July/August 2023

20 Years on the Edge

July 15 – August 26 2023

Opening Reception: Thursday, July 20, 6-9 pm
Closing Reception: Thursday, August 17, 6-9 pm

Atlantic Works Gallery is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an exhibition showcasing member artists throughout its twenty-year history. From its founding members to new members, our gallery represents artists from diverse backgrounds of art and culture.

The Atlantic Works Building on Border Street was built in 1893 and was used to build and repair naval ships. In the 1990s the building was gradually taken over by artists looking for affordable studio space. In 2003 the occupants of the building rented a top floor studio as a space for art and ideas, naming it Atlantic Works Gallery. This evolved into a cooperative gallery with member artists doing all the work of running a gallery, with new exhibitions each month.

In 2006 the building was purchased by the East Boston Community Development Corporation who gutted and rebuilt the old leaky, but colorful building providing the Atlantic Works Gallery with a larger and improved space. The EBCDC has now, in our twentieth year, built a sparkling new space for Atlantic Works Gallery on the ground floor. This old marine building is located on the edge of the Boston Harbor and has dramatic views of the Boston skyline.

The arts community is an integral part of the East Boston community as a whole and 20 Years on the Edge is a celebration of that relationship.

20 Years on the Edge will also celebrate AWG’s new ground floor gallery space in the Atlantic Works building at 80 Border Street. We would like to thank the EBCDC for creating this new space, as well as the East Boston Foundation for their continued support over the years, enabling our artists to continue to share their work with the community.

/by

May 2023

May 4-27

Opening Reception, Thursday, May 4, 6-9 pm
Third Thursday Reception, May 18, 6-9 pm

Eric Hess is taking the meaning of M’aidez as the literal translation of ‘help me’ tying it in with traditional European Mayday when humans salute the earth. 

Humans dancing around a maypole adorned in flower crowns might not have the impact that is needed now that our planet seems to be dying. Hess will explore through photography, video and objects how people celebrate and the consequences of human actions and demonstrate how nature usually wins in the end.

Ian Babylon has prepared a collection of works where both mortal and divine are asking for help, assistance, intercession, intervention. 

Using classical & contemporary visual elements Babylon recomposes collaged works into newly cast surrealist mythologies familiar yet novel for today and tomorrow to come.

/by

April 2023

April 8-29

Opening Reception, Saturday, April 8, 6-8 pm
Third Thursday Reception, April 20, 6-9 pm

We all have challenges to overcome, from getting to work to bringing food on the table to dealing with health or mental health issues. Artists often use their art as an outlet for their own challenges and a means of expressing not only their own soul but the human soul. In this exhibit, Kristen and Sandrine use colors and various artistic techniques to express their inner demons as well as hopes. They will let these fly away on the canvas or other supports to liberate their souls and attempt to create their own world of happiness.

/by

February/March 2023

Making Connections

a New Members Exhibition featuring the work of
B. Amore, Julie C Baer, Maryellen Cahill, and Beth Plakidas

February 4 – March 25

B. Amore creates multi-media wall assemblages incorporating found objects, text, photos on silk, stone, bronzed gloves. The focus of her current work honors the reality of our commonly shared humanity.

Julie C Baer’s paintings reflect close attention to the biota in her natural environment, wherever she is, and the seasonal trajectory of its life cycles: budding, blooming, pollinating, fruiting, seeding, dying, renewal. 

Maryellen Cahill incorporates textiles, fiber, and beads in her mixed media art. She takes inspiration from her travels around the globe and the beautiful cultures she has been exposed to.

Beth Plakidas uses collected and handmade objects to create intimate installations. Combining formal, conceptual, and chance elements, Beth’s work balances the absurd with the beautiful.

(clockwise from top left)
Beth Plakidas, Julie C Baer, Maryellen Cahill, and B. Amore

/by

January 2023

Group Show by
Atlantic Works artist members

January 14-28
Reception: Thursday, January 19, 6-9 pm
Gallery Hours: Fridays and Saturdays, 2-6 pm,
and by appointment

Join us for the last group show in our current space. Soon we will be moving to a new gallery on the ground floor!

/by

December 2022

curated by
Samantha Marder

December 3-30
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 3, 6-9 pm
Third Thursday Celebration: December 15, 6-9 pm
Gallery Hours: Fridays and Saturdays, 2-6 pm,
and by appointment

NOTE: December 3rd, the Gallery will be open from 6-9 pm
The Gallery will be closed on Saturday, December 24th 

Samantha Marder curates a show of work which reflects a broad interpretation of the neurodivergent creative process…art illustrating the outward manifestation of internal chaos, non-linear thinking, conflicted sensibilities, and unleashed absurdity.

/by

November 2022

Nov 3rd – Nov 23rd. Opening Reception: Saturday, November 5, 6-9 p.m. Closing Reception: Thursday, November 17, 6-9 p.m.

Read more
/by

Review of “Conditions Altered”

Conditions Altered

Dominick Takis and Bo Petran
March 4-April 23, 2022
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 17, 6-9PM
Closing Reception: Thursday, April 21, 6-9PM
Atlantic Works Gallery
80 Border Street, East Boston, MA 02128

Contact; contact@atlanticworks.org; 857-302-8363
Artists:  Dominick Takis: nicktakis@hotmail.com, Bo Petran: bopetran@comcast.net

Reviewer: B. Amore; amoreb@earthlink.net  917-748-3661

Dominick Takis and Bo Petran are two artists in love with materiality. Takis is a lover of nature, obsessed with the qualities of lichen, its texture, colors, and shapes. He makes use of actual lichen as well as creating lichen-like textures through means as varied as spray foam, caulking, screws, and paint. A sense of mystery abounds in the built-up layers, and they continually entice the viewer to look even deeper.

His knowledge of color relationships is a key. In the sometimes-dense thicket of the wall reliefs, bright elements catch the eye. Often, they are tesserae, small mosaic-like squares in primary colors of red, blue, or yellow, that glow out of the strata of lichen and branches, as in Altered #3 where they are like dots of blue sky around the central cloud of a bee’s nest. At other times, Byzantine or Renaissance faces will appear as if out of a fog of history, to surprise us with the contemporaneity of their gaze, reminding us that we may not be as distant as we think.

There is an iconic or shrine-like quality to the work which is quite arresting. They are three-dimensional palimpsests, each layer causing us to look beyond the surface of what lies before our eyes, discovering more loving touches, more surprises, more mystery created by this painter-sculptor who is clearly in love with nature, paint, history and a deeply rooted European sensibility.

Petran’s works, carefully chosen for major impact, are larger canvases that punctuate the white walls. The surfaces of the paintings are highly sculpted in acrylic medium. In  Untitled #3, the black and silver surface is roiling with energy. The rhythm of the motion over the entire canvas is a tour-de-force of painting, with the artist in skillful control.  Sensuous and full of motion, the surface looks like molten metal.

Untitled #2, in silver tones, is more lyrical. The patterned painting has a lighter touch and is enlivened by what looks like flecks of iridescent metallic powders. In Untitled #1, a field of flowers, is delicately configured. The petal-like shapes stretch before the eye, filling the landscape of the mind with a hopeful feeling.

The textures of Untitled #4 rise off the surface as if they might flutter up in a soft wind. Each one is carefully delineated, both contrasting and blending with the entire field. Two hanging sculpted forms, White Flower and Grey Flowers, animate the gallery space and dance with the branches of Takis’ energetic creations.

Conditions Altered is a reminder of the constant changes present in our lives, particularly during the pandemic, and brings attention to the inherent beauty that can be discovered by an adventurous eye. The sense of exploration and excitement of both artists is palpably present. The collection of works is a perfect blending of the transition from winter to spring and well worth the visit to the Atlantic Works Gallery, at the edge of Boston Harbor in East Boston.

/by

December 2021

TWENTY21
IAN BABYLON

and the Atlantic Works Gallerists

december 3 – january 8

exhibition reception: thursday, december 16, 6-9 p.m.

details/updates: ianbabylon.com

/by

November 2021

A Night In Venice with The Biennial Project

An Abundance of Caution: The Biennial Project

The latest antics of the phenomenally charismatic and widely feared artists of The Biennial Project, in which the space of Atlantic Works Gallery is reconceptualized as a dynamic workspace to pay homage to (and improve upon) iconography from global popular culture relating to The Biennial Project’s relentless examination of the quest for immortality and stardom within the art world.

Opening Reception/Photo Shoot: Saturday, November 6, from 6-9 pm.

/by

October 2021

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

There are many ways to interpret what “environmental effects” can be. Most people see the environment as the natural world where all living beings live. In that context, “environmental effects” would refer, in our view, to any influence human would have on the natural world, either beneficial or detrimental. Another way to look at what “environmental effects” refers to is the surrounding or conditions that affects humans as they grow or as they live their life.

Sandrine Colson is looking at “environmental effects” as being the changes happening in our earth due to human influences. Her pieces are made up of a mix of flowing colors with textural effects using different acrylic pouring and mixed media techniques showing to us how nature (air, water, earth and fire) evolves as humans continues doing their thing, affecting their surrounding and the seasons in detrimental ways from the microscopic to the macroscopic. A lover of oceans, she constructed a message to all in her display “under the sea,” informing us how pollution and especially plastic affect us and the oceans.

The natural and built environment are our connection to the underlying reality of existence. Due to our actions, intentional or not, our physical environment is changing in ways that make our very existence, and those connections, problematic. Our collective lives are out of balance. In this show, George Shaw continues and complements Sandrine Colson’s explorations from a different perspective. George’s sculpture is a combination of wood panel, paint, glass, metal and found objects.

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 9, from 6-9 pm.

Third Thursday Celebration (Meet the Artists): October 21, from 6-9 pm.

/by

September, 2021

PROCESS

September 4 – 25, 2021

PROCESS

Is it the journey or the outcome that draws you in?

For artist Kristen Freitas, it’s the journey — the process of creating that brings her joy and excitement. During the month of September, Kristen Freitas’s PROCESS explores just that through her fluid painting series and work from invited artists.

Exploring colors and textures have always been a part of Freitas’s work. Her current series dives deeper and explores her new love of fluid painting. The layering and mixing of colors create varying effects — all of which are created instantly during the painting process. Watching the colors and composition mysteriously unfold as the paint pours onto the surface makes the journey the most fascinating part for Freitas.

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 4, from 6-9 pm.

Third Thursday Celebration: Thursday, September 16, from 6-9 pm.

Gallery Hours: Fridays and Saturdays 2-6pm

For information or private appointment contact 857-302-8363 during gallery hours.

/by

July/August 2021

Friend Zoned

JULY 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

FRIEND ZONED

A group show of work by Gallery members and our friends, featuring The Dead Mask Project, an international collection of photographs curated by member X Bonnie Woods.

Opening Reception: Thursday, July 15, from 6-9 pm.

Closing Reception: Thursday, August 19, from 6-9 pm.

Gallery Hours: Fridays and Saturdays 2-6pm

For information or private appointment contact 857-302-8363 during gallery hours.

/by

April 2021

SOS - Sensations of Soaring2021

Marjorie Kaye and

Christine Palamidessi

APRIL 3 – 30

Socially distanced Opening Reception April 3, 2-5 pm

It’s supposed to be a beautiful sunny afternoon in Boston and particularly lovely on the waterfront in East Boston. Guests can gather outside, socialize and schedule visit time in the gallery 8 people at a time. Artist Marjorie Kaye and Christine Palamidessi will be in the gallery to greet you, converse, answer questions.
(PS There’s parking)

Masks and social distancing required. Gallery will be monitored to limit visitors at any given time.

Gallery Hours: Fridays and Saturdays 2-6pm or by appointment, (857-302-8363)

/by

June 2023

June 3-30 2023

Opening Reception, Sunday, June 4, 2-5 pm
Third Thursday Reception, May 18, 6-9 pm

You may have already stopped by but we just opened our brand new Boston Harbor-level gallery and it is spectacular! We’re thrilled to invite you to come on over to 80 Border Street to take a first look.

During June you’ll step into the buzz, light, and warm sensations created by two accomplished Atlantic Works artists, Charlene Liska and Christine Palamidessi.

Charlene Liska is presenting A BLINDING FLASH OF LIGHT, which explores through mixed media and video her lifelong personal and artistic experience with epilepsy.

Christine Palamidessi’s lighthearted SUMMER installation builds upon her fascination with miniature sculptural swim suits, the black and white moods of South Italy in June, and large projections from her Street Art collection.

In her Border Street studio Liska makes abstract urban and natural landscapes, using photography, video and painting. For many years, she lived off the grid in the subarctic wilderness of northern Canada, which contributed to her perception of disordered light.

Palamidessi has a studio in Somerville and a summer studio in Puglia, Italy. Her creations with paper—monotypes and figurative sculptures—have been exhibited worldwide. She studied the high art of paper mache— cartapesta—with artisans in Lecce, Italy.

/by