Movin' On Up

By Courtney McKenna

A selection of Up The Ladder artists: Matthew, Kristina, Amy, Donna, work study Edem, David, Yasmin, Carmen, and Donna

Leaves are not the only things changing over here in Brookline, where 21 Gateway artists have been selected to move their careers Up The Ladder. Working in small groups to allow greater focus and minimum distraction, these artists have been given access to individualized support from Gateway's staff of professional artists. Staff members instill in these artists an understanding of their creative practice and how to turn it into a real career option.  

The Project Director, Courtney McKenna, is working one-on-one with each individual to develop an artist statement and professional resume, while Portfolio Director Gary Batty photographs finished work to build their digital portfolios. McKenna and Batty's work will facilitate the mainstream art world's access to the inventory of these 21 artists, opening their careers to added exhibition possibilities. Members of the Up The Ladder Board, as well as UTL staff, meet regularly to discuss the progress being made.  

UTL Facilitator Ashley shows the progress being made by artist Carmella S. at staff meetings

Groups have participated in field trips to the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Waterworks Museum.  The artists were particularly infatuated with the ICA's Barry McGee exhibition, where they were given time to explore and remark on a variety of pieces. Matthew Treggiari, a lover of cats and drawing on napkins, was especially fond of a corner of the exhibit featuring a cluster of framed napkin drawings. “Oh, wow” he remarked upon being pointed in the direction of the piece.  

Artist Matthew and UTL Director Courtney discuss the work of Barry McGee at the ICA. 

Funding from the Shapiro FamilyFoundation and a variety of private families and organizations allow us to give our artists these ‘Wow’ moments, and help them connect the work they make to the larger contemporary art world outside of Gateway Arts.

It has been a great first 6 months. Artists’ works have been featured in special exhibits and have been purchased from various collectors and gallery owners.  Our excitement for our artists is growing, and we can hardly wait to see what the next 6 months will bring. 

Stay tuned!

For inquiries on Up The Ladder or to support the project, please contact Courtney McKenna at mckennac@vinfen.org or Hannah Hoffman at hoffmanh@vinfen.org .  We look forward to seeing you at our next event! 

Staff Pick: Handmade Card by Barbara Brown

Hand-made products are always in season at Gateway Arts, and our warm, personal greeting cards are the perfect pick for a month that welcomes back the sweater. Paper Studio supervisor Mark Hennen has chosen a card by artist Barbara Brown to share for our October Staff Pick: 

With the waning of the harvest moon we’ve had some cool nights, but no frost yet in the Boston metropolitan area.  Gateway artist Barbara Brown recently captured the essence of this seasonal interlude on a 5 ½ in x 4 ½, one-of-a-kind note card. 

Working within the parameters dictated by the card stock and its small size, Barbara effectively combines keen observation with confidently gestural color pencil work to offer us an unpretentiously literal vignette that captures the jaunty body language of four successful urban farmers surrounded by the verdant tangle of their late season garden.

To learn more about Barbara Brown and her work, visit her page on our website. 

Staff Pick: Portraits of Audrey Hepburn, by Charles Hurvitz

This month's selection comes from Courtney McKenna, the Clinical Assistant & Special Projects Coordinator at Gateway Arts. 

Photography by Melanie Bernier

In this particular series of work, Charles Hurvitz has chosen to focus on the late Audrey Hepburn. Sitting with a photograph, markers and vellum, Hurvitz enthusiastically begins to sing tunes from the musical My Fair Lady.  Moving his hand in rhythm with his voice, these portraits become more than drawings; they venture into the realm of performance art.   

Each portrait presents a different mood of seemingly different women. 

 The emotion in Charles’ deliberate marker strokes allows each piece to effectively develop. They become less about Audrey Hepburn, and more about individuals and moments.  Charles’ color choice and line placement present to us perhaps a saintly figure, a darkly clad and hidden face, and a woman leaning on a man. Throughout all of these, Charles is able to create spirited images with a haunting energy.

Charles longs for times gone by.  He often asks if individuals remember an actor or musician, while remarking “they’re old”.  He has successfully given these interpretations of a woman known so well, new life.  

Find more information on Charles Hurvitz and his work on our website.