Official Opening! Drum Roll Please...

We have been hard at work over the past month, putting the last touches on the space. It took much longer than we anticipated (isn't that always the case) but, finally the time to open has arrived! We are so excited to get the doors open with art on the wall. It has felt, at times, like it would never happen.

On Saturday, February 1, 2014, we will have a GRAND OPENING PARTY! Until then, we will have the doors open on the weekend, and start offering some after-school classes.

Meanwhile, we have gotten a new AC unit. Plantation Propane will be hooking up a tank for our heat. Can't wait to have central heat/air. Climate control is a big issue in our huge, old building. Mold and mildew are a constant threat. The new unit will take much of the worry away!

Look what else we have been up to:

Prime Time!

The walls are primed and ready to paint. We have picked out a nice neutral off-white, called Foxtrot. Can't wait to put on the final coat!!!

Here are some current images from The Boardwalk. This is a long counter that was left in the space. We had a portion of it removed because there was dry rot. The dust from cleaning all the walls made for some interesting silhouettes. I call them "shadow stains". They remind me of the impressions of bodies that were flash-burned into the walls of Pompeii.

 Ann, who owned a neighboring building, sold it this week. The word on the street is that they will make a pizza shop! Dangerous (for our waist lines) to have that so close, but SO glad the building will be renovated. The pile of stuff pictured here is stuff we found in the building as Ann was cleaning it out. Wire baskets, metal shelves, a stool, vases, glass, a roadside reflector, and two hay forks were just a few of the items. We LOVE to go pickin'.

 Our gallery space is prepped and ready for occupancy. We have decided that renting the space will off-set some of the costs of upkeep on the building. We will have a new air/heat unit installed at the first of the year. But, the space is ready to go!

This is a panorama shot of the studio side of the building. On the left (which is looking toward the back of the building) we plan to have framing equipment. In the middle and right (looking toward the front of the building) we will have space for both of us to create our own work separately and collaboratively. There are so many things we are looking forward to doing!

We had such a great reception to our block print card making class. We plan to offer it again. We even have the idea of offering make-your-own greeting cards. Anyone can come in, learn how to design and carve a print block, make a print and leave with a handmade card!

This is a card with a woodblock print version of our logo. It is our business greeting card.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 

from Rich and Lori at 

THE BOARDWALK!

Deck Them Halls, Y'all!

"Tis the season," as they say this time of year. Boston is gearing up for a holiday parade and tree lighting. All the businesses in downtown have decorated their storefronts.

The Boardwalk has joined in the fun! We strung garland and lights along the side rail of the front walkway and hung wreaths on the doors. Red and green ball ornaments dangle at the front entrance.

 In the evenings, the streets are all aglow. We are still working on the inside of the space, but we wanted to make the outside warm and inviting. We still plan to put something in the windows to cap off our decorations.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

In the spirit of the holidays, we held a woodblock printing workshop on Tuesday evening. Six people participated. They printed their own holiday cards and learned a new art-making skill. There were some really cool designs! We plan to offer that class again in the future. It was a lot of fun.

The Dusty Road... I Mean Boardwalk

 Benjie finished hanging the drywall, then taping mudding and sanding. Still some finishing touches to do, such as adding moldings and baseboards in a few areas.

Drywall dust is everywhere! We swept and mopped the floors. Still a tremendous mess to be cleaned.

The gallery area is pretty much ready to be painted. We wiped down the walls and plan to prime them this weekend.

On the studio side (shown here), there is still some more work to do before we can spread out and start making artwork. Hopefully, by the end of Thanksgiving break, we will be cleaned up and have the walls all primed.

We plan to invite our friends and neighbors over for a big painting party! Should be fun.

Holiday Card Making Workshop

The Boardwalk is offering a hand-printed 

holiday card-making workshop. 

Tuesday, December 3, 6-8pm. 

$10 per person. 

Card stock and ink provided. 

Email for more info: theboardwalkart@gmail.com

Dan Burkholder: iPhone Photo Workshop

This weekend, we hosted a great two-day workshop on iPhone/iPad photography by Dan Burkholder. The event was co-sponsored by the Accidental Gallery, and organized by Mitch Brown. Mitch also provided the coffee and pastries both mornings.

Despite being a little drafty, The Boardwalk space worked out perfectly. Friday I mopped the floors to wipe up the first few layers of drywall dust and globs of mud. I also installed a new toilet seat in the bathroom!

The class was two full days from 9-4. We had about 15 participants from as far away as Austin, Texas. It was exhausting! But, we learned so much. Dan walked us through a bunch of different apps and showed us how to layer visual effects to maximize their impact. He was incredibly knowledgable, and an all-round nice guy.

I certainly improved my understanding of the technology.

Bright Spots

Our friend, Dario Nigro, who made the work tables for our classes, fashioned these beautiful vertical storage shelves. They are slotted to hold canvases and panels, and are outfitted with casters so they can be rolled into storage. One amusing detail is that the top and bottom edges are rounded and tapered as if they were pieces of fine furniture. With all the plaster dust from drywalling, mudding and sanding, they have already come in handy.

Later on we plan to hire him to create drawing "horses". These are benches that have a raised arm for leaning a drawing board against. They are quite comfortable.

We received our sidewalk plaque from Vital Signs! It looks great. It is made from a PVC material so it's virtually indestructible!

You may remember the handmade sign I created from a piece of plywood. That one is still hanging by the front door. But it is under the covered sidewalk to keep it from getting overexposed to the elements.