SAND T: MY GOALS
I see artSPACE@16 a product of a creative and undaunted response to the displacement from one artists' community (Fort Point Channel) to helping establish an artists' community in Malden. It is not just a gallery, but an art community developer.
The primary goal I set for artSPACE@16, was to provide a space for innovative contemporary art in Malden, to encourage partnerships between the City of Malden and components of the artist community on art collaboratives, and to motivate others to join in building a vibrant artist community there.
artSPACE@16 has pushed to strengthen the Malden art community by inspiring the City to create studio and gallery space, collaborating with artists, community groups, and local businesses to emphasize the importance of the integration of art and community.
GOALS ACHIEVED:
Below are listings of art initiatives that I initiated and/or helped to establish in Malden. I’m grateful that after the initial start-up project, these venues continue to promote art in their own ways.
The partnership between the City of Malden/MRA and the artists’ community has resulted in the creation of two artist studios and retail gallery establishments in downtown Malden. They are: IDEAS 5 Artists’ Studios and SOHO Art Center (now closed.). I provided start-up consultation to the City and artists in residency at these two studios.
I served on as one of volunteer committee members for the City's venture in creating artists' live/work space in Malden. I provided start-up consultation to the City, helped to identify potential committee members, provide community outreach support and input on the conversion of the Sacred Heart Church Convent to a multiple use artists building. In February 2008, the City and the MRA received $5K grant from ARTISTLINK to promote this artists-in-residence project. (Article to Share: Lofts Plans: Artist Studio-homes hit the Market in Malden by Amanda Mantone Linehan, October 2008.)
I was:
- A part of establishing Gallery at Elm Street in 2006
- A part of establishing Window Art Malden in 2006
- I started a list serve called [MaldenArtsNetwork] for Malden - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MaldenArtsNet/ (in 2005). Changed it's name to [CommunityArtsNetworkMALDEN]
- Contributed to the establishment of Washington Street Studios which became SOHO Art Center on 17 Washington Street (2005) (Studio Now Closed)
- In Spring 2004, I took the initiative to conduct an initial Survey For Artist Studio Space Needs In Malden. This survey was conducted independently from the City of Malden. I created a questionnaire to ascertain what artists require for their studio space. By compiling the results of this survey, I hoped to consolidate the voices of artists concerning their unmet spatial needs. I did the research, composed the questionnaire, identified artists, studied the feedback and wrote the final report. I also financed the production of this survey. This report can be printed out from artSPACE@16’s web site located at http://www.sandtworks.com/report.html
- A part of establishing West End Cafe Gallery on Summer Street (2004) (Café Gallery Now Closed)
- Contributed to the establishment of IDEAS 5 Artists Studios on Pleasant Street (2003)
- A part of establishing the Mayor's Gallery - In 2003, I approached The Mayor's Office to open a “Mayor's Gallery” that would hold ongoing exhibitions featuring local artists. I curated its premier exhibit entitled MALDEN ARTISTS - NEW WORKS featured 17 Malden artists in the Fall of 2003.
- Discussion on how to Revitalizing Malden Square through the arts (2003) - I also co-organized an open discussion with the Office of Mayor Richard C. Howard, Malden Redevelopment Authority, and The City Council's Downtown Committee on how to revitalizing Malden Square through the arts. The discussion was held at Malden City Hall on 2/26/2003. That discussion was designed to reach out to all artists to get their ideas on how they can be part of the revitalization process, creating artists live/work space and art related business opportunities in the Malden Square area.
- A part of establishing MATV Art Gallery in 2002.
- Listings Of Community, Arts And Cultural Venues In Malden: http://www.sandtworks.com/listings.html - My other self-effort is to put MALDEN ON THE ART MAP, meaning in print, thru web presence, and physical presence. The very intention of this initiative is to support and strengthen the arts network within communities to let others know that “WE’RE HERE”. Doing so to serve as a bridge to increase community connectivity and to promote the ARTS in Malden. I also made the hard copy be available to artists, gallery visitors and my collaborators. (This MASTER LISTINGS has been programmed to be distributed to members of the CommunityArtNetworkMALDEN List-service on a regular basic.)
- Asian American Artists Roundtable Series - This event has been co-sponsored by Great Wall Center, Inc., artSPACE@16(S.T Gallery), Health Malden, Inc.; TriCap, Inc., Malden Asian Pacific American Coalition and the Asian Spectrum TV series at the Malden Access Television and the Boston Neighborhood Network TV. (in 2001)
- ARTSRENDEZVOUS is a collaborative arts program CO-organized by Asian Spectrum, Malden Asian Pacific American Coalition, S.T Gallery (now artSPACE@16) ARTSRENDEZVOUS was initiated to promote and make the arts more accessible to the Malden community. Through this arts event, we also sought to enhance understanding of all cultures in the community at large. (In 2000)
- Besides being actively involved in art initiatives within the community, artSPACE@16 focuses on presenting ongoing contemporary art exhibitions that explore contemporary aesthetics, social and cultural issues.
- Receptions and gallery talks are held in conjunction with the 5 –7 exhibitions per year, which included invitational, curated and juried exhibitions. To date, artSPACE@16 has presented 43 exhibits at Princeton Road’s venue.
- Over the past eight years in Malden, I had the great opportunity to have worked with over 500 visual artists, storytellers, poets, and artists of all disciplines and to have featured their work at the 567 Sq ft gallery space on Princeton Road in Malden.
Please visit Community and Art Collaboratives for more information.
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