Artists cross over to celebrate Roxbury’s Open Studios

“Growing up on the Dorchester/Roxbury ‘border,’ I could never really tell the difference other than we all belonged to the bigger community of Boston,” says Dot visual artist Daniel Edwards, who will be participating this weekend for the first time in the Roxbury Open Studios. “We need to eliminate the borders of artistic expression and support the Artistic Revealing of Truth! Whenever and wherever...”
These sentiments are echoed by Dot glass etcher Darlene Smart, “I go to most of the Open Studios, and I don’t think that people should go just to the one in their community. If you’re into the arts, you go wherever they are. There is a lot of great talent in this city!”

The enthusiastic openness expressed by Edwards and Smart seem to also characterize their nine fellow Dorchester residents who will be among the nearly 70 artists exhibiting this weekend during the newly enhanced Roxbury Open Studios (ROS), an annual opportunity to view and purchase paintings, drawings, sculptures, textiles, jewelry and other studio crafts, and thereby to boost the local economy.

For the first time, Discover Roxbury, the powerhouse cultural, arts and economic development non-profit, is taking control of ROS, and has expanded the offerings to include Roxtoberfest, a celebration of Roxbury’s culinary history and variety, through October 6. Discover Roxbury has printed a handsome, well-thought-out brochure guide with lots of color illustrations and maps to make navigating all the events fun and easy.

Tomorrow, September 30 at 6p.m., Roxbury Open Studios kicks off in earnest at the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists with a free reception to provide the public the opportunity to interact with artists over food and music.

Then Saturday and Sunday nearly six dozen artists, in both groups sites and their own studios (like the Piano Factory’s Paul Goodnight), will exhibit and sell their work from 11am-6pm, with free trolley service provided to 18 sites, MBTA stations, and local landmarks throughout Roxbury.

Works by some of the best known names in the Boston art scene may be viewed at AAMARP (African American Master Artists in Residency Program) 76 Atherton Street including Jeff Chandler, L’Merchie Frazier, Kofi Kagiya, Khalid Kodi, Hakim Raquib and Susan Thompson.

The greatest concentration of Dot artists will be on third floor ballroom of Hibernian Hall (189 Dudley St.): Lucilda Dassardo-Cooper (paintings); Darlene Smart (etched glass); Sharon Maddox (jewelry); Nayo Sandford (mixed media); Yvonne Williams (jewelry); Michelle Green (mixed media); and Willie Pleasants (books & tapes).

More Dorchester artists will be clustered in nearby Eliot Square at the Dillaway-Thomas House: Daniel Edwards (spray paint, digital, acrylic); Ivan Samuels (pottery, stoneware); and Maija Meadows (mixed media). Across the square, Elizabeth Dawan-Abdullah will be showing her fabric craft at the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry, 10 Putnam Street.

Preview the work of all these artists whatever side of the border they come from at roxburyopenstudios.org.