Convergence (May 1st-October 31st) features over 50 works of art by 20 members from the Boston Sculptors Gallery to be displayed on The Christian Science Plaza. Following on the heels of the newly renovated Linde Family Contemporary Wing at the Museum of Fine Arts and as a celebration of the newly designated statewide Fenway Cultural District, this exhibition carries forth the vision to draw attention to visual art of the moment and promote its prominent place in the life of the city. Convergence emulates the Palace of Versailles installations, the Venice Bienale and other cities around the world that use contemporary art to draw attention to their cultural treasures.
Common Boston (May 30th-June 9th) is the city’s only free festival of design and architecture in Boston’s neighborhoods. It is a volunteer program of the Boston Society of Architects that brings together designers and the public for a sustainable, equitable, and creative urban environment. Each year, the festival features events around a number of “common points” which are areas of activity, typically focused within one of Boston’s many neighborhoods. They open up buildings and organizations to the public and elevate what’s great about neighborhoods for the wider community to enjoy.
OccupyING the Present at HarborArts (June 29th-September 21st) is a temporary exhibition of site-responsive sculpture and ephemeral art-forms. Curated by Elizabeth Michelman and inspired by environmental, historical, and geophysical features of Boston Harbor, the art of eighteen artists from Studios Without Walls, and the Boston area investigates change and impermanence through sculpture, performance, and experimental installations. The exhibition is funded by the East Boston Foundation and the people of East Boston. HarborArts uses monumental sculpture and public art to protect and preserve our oceans, harbors and waterways.
Outside the Box Festival (July 12th-July 21st) is the first annual, citywide, multi-arts festival based in Boston. With a wealth of theatres, concert halls, conservatories, performing arts centers, and educational institutions for the arts in the region, Outside The Box 2013 is designed to change the way people engage and explore creativity, innovation and invention through the discovery and participation of the arts. The Festival will shine a spotlight on Boston’s outdoor public spaces, and showcase established institutions and independent voices.
FIGMENT Boston (July 27th – July 28th) was founded in 2007 on New York City’s Governors Island in what began as a few thousand enthusiasts enjoying a handful of participatory art projects on a sunny July afternoon but has ballooned into a multi-day, multi-city event that drew over 30,000 participants in NYC and Boston in 2011. FIGMENT Boston 2012 was an amazing success, with approximately 6,000 participants interacting with nearly 100 art projects. Projects can include installations, games, workshops, roving performances, multimedia, electronic art, and music.
Boston AHTS Festival (August 31st – September 1st) is an annual event that features the best of visual and performance art. In 2003 the Festival began as a single afternoon event. Ten years later it has expanded into a 3-day celebration incorporating a diverse performing arts program, a specially built artists’ village and an interactive arts schedule. The festival features over 60 juried artists from Boston and a performance program on two stages showcasing Boston’s best performing arts groups and performers. Previous participants in the festival include Boston Ballet, Blue Man Group, Everyday Visuals, Zili Misik, Opera Boston, Aine Minogue, OrigiNation, Boston Pops, Bleu and Boston Lyric Opera.
Donna Dodson graduated cum laude from Wellesley College in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts. Since 2000, Dodson has been honored with solo shows nationwide for her wood sculptures. Dodson enjoys public speaking, and has been a guest speaker in conferences, panels and forums at museums and universities in North America.
[We are thankful for Global Business Hub’s support of the Creative Industries. Please note: This article does not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development or its Creative Economy Industry Director for the Commonwealth, nor is it an endorsement of any views, products, or opinions contained therein. The author is solely responsible for the content.]