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Boston Harbor Heroes Award for South Bay Harbor Trail Coalition

4/4/2018

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Save the Harbor / Save the Bay bestowed its annual Boston Harbor Heroes awards at a gala evening held in the grand ballroom of the Seaport Hotel on March 29, 2018. Among others, the South Bay Harbor Trail Coalition was honored for its "vision, tenacity and commitment to connecting Boston's neighborhoods to Boston Harbor and each other." Under the leadership of coalition founder, Michael Tyrrell, the team of David Giangrande, Christina Lanzl, Ann McQueen, Tom Parks, the late Bill Pressley and his wife Marion, Candelaria Silva and Bob Wells envisioned the South Bay Harbor Trail (SBHT) ​as part of a larger trail network that connects the Southwest Corridor Park from Jamaica Plain to the Boston Harborwalk downtown and in South Boston. Buoys salvaged and reconditioned by the US Coast Guard serve as markers and a playful reminder of Boston's rich maritime history. Main goal is to reconnect communities divided by major traffic arteries via an easily accessible, multi-use bicycle and pedestrian path. The first of a series of SBHT Buoys was dedicated along the Harborwalk in Fort Point Channel in November 2008. Funding for public art planning along the trail was provided by the Edward Ingersoll Browne Trust Fund of the City of Boston. Other funders include the ISTEA program, MassDOT, the New England Foundation for the Arts as well as private donors. Overall construction of the SBHT is underway as of spring 2018.

About the South Bay Harbor Trail
The South Bay Harbor Trail Coalition, in partnership with Save the Harbor / Save the Bay, municipal and state agencies, partnered to plan and build the 3.5 mile-long, multi-use South Bay Harbor Trail which, when completed, will connect Roxbury, the South End, Chinatown, Fort Point Channel and South Boston to each other and to Boston Harbor.

The South Bay Harbor Trail is one of the most important and exciting initiatives in the city connecting our inland neighborhoods to Boston Harbor. The Trail will link people to the recreational resources of a revitalized Boston Harbor and to the economic opportunities of a prospering waterfront. Residents from Boston’s diverse neighborhoods will have the opportunity to share in a cultural exchange.
 
The South Bay Harbor Trail will provide an important link in the larger transportation network by connecting with existing streets and trails such as the Southwest Corridor and Melnea Cass Boulevard. It will also serve as a critical link in a citywide greenway, connecting trails from Fenway, the Southwest Corridor, Charles River Park, Broadway Bridge, Fort Point Channel and the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
 
The South Bay Harbor Trail Coalition includes community groups, environmental organizations, the City of Boston, property owners, developers, and residents. It is governed by a steering committee which is comprised of coalition members representing every neighborhood through which the Trail will pass. The Coalition receives organizational, fundraising, and technical assistance from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. 
 
The Coalition worked together with Pressley Associates, a Cambridge-based landscape architecture firm, and Design Consultants Inc., a Somerville-based engineering firm, to develop the engineering and design master plans that will link various completed segments of the trail into a contiguous, single trail system/experience.
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Fort Point Arts Exhibit at WBUR

12/10/2015

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The FPAC/WBUR Art Lending Program
The Fort Point Arts Community has a long-standing relationship with WBUR, Boston’s National Public Radio News Station. For twenty years now FPAC has had an art lending partnership with WBUR, in which FPAC artists loan artwork for exhibition in the WBUR Studio Offices. In turn, WBUR publicizes FPAC’s fall and spring Open Studios events on the air. Artwork loaned to WBUR is enjoyed by all who work in the WBUR Offices, as well as by the Station’s many distinguished guests and visitors from all walks of life.
 
About the Fort Point Arts Community
The Fort Point Arts Community, Inc. of South Boston (FPAC) is a non-profit community organization founded in 1980. The historic warehouse buildings of Fort Point house painters, photographers, sculptors, designers, ceramicists, performance artists, jewelers, book artists, digital media artists, and more. FPAC’s mission is to promote the work of our artists to a broad and diverse audience; to preserve the artists community in the Fort Point Channel area; to ensure the continuance of permanent, affordable studio space; to build community; and to increase the visibility of the arts in Fort Point. Fort Point is home to over 300 artists and offers membership to affiliated Artists from Greater Boston and beyond. It is recognized as one of New England’s largest and most established artist communities with several artist live/work buildings.
FPAC Artists
  • Work in all 2D and 3D media and materials as well as in New Media
  • Create and exhibit at all stages of their careers, from emerging to established artist
  • Exhibit locally, regionally, nationally and internationally
  • Are recipients of prestigious awards, including Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellowships
  • Garner invitations to well-recognized artist-in-residence programs, such as Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Atlantic Center for the Arts, McDowell Colony, National Seashore Program of the Provincetown Community Compact, Vermont Studio Center, Ucross, Yaddo, etc.
 
2016/17 Exhibiting Artists at WBUR
David Agee, Nikolay Cherny, Anna Comella, Maggie Connors, Laura Davidson, Jane Deutsch, Rebecca Dwyer, Lisa Greenfield, Elisa Hamilton, Rachel Hammerman, Jeffrey Heyne, Jacob Higginbottom, Dylan Hurwitz, Ian Kennelly, Christina Lanzl, Amy Baxter MacDonald, Karen McFeaters, Bonnie Mineo, Jenifer Mumford, Larry Plitt, Kim Radochia, Rob Reeps, Renée Ricciardi, Jose Santos, Kristin Stashenko and Lenore Tenenblatt.
 
All artwork is available for purchase. For additional information, visit the FPAC website or send an email.
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Fort Point and Seaport Forum

9/22/2015

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Fort Point and Seaport Neighborhood Forum on the Arts, Culture and Planning at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

The neighborhood forum of Boston’s historic Fort Point and the Seaport District at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) on October 22, 2015 focussed on the arts, culture and planning. The event was organized by Mayor Walsh’s administration in partnership with the Fort Point Arts Community, the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Urban Culture Institute.

The Fort Point and Seaport Forum brought together leaders, residents, artists and professionals from Fort Point and the Seaport as well as from other Boston communities for an informal conversation on neighborhood life and planning initiatives of the City of Boston.

ICA Executive Director Jill Medvedow welcomed the speakers and attendees, followed by a brief overview of ICA history and programs. This important cultural institution with a 80-year history moved to the waterfront in 2006. Contemporary art in all media—visual arts, performance, film, video, and literature—and educational programs foster an appreciation for contemporary art.

Jen Mecca, Chair of the Board of Directors introduced the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC). Founded in 1980, FPAC has developed three artist live/work buildings at 249 A Street and at 300 Summer Street as well as the Midway Studios on Channel Center Street. FPAC hosted the 36th Annual Open Studios in October, complemented by two other open studio weekends every year in the spring and during the holiday season. FPAC also operates the FPAC Gallery, the Made in Fort Point artist store, and offers numerous other programs.

Christina Lanzl, co-founder of the Urban Culture Institute, gave an overview of her 20-year history in Fort Point and highlighted current projects in partnership with the City of
Boston, the MBTA and FPAC. She then introduced the speakers and facilitated the question-and-answer session following the presentations.
​

City of Boston presenters were Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture, John Fitzgerald, Deputy Director of Imagine Boston 2030, and Rich McGuinness, Deputy Director of Waterfront Planning. The speakers introduced their plans and vision for Fort Point and the Seaport, followed by a discussion with attendees. The goal of the forum was to engage a group of
diverse community members for a joint conversation and to
further communications within the area and with the City administration. It also provided an opportunity for residents of both historic Fort Point and the emerging Seaport to meet each other.

Richard McGuinness shared his current work on the downtown waterfront and his insights on the series of planning projects he completed for the Boston Redevelopment Authority in Fort Point and the Seaport from 2000 to 2015. He concluded his remarks with lessons learned and inspirations drawn from a recently completed research trip to Seattle. 

Julie Burros gave an update on the ongoing Boston Creates city-wide cultural plan, which is expected to build a shared vision for arts and culture for the first time in the city's history. Of note are her plans to update the BRA's Artist Certification program and to increase the number of artist housing units. To bolster the capacity of the office of Arts and Culture, a new planner has been added to the team in October 2015.

​
John Fitzgerald, the Deputy Director of Imagine Boston 2030, introduced the recently launched municipal urban design plan. The City's last master plan was completed 50 years ago. A robust community participation process is part of this initiative, similar to the cultural plan process.

Many thanks to the hosts and presenters, as well as Kelly Gifford and Kate Shamon of the ICA and Urban Culture Institute Fellows, Thu Ngan Han and Hilary Buskirk of Stantec.
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Fort Point Tech & Art Tour

9/18/2015

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Picture
Thursday, Oct 1, 12-1pm
Meet at the
Fort Point Arts Community Gallery,
300 Summer Street, Mezzanine, Boston, MA 02210

Have you ever wondered about how the arts and technology intersect? Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of the firms LogMeIn, Blade and WeWork in historic Fort Point locations to find out. These companies are high tech and incubator firms that have partnered with the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC) on a corporate art program that brings original art into offices as a placemaking effort and to contribute to a workplace environment that stimulates creativity.
LogMeIn is a well-known provider of Software as a service and cloud-based remote connectivity services for collaboration. Blade is looking to build the next great travel company, in Boston, while WeWork is a platform for creators that provides office space, community, and services for start-ups.
FPAC enriches the Fort Point area with a resident live/work artist population that contributes to the district's and the City of Boston's cultural life. Co-sponsored by the Fort Point Arts Community and the Friends of Fort Point Channel. This is a program of ArtWeek Boston.

The tour will be led by Christina Lanzl of the Urban Culture Institute who also serves as Project Director for the Fort Point Arts Community.

The event is free. A limited number of tickets is available. Register on EventBrite.
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FPAC's Art on Hand at LogMeIn

8/23/2015

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The Fort Point Arts Community’s (FPAC) art lending program showcases artists from Boston's Fort Point and beyond. LogMeIn, a global company with headquarters in Fort Point, has been a strong ally of the arts and culture in the neighborhood. LogMeIn provides worldwide solutions for remote control, file sharing, systems management, data backup, business collaboration and on-demand customer support of PCs, servers, Macintosh computers, smartphones and other connected devices. FPAC offers an art-lending program, art commissioning and corporate art consulting services. Working together benefits the partners and strengthens the arts and culture in Fort Point, a neighborhood on South Boston’s waterfront. FPAC is committed to working with clients and artists so that specific needs and expectations are being met. Investing in art, culture and Boston artists improves the quality of life in your surroundings, creates sense of place and identity and stimulates growth. Services are provided on a fee-based structures tailored to individual budgets and requests. Participating artists benefit through art loan honorariums and art commissions. Christina Lanzl manages the program as FPAC Project Director since July 2015, working hand-in-hand with Executive Director Emily O'Neil and the FPAC Board of Directors, chaired by Jen Mecca.

The third long-term exhibition at LogMeIn features works by Emily Cobb, Monica Chiang, Nathan Evans, Ian Kennelly, Sterling Mulbry, Kimberly Radochia, Claudia Ravaschiere and Jonathan Stark. On August 18, LogMeIn celebrated the installation of six works by Elisa Hamilton, Dylan Hurwitz, Karen McFeaters, Andrew Neumann, Krina Patel and Tom Wojciechowski. The works highlight LogMeIn’s truism “Possibility Increases with Connectivity”. The group of place-specific commissions were the result of an open FPAC call for artists in fall 2014. LogMeIn's Simply Possible, a corporate identity project. The success of this first initiative at LogMeIn's world headquarters in Boston is now introduced to their offices around the world, as well.

PRESS
Nick DeLuca. "LogMeIn Marks Fort Point Expansion By Showing Off Neighborhood Artists." BostInno, August 19, 2015.
"LogMeIn Enlists Art Community to Help Re-launch Brand." nasdaq.com, August 18, 2015.

Simply Possible Artist Statements
1. Elisa H. Hamilton
Simply Possible
Crayon, ink, gouache, and oil pastel on paper.
48 pieces, 7" x 7" each
The art that I make is grounded in the belief that we are constantly surrounded by reasons to be joyful. I strive to bring the inherent brilliance of our everyday places, objects, and experiences into vivid focus. I work from life, captivated by the honest vibrancy of our ordinary surroundings. I explore everyday subject matter with ordinary materials such as crayon, ink and paper- heightening what may be considered commonplace with multi-layered works that revel in color, texture, depth and shape. The subject matter I choose speaks not only to our day to day surroundings, but also to our broader human experience; relationships, expectation, triumph, loss- but above all, hope.

2. Dylan Hurwitz
untitled (Fort Point 2015)
Oil and acrylic on canvas
48” x 60”
untitled (Fort Point 2015) is the result of a collaboration between a group of LogMeIn employees and artist Dylan Hurwitz, where the artist performed on piano while LogMeIn employees danced on a canvas stage with paint. The piece is part of a larger project of Hurwitz's that utilizes music and dance to create paintings. As a trained pianist and painter, Hurwitz's work is often the result of an attempt to bridge both practices.

3. Karen McFeaters
Full Spectrum Triptych
Acrylic on canvas
24” x 72" (three 24 x 30" canvases)
Full Spectrum Triptych is my depiction of the way business has been conducted over the years, past and present. The first of the three paintings is monochromatic, representing an antiquated model of doing business when people where anchored to large buildings to get things done. The center painting introduces more color as the bridge between the "new" buildings and the "old," as well as the connection between the old way of doing things and the new. The third painting is the brightest and most colorful of the three canvases, depicting Fort Point, home of the original innovators (the artists) and now also the home of innovators in technology, such as LogMeIn. A neighborhood rich in history and ripe with potential, I'm proud to call it my home.

4. Andrew Neumann
Crane (matrix)
digital ink jet print, solid-state media player, video module
48" x 36"x 6"
Crane (matrix) is a meditation on construction cranes, all shot out one specific window in my studio in Fort Point. Documented over an 18-month span, the piece depicts different weather patterns, and is constructed as a matrix of still video images juxtaposed against a single video screen, contrasting the "static" versus the "dynamic".

5. Krina Patel
Simply Connect
Wood
approx. 70" x 48" x 8”
Simply Connect is a fun interactive piece that evokes childhood memories while referring to LogMeIn's work of enabling people to simply connect. The motif on the game pieces is inspired by Hungarian embroidery acknowledging the company's early connection to Hungary.

6. Tom Wojciechowski
Simply Possible
Photographs
20” x 72”
This piece is part of my series titled Writing with a Camera, where a stationary light source becomes the writing utensil of a moving camera. The project is a singular fit for LogMeIn's tag line. Using the headquarter building's sign and a neighborhood streetlamp, I spell out the words in dynamic fashion.
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