Arts Archives - Page 7 of 15 - Neighborhood View

MATV to host Arts and Culture Summit March 9th

February 26, 2019 ditikohli 1

Story by Diti Kohli MATV, Malden’s Media Center, calls on community members to celebrate and encourage artistic expression in the city at the Arts and Culture Summit on March 9 2019. At the event, artists and supporters will gather to meet each other, hear guest presenters, and participate in a conversation about Malden’s arts and culture ecosystem. Anne D’Urso-Rose, associate director of MATV and one of the summit’s hosts, said the objective of the summit is to connect residents, artists, businesses, and officials with each other and MATV. Watertown City Councilor Vincent Piccirilli, who has served the city for 11 years, will deliver a featured presentation about the creation of The Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts in his city. Decades ago, the building operated as a military arsenal and then as a mall until 14 years ago when the Mosesian was founded. Now, the performance space includes a theatre, as well as multiple restaurants and shops. “I think we can be inspired and learn from the collaboration and contributions of different entities […]

Lunar New Year celebration kicks off Malden Reads 2019

February 24, 2019 NeighborhoodView 0

By Frances Hui This year’s selection for Malden Reads 2019, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See, was feted last month during a celebration of Lunar New Year and the coming of the Year of Pig in a day-long event that featured Asian cultural performances, workshops, artwork exhibitions and refreshments at Malden High School. The Jan. 26 event, sponsored by the Chinese Culture Connection (CCC), Malden Reads and the high school’s Asian Culture Club, drew more than 100 people, including Mayor Gary Christenson and other Malden officials. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane is about a journey of a Li-yan, a young woman from a minority tribe in China, who gives up her child for adoption. At times, the story cuts between her life and her adopted child’s life in California. Li-yan eventually moves beyond the limited education of the rest of her community, leaves her traditional village, and begins to experience the modern world in the cities of China, where she becomes an integral part of the tea trade. The book is about many things: […]

Arts

The Gallery leaves a legacy: Imagine something and make it happen

February 6, 2019 shrier58 3

By Robin Inman On Dec. 24, 2018, The Gallery at 480 Main St. in downtown Malden closed. For almost 13 months, following an inaugural stint in late 2016, The Gallery had functioned as a lively arts and community center, drawing in hundreds of people for retail sales, exhibitions, performances, workshops and cultural events. Ose Schwab, the owner of Malden Creates, LLC, and the “chief instigator,” primary sponsor and manager of The Gallery, recently answered some questions for Neighborhood View. Why did The Gallery close? The Gallery closed because its lease with DSF Advisors LLC, owners of 480 Main Street, came to a close. But it was also time, given the emergent complexity of The Gallery operations, to end its temporary state. It was time to consider a sustainable plan for some iteration of The Gallery for the future, with a strategic funding, staffing, outreach, business (or nonprofit) development, and marketing plan that could ensure the best outcome. In addition, my husband Marcel, who served as the financial officer and operations manager of the gift shop, […]

Art at the Library: The Playwright and the Sun King

December 18, 2018 jlynnmcclain 0

By Jennifer McClain This is another in a series on “Treasures at the Library.” Please note that direct photographs of artwork at the library is not permitted. The Malden Public Library’s art collection continues to astound us with an imaginary meeting between two of France’s luminaries: its most famous playwright and the monarch known as “The Sun King.” In the painting “Louis XIV and Moliere,” by Jean-Leon Gerome, Louis XIV is pictured as sharing a meal with Moliere. This remarkable work was purchased by the library in December 1940 with funds from the Elisha and Mary D. Converse Art Fund and represents one of the library’s most notable acquisitions. Gerome, born in 1824, used his imagination for this painting as Moliere died in 1673 and Louis XIV in 1715 and he completed this painting in 1863. Yet the two imposing figures in French history did have a complex relationship. Louis XIV benefited greatly from the belief in divine monarchical rule. At the very young age of 4, he became France’s supreme ruler and went on […]

Frank Stella: An iconic artist returns home

November 9, 2018 annedr 6

By Anne D’Urso-Rose World-famous contemporary artist Frank Stella is a Malden native, but his work has never been part of the treasured art collection of the Malden Public Library. That is, until now. In an exemplary display of local generosity and a full-circle story of returning home, the library has now acquired three works by Stella. Those works were unveiled during a private reception on Sunday, Nov. 4, at the library. In attendance was Stella, who was visiting his hometown – and one of his favorite places of his childhood – for the first time in many decades. One of his works had been purchased through the generosity of local patron John L. Giso and two were donated by the artist himself. “This is more than we could have hoped for,” said John Tramondozzi, President of the Library Board of Trustees and Chair of the Trustee’s Art Committee. “We have wanted to acquire a Frank Stella piece for years.” Stella is one of the foremost living artists in the world today. He is known for […]

Finalist book selections announced for Malden Reads 2019

September 6, 2018 annedr 0

During these fleeting months of summer, a book-loving team of Malden community members have been considering which book to choose for the 2019 Malden Reads program. Now entering its ninth year, the popular “One City, One Book” program works to promote literacy and a love of reading AND build community in the city of Malden. For the 20+ members on the Book Selection Committee, this meant reading a lot of books! The group has whittled down a list of more than 30 suggested book titles (gathered from the community) to the top four selections. Now, YOU have a chance to share your thoughts and comments on these titles as the committee considers the final pick. Detailed descriptions and reviews are provided below. Chris Kosta, a veteran on the Book Selection Committee describes the process. “The group is open-minded to book suggestions, and has thoughtful and insightful discussions about which book should be the one for this year, trying to come to a group consensus on the decision.” Karen Lynch, a new member to the Book […]

Erté, the Father of Art Deco, brings style to Malden Library

August 22, 2018 jlynnmcclain 1

By Jennifer McClain The Malden art galleries at the Malden Public Library have another surprise for us: modern art sculptures by Erté, considered the “true father of art deco.” This speaks volumes to the breadth and depth of the collection at the Malden Public Library’s galleries. The sculptures are displayed in the Ryder Gallery. The sculptures are Justice and Peace, both bronzes completed in 1984. The Library purchased them both in 1992. The art collection is purchased through a trust fund created by Elisha Slade Converse. As the founder of the Boston Rubber Shoe Company and first mayor of Malden, he donated several sums of money during his lifetime and at the time of his death that could be only used for the purchase of art for the Malden Public LIbrary. Erté was born Roman Petrovich Tyrtov in St Petersburg, Russia. He was Ukrainian, Russian, and French and used the pseudonym of the French pronunciation of his initials, Erté. The diversity of his nationality is reflected in the diversity of his art. Sculpture was only one of […]

A “Chance Encounter” in the MATV Gallery

July 25, 2018 annedr 0

The new exhibit at the MATV Gallery at Malden’s Media Center will mark a first-time meeting of local artists James Blandini and Kamil Abdushukur. The two men hail from different cultures and parts of the world and their art shares little by way of style and content. But an unexpected opening at the MATV Gallery and a desire from both to exhibit their work formed the basis for this exhibit. Despite this random pairing, the exhibit took shape in a way that complimented and supported their creative styles, while also creating something new as a unified whole. According to artist James Blandini, a Boston area native and second generation Italian American, his paintings and drawings are an exploration of the human condition and the search for spirituality through realistic portrayal. He is drawn to the rich visual imagery found in the New Testament, the Hebrew Bible, mythology, other spiritual traditions and works of literature. Often using his own image as the subject, Blandini explores how these paths connect with him both visually and emotionally. He […]

Arts can create “a sense of place” in Malden

June 22, 2018 shrier58 5

By Robin Inman This is another in a series exploring the future of development in Malden. Read part one, two, three and four here. Greg Cook, a long-time Malden resident and creator of Wonderland magazine, loves this city. But he fears that – like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz – something is lacking. A heart. “Malden struggles because it doesn’t have a geographic heart. It struggles to have places where people mix and share ideas. Places where people meet, bump into each other and learn new ideas and hear what each other is doing; are inspired or challenged to do even better,” says Cook, who works as publicist for the Cambridge Arts Council, creates festivals with the Somerville Arts Council, and was a reporter and art critic for WBUR’s The ARTery. Having a heart or a sense of place is not just a lofty ideal. This is integral to the concept of Smart Growth, which can guide a city in creating a prosperous and livable community. A key factor in creating a heart or a sense […]

Artist, explorer, photographer captures images of a frozen world

June 1, 2018 jlynnmcclain 2

By Jennifer McClain This is this is another in the series on “Treasures at the Library.” Please note that direct photographs of artwork at the library is not permitted. Even as William Bradford was stranded on an ice-locked ship. he kept drawing and photographing. The eerie and desolate view of frozen water everywhere was for him the epitome of magnificence. As one of Bradford’s companions, Alpheus Spring Packard, wrote in his journal: “From the mountains above us we watched, day after day, the ceaseless march of icebergs and cakes, large and small.” Viewing In the Lee of the Iceberg (1883), a painting at the Malden Public Library by Bradford, you can imagine this very scene. The ship is placed just right of a massive mountain of snow and ice that dwarfs the ship before it. The water appears hard and cold with sheets of ice that seem to be moving as you look at them. To emphasize the grandness of the expanse, another tiny ship is placed just to the left of the iceberg. Bradford (1823 […]