Fresh Paint
Copley Society
Newbury Street
Boston, MA

Heather stopped by the CSA's art auction this week, and she reflects:

You might have noticed an abundance of Artists from the New England area painting in the streets, parks and local hot spots around Boston on June 11th. These, over 90 artists, were out “canvassing” the streets to produce works indicative of the style and culture of Boston. All of these paintings were created for auction at Fresh Paint, a Copley Society of Art’s fundraiser on last .

People gathered inside the tent for the opening reception filling out bid cards for the works that were made specifically for this event. Once inside the actual event you were visually stimulated by a multitude of techniques, color palettes, and visual takes on the city. The Gala event featured varied appetizer platters, and a limited cocktail bar with live models dressed as trees donning out the fortunes of the guests. Mine stated, “You will find the seat of good fortune.” I am still looking!

The works varied from a classic scenes of the harbor to works that were almost entirely abstract. To the left is the piece by Mikel Wintermantel, Off Island, Martha’s Vineyard, with intricately detailed sky created with precision and delicate brushstrokes.

Although this was a meticulously designed image of Martha’ Vineyard I was quite taken by the abstract styling of Jason Brockert’s, American Landscape #38, Inevitable Parking. The top cool blues featured hidden shapes of houses with perfectly laid plots in hues of yellow and rich umbers. The inspection of the piece led me to believe that it was of a cemetery plot with the houses above and organized headstones below. The canvas had a “glow” about it and demonstrated an almost magnetic pull over the audience, as it became quite the conversation piece.


The event was a smashing success selling what appeared to be ¾ of the collection that they had for sale. The Copley Society has proven why 126 years later it is still at the forefront of the Boston Art Scene. Although, there were some pieces that were not “my style,” I appreciated the magnitude and artistic _expression of this event. Fresh Paint – A must see… but you might have to wait until next year to see the newest creations of 2007 since the winners already are in the process of taking their works home.

Check out http://www.copleysociety.org for more information on this event and this amazing outlet for Boston artists!