market; Kaji Aso Studio; Huntington Avenue YMCA; MassArt Art Museum (MAAM); the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; and Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons University.
While the MFA was still charging its usual admittance fee on the day of the event, 25 free tickets to the museum were offered on a first-come, first-served basis at the JOYWALK information booth at New Edgerly Plaza.
On the plaza, Fenway Alliance also collaborated with two other local organizations (Junkyard and Carcass) to offer an Art Market, with handmade goods, including trinkets, ceramics, prints, paintings, and jewelry. Live music performances were also staged nearby.
Shortly after the event got underway, Jeremy Serbee, founder of Junkyard, told this reporter: “It’s going great, with super nice weather. We’re so fortunate to have such an active community of artists in the Fenway, and we’re so thankful to the Fenway Alliance for sponsoring events like this.”
In collaboration with the Berklee Art Windows on MassAve, the art windows at 171 Massachusetts Ave. were activated for the event with the installation of works created by students from the nearby Windsor School, an all-girls private day school for Grades 5-12.
And as part of this year’s event, Ed Ballo, a Fenway resident, historian, and ‘urban sleuth’ was also scheduled to lead two public art walking tours of the neighborhood.
The inaugural JOYWALK, which took place on the first Thursday in May in 2024, was deemed a success, but the event didn’t return last year for a variety of reasons.
No word yet on whether JOTWALK will be returning again next year.