Kathleen McKenna, Martin Weissgerber (in hat), and Tate Mitchell at the Attempted Gallery at the Brookline Arts Center.
The Brookline Arts Center's main exhibition space was packed one recent Saturday night with art, artists, and art lovers for the third annual Attempted Gallery.
The art was eye-popping, the conversation spirited, and the live jazz was hot for this one-night-only informal sale/party. It's a kind of shake-up event for artists and potential patrons to schmooze with one another, as well as view and possibly buy a piece of art.
Free food and live music by members of the excellent young Jon Fisher Quartet helped set the party atmosphere.
The yearly show is a joint effort by the Brookline Council for the Arts & Humanities and the arts center.
Gwen Ossenfort, the council's cochairwoman and director of Brookline Artists' Open Studios, describes Attempted Gallery as the "love child" of herself and the arts center's director, Susan Navarre.
"I first took over Open Studios the same year she took over at the arts center, and we sat down to try and figure out how we could bring together artists and artwork and the public using the arts center. The first party was specifically for Open Studios people. That was so successful that afterward we decided to do a party where everyone was welcome."
An open call to area artists invited each to bring one small-scale work to contribute to the evening's exhibition, with its aim to provide the artists with exposure, feedback, and contact with other artists and the public. For art lovers, the evening offers a chance to examine a wide variety of affordable art, and to talk to the artists on the spot. Works range from paintings and photographs to jewelry and mosaics.
"It's a wonderful idea," says Brookline resident Irene Belozersky, attending her first Attempted Gallery on Jan. 26 with her husband, Alex, who was also one of the participating artists. "You get to meet a lot of local people in an informal, very welcoming and homey environment."
For veteran pinhole photographer Martin R. Anderson, the party provides an opportunity for interaction with his colleagues. "A lot of my focus is the chance to meet other artists, since we can't go to their open studios while we're busy having our own. We get to meet each other and see each other's work."
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