TU TAKEOVER

We had about 100 folks on Friday night. They ranged from students, parents, friends and family, to teachers, school administrators and community supportive members. It was a great night!

 The TU Jazz Ensemble rocked the house.

 The show featured paintings, printmaking, and digital photography from TU students.

Work by two of the students was featured. They were exhibiting as part of their thesis project for graduation.

Miss T as we call her is a first-time painter who took the Intro to Painting class and excelled with a painterly, folksy style that was quite charming.

Rachel, one of the graduating seniors, did her photo project on homelessness. She interviewed and took portraits of people living on the street as a way of raising visibility of issue that generally goes unnoticed.

Marcus, an graduating athlete, transferred to TU with some prior painting experience. He created paintings that captured his drive and determination through the use of the tiger as a metaphorical image.

The Boardwalk was proud and honored to host such a special event. We look forward to doing it again next year!!!

Link to book

I wrote a book about my experience discovering an unknown artist named Jack Adams. He grew up here in Boston, GA to a well-known family. He attended UGA and studied under Lamar Dodd. After WWII he moved to New York where he spent many years working at Macy's department store.

Read about my discoveries and adventures as I travelled around trying to uncover the life of Jack Adams. http://jack-adams-book.blogspot.com

TAKEOVER: TU STUDENT ART SHOW

Images from the last few months...

We hosted one evening of the Cops and Kids summer camp at the North Side Community Club. We talked about recycling and make litter bug posters. The posters and other stuff were displayed in our window at the Boardwalk.

 Over the summer, Rich was busy painting and drawing some of the landmark buildings that are in a state of disrepair. He focused on structures that were caught between being restored or torn down. One such place was the Duncan House.

 An old Masonic Lodge his hidden away on the north side of Boston. Such a gorgeous building!

After the Embalming Room was torn down, this is what it looks like. Lori plans to make the space into an art garden!

 This is the poster for the quilt show we had during Boston Mini Marathon. Local quilters meet at the library every Thursday. They are very talented.

 Here we are installing the quilts on the walls.

This painting is one Rich did over the summer. It is the quintessential image of Boston, an old farm town and hidden gem.

Nearly a year...

It has been nearly a year since the last post. There is no excuse for the long absence. Just been busy. Here is a rundown of all that has happened. Pictures will follow soon…

Over last summer, Rich made a series of paintings and drawings of Boston sites. Lori was commissioned to paint a group portrait.

1. The Embalming Room was successfully dismantled and disposed.
2. In June, we had helped with Cops and Kids Summer Camp with the Boston Police Dept.
3. In October, for Boston Mini Marathon we hosted an exhibit of the Boston Friendship Quilters.
4. In February, The Accidental Gallery moved out of the smaller gallery they were renting.
5. Last month, Rich's dad came down over Spring Break and helped us with taking down the old wood rack that was on the side of the building. He also did a lot of other odd jobs and was a huge help. It was so good to have him here!

The Embalming Room

 As mentioned previously, The Boardwalk was recently plagued with powder post beetles, stray cats and fleas. One area with the greatest concentration of these issues was the affectionately termed "embalming room" addition on the back of the building. Situated adjacent to the large covered, open air work area, the embalming room was riddled with leaks, unstable construction, and rotting supports. It was walled off during our renovation and subsequently became a haven for pests.

 The pest control man who sprayed for fleas a couple of months ago, mentioned he and his sons would be interested in helping dismantle the structure in exchange for the materials. After a few weeks, we agreed. Much of the neat old wooden siding was rotten and infested. But, the inner structure was in decent shape.

 Interestingly, there is still plumbing running through the walls. There was an upper decking of wide plank wood for the floor. When that was torn up, the original wooden floor was revealed. It is obviously rotten. It was built right on top of the ground. The joists were set right on the dirt.

Some of the plumbing, electrical and construction methods they used throughout the years have led to most of the issues we face now. It is a shame that the building was not respected and cared for. Basic maintenance is less costly and more efficient than full on restoration.

Respect for elders should extend to buildings and towns, not just people. 

Impromptu Art Camp

 A couple of weeks ago, a friend of ours, Ann, called us up and asked if we were going to have a summer art camp. This is something we had discussed earlier in the year, but it never came to fruition. Ann was looking for activities for her grandkids who were visiting. I told her we were not planning a formal camp, but we would be happy to do lessons.

One thing led to another, and in a matter of less than an hour Ann got several neighborhood kids rounded up to take the class.  This all happened on a Monday evening. The first class was the next day, at noon!

 It just so happened that Boston was bursting with activities for kids that week. In the mornings was a reading program at the Carnagie Library, then our art class, followed by a Vacation Bible School at the local Baptist Church.

Tuesday we started with drawing and watercolor. Wednesday we made a collaborative Play Do sculpture (pictured above). Thursday we made paper bag puppet and masks (pictured left). Friday we finished up with balloon faces (pictured below). Unfortunately, the balloons were quickly popped, much to the delight of the children. We ended up making water balloons in the side yard and throwing them around.

Next year, if we do it again, we will actually plan, advertise, and register the kids so we have a bit more structure. The classes this time were 2 full hours. The kids stopped paying attention about half way through.