Fenway Studios will once again be open to the public on November 9 and 10 from 11am-5pm. Visitors can enjoy wandering around the building, engaging with the artists, and admiring all of the artwork as well as the artists’ spaces at this free annual event.
“The building is purposely designed by artists and for artists because the windows face the very pristine north light,” explained Lynda McNally, founding president of the Friends of Fenway Studios. This, she said, is the most optimal light to create by. “It’s a heaven on earth for artists to have their studios there.” The building is also the only purpose-built building in the entire United States that is still being used for its original intent, she added.
Fenway Studios are only open to the public once a year as the building is a private, artist live/work space and many of Fenway Studios’ artists live there as well as work there. Over 30 artists are set to participate in this year’s Open Studios, and “they couldn’t be more diverse, which is what we love,” McNally said. She said that each of the artists uses their own techniques and explores different mediums, from oils and pastels to charcoal and watercolors. “Every gamut of the medium is represented,” she said. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the artists and their work, and ask them questions about their inspiration.
“Every single studio is so different,” McNally said, not only in the artwork the artist creates, but in the way their living space is decorated. “Some of them have it as their home, so you really get to know the artist and experience their living space as well as their working space,” she said.
McNally said that this year, there will also be a new installation in the lobby “that people will be drawn into—pun intended. It’s really to immerse the public into the whole experience right from the beginning.” Though she couldn’t divulge what it is, she said the installation is sure to amaze.
This year will also be the eleventh consecutive year that all of the artists will be promoting the annual food drive for the Greater Boston Food Bank. McNally asked that everyone who visits Fenway Open Studios bring a non-perishable food item if if they are able. “During the approach of the holidays is when the food inventory at the Greater Boston Food Back gets depleted even more quickly, and we would appreciate it if the public could continue to assist us,” she said. “We are very proud of the fact that we have this food drive and each of the artists are so terrific in helping to promote it through their clients and family and friends.”
Additionally, all of the artists will have some of their work for sale, and some will be available to create commissioned work that could be given as holiday gifts. “Everyone’s taste will be recognized by the diversity of the work,” McNally said.
McNally also said she’s proud of the new collaboration between Fenway Studios and the Massachusetts Historical Society. She said the Historical Society has not had an event with Fenway Studios in over a century, and recently held a collaborative art exhibit at the Historical Society. She said she encourages people to visit there as well, as they are currently having an “explosive exhibition” on the Boston Massacre.
McNally said she cannot wait for Open Studios, as the artists are a “terrific group of people and it’s just a really fun and exciting weekend. We are looking forward to having everyone come over.”
Fenway Studios is located at 30 Ipswich St.