Busy Bloggers

We are quite busy over at Art Bar trying to bring Boston some great events. We just confirmed an October 23, 2006 date for our "Passage of Time" show. The event will be from 6-8:3o that Monday at 28º in the South End.

We aplogize for the lack of updates, but this week you can expect a review of one of our staffer's birthday dinners at Bomboa as well an overview of the latest show at Axelle Fine Arts - all before we all leave for a big 4th of July at the beach!

"Tryst"
District
180 Lincoln St
Boston, MA 02111

District is one of the newest lounges to open in downtown Boston. Located on Lincoln St (technically in the Leather District, hence the name), District adds a wonderful, chic and fashionable lounge/restaurant to that too often overlooked area of the city between Chinatown and Downtown Crossing. Art Bar attended an evening called ‘Tryst” that was to be boss nova and house music. The night looked promising, and District has been generating a positive buzz.

Delightfully decorated in a black and white motif, complete with shiny leather seating, fantastic bubbled walls lots of birch (yes, real birch tree limbs and branches), the décor and ambiance of District and definite and extremely well thought out. And for a restaurant fashioning itself more a lounge in the vein of Saint and Sanctuary, this well thought out design and detail is essential. The mix of soft padded walls, wiry chandeliers and real wood walls created a very distinct mood of relaxation and luxury that is perfectly accented by a few hints of red popping up in various sports.

The drinks were ok. The bar was very slow and the bartender didn’t seem able to handle such a large crowd. I am confident this will improve; the restaurant is still so new that the drink list hasn’t even been printed yet! The food all looked and smelled great, but none of the Art Bar staffers had anything to eat other than a few passed appetizers.

The music was suitable and was basically some great up-tempo bar grooves tracks courtesy of a DJ “spinning” on his PowerBook. To put it simply, we didn’t really notice the music. Whether this was the intent or not, I am not sure. I tend to think that it wasn’t, because the music had been promoted heavily in the flyer. Regardless, the sounds were appealing and once the right crowd finds its way here, the bar will really come alive.

We weren’t sure what exactly made up the “Tryst” part of the night and we were overwhelmed by a lot of people who came out to be seen, but mainly to get free booze. In a month or so, hopefully sooner, the appropriate contingent of after work socialites, house loving martini drinkers and lounge goers will find District and settle in.

Bottom Line: We loved the décor, liked the bar and endorse going over and checking our District!

Boston Young Comtemporaries
808 Gallery
Boston University
808 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA

I pass the 808 Gallery each morning on my way to work, and finally stopped in this week. The shows always look great from the window, and are even better 0nce you are inside. This collection is from local MFA candidates, and is a juried show running until July 1st. Since this is a crazy week for us at Art Bar, I am going to just post the details below and let you go and check out the show yourself! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Summary: Boston Young Contemporaries

Description: A Juried Exhibition of Boston Area MFA Programs. Sculpture-Video-Installation-Painting-Printmaking-Photography. Juried by Kiki Smith, Gideon Bok, and Laura Donaldson. Featuring works by students in MFA programs at Brandeis University, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, UMASS-Amherst, UMASS-Dartmouth, Mass Art, Boston University, and the Art Institute of Boston. On display June 15 through July 21. Wed.-Sun., noon-6 p.m. Admission: free.

URL: http://www.bu.edu/cfa/visual/galleries/808_gallery.htm

Information Phone: 617-358-0922
Contact Name: sethgadsden@gmail.com

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!

Empty but Maybe Promising
The Ruby Room
Onyx Hotel (across from TD Banknorth Garden)
Boston, MA
I decided that it was about time to check out the Ruby Room at the Onyx Hotel. Yes, that’s the same hotel that has the Britney Spears suite – a room decorated to look like her bedroom in her Kentwood, LA home. Guests receive a copy of Britney’s movie bomb, Crossroads, as well as a care basket filled with all of Brit’s fave snack foods. I am sure that means a few pounds of jerky and a huge bag of Cheetos… But back to the topic a hand.

The Ruby Room looks spacious, luxurious and ever chic on the Hotel’s website, but in reality its far less impressive. While the décor is nice, and the walls hung with a great Art display from the SMFA, the space ultimately is small and seems like an afterthought. In lieu of having a formal lobby, guests walk directly into the Onyx Hotel and can go right to a small front desk or walk into the Ruby Room. Comfortable booths and tables fill the bar, and its lush reds, rubies and jet-black furnishings are inviting and very classy which helps to make of for the dearth of decent places near the “Fleet Center.”

Our drinks and food were typically overpriced and were exactly what you would expect from this type of bar. Bar 10 is the exception to Hotel Bars, and seems to be the only one where the food is as good as the drinks. My grapetini was decent, but lacked the potency I desire when I spend over $12 a cocktail. I ate one of my favorite comfort foods, macaroni and cheese, and I enjoyed every last bite, but I wondered if perhaps I was eating Kraft with Velveeta…

DJ’s were spinning old school hip-hop, R&B and top 40, but my table was the only one seated in the Bar. Our waitress doubled as bartender, and I am left wondering if the place ever gets crowded. With a fun crowd, some more lounge styled music and a few drinks in me, I think I could really enjoy the Ruby Room. For now, don’t go unless you bring a large group of friends. Until they make the music match the bar, I don’t think it will ever take off as a the chic martini hotspot it tries to be.

15 Years Old!
Kashmir
Newbury Street and Gloucester St
Boston, MA

Stuff@Night hosted another great party last night at Kashmir, celebrating the restaurants 15 years as one the hottest Indian dining establishments in the city. There parties have made a huge improvement over the parties of a year ago, and if the this trend continues, “Stuff@Night parties” are sure to make a social impact beyond its own pages.

With the opening of Valentino down street, I wondered if the Stuff party would even compare. In my humble opinion, it blew away the Valentino party by the looks of it! The space was packed, but there was ample room on the two tiered patio made for a little breathing, or should I say smoking. Large hookahs adorned the patio tables, and everyone was taking a puff (or two!). The best way to describe the experience was to say I was breathing in candy air. The light and fruity tastes provided none of the harsh burn of cigarette smoke while still amplifying my already ample buzz!

The bar was open all night. And when I say open, I mean it! Unlike most events where one or two liquors may be highlighted, the bar tenders at Kashmir were serving anything you could imagine! The free hors d’oeuvres were also rather good and very plentiful. Great pakoras, samosas, tandoori chicken, lamb, naan, raita and these tasty little fish things were served by a friendly and very attentive event staff!

After the weeks of rain, it was great to be outside on Newbury St and eat, drink and catch up with friends. If I didn’t have to work this morning, I may have stayed till they threw us out! Instead we walked (aka stumbled) out past the search lights flashed through the sky and headed toward a T that now seemed like way more than a few blocks away!

Bottom Line: If a normal night at Kashmir is half as good, I would go back in a second. With such good food, strong drinks and a friendly staff, its no wonder Kashmir is 15 years old. Happy Birthday!

New Charity Event Page

Art Bar and Club Cafe are hosting a Madonna themed AIDS charity event to benefit the Boston Living Center. Please visit our event page for more details!

What Will She Do for Love?
Rise
306 Stuart Street
Boston, MA

Last night I went to Rise for the first time. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. In my mind I never would have pictured the large plastic flowers, flowing curtains and hardwood floor of the first level. The décor may have been interesting if you were high, tripping or even drunk. I was none of the three (never had my drug phase and Rise, being an after-hours club, is totally dry!), Incense pumped through the vents, black lights illuminated plastic lizards stuck to the ceiling, and large green pillar lights covered in small LCD screen displaying a rotating Rise logo, yet ultimately the lounge level was boring.

The downstairs of the club is stuck somewhere between a high school stoners bedroom and a disco for club kids of the mid to late nineties. None of the post 2000 sophistication that one would expect for a pricey, one-of-a-kind (in Boston), members only club exists at Rise. I expected the club to look more like the sleek styling of Jury’s rather than somewhere Parker Posey would frequent in Party Girl. Simply put, with yearly membership ranging from 50-750 dollars and cover in excess of $20, the club needs to update itself and come into the new millennium.

The reason for our trip to Rise was to see Colette spin upstairs. One of House of OM’s bigger stars, Colette and her best friend DJ Heather spun a powerhouse set that more than made up for Rise’s lack of sophistication and décor. And to be fair, the upstairs of the club is far better in general. A large disco ball shoots beams of light over the crowd and bounces them off a wall of warped mirrors. Dancing here was fun, and we barely noticed the time pass by. Colette didn’t come on until almost 4 am, but when it did it was greated with excitement.

Colette mixes live vocals with extremely danceable beats, creating the ideal type of house music the Pure failed to produce. If her set last night is any indication of her new dual cd with DJ Heather, than I will be extremely happy when I rush out in the rain today and buy it! (Newbury Comics has it for $10.88 and disc one is on iTunes).

Bottom line: If you get the chance, and you know you like the DJ, head over to Rise and head straight to the 2nd level and dance. Make sure you have had enough to drink before you go though!

Heifers in the Hub
Boston, MA

Its that time of year again… For the past couple of years, these Cows have been seen across the city every spring and summer. Local artists help to create these life size heifers and all proceeds from their eventual sales go to the Jimmy Fund. The Cow Parade website says the following:

CowParade Mooves to the Hub!_Returning to its historical, and pastoral, roots in the summer of 2006, Boston’s parks, plazas and streets will be filled with life-size cows. Organized by and benefiting The Jimmy Fund, CowParade Boston will take place in the summer of 2006 when over 100 life-size, painted cows will be on display. The public display will begin during the first week of June and conclude on September 5, 2006. At the conclusion of the public display, the cows will be rounded up and sold to the highest bidders. Approximately 50 of the cows will be sold at a live auction in October 2006 and following the live auction, the remaining cows will be sold in an online auction. The proceeds from these auctions will benefit The Jimmy Fund. Quick Facts About the Event._Cows Graze: 1st Week of June – September 5, 2006_Gala Auction: October 2006_Herd Goal: 150 cows! Open Call to Boston’s Artists. We are looking for Boston’s and New England’s finest artists and craftsmen. Click here to learn about becoming a CowParade artist.

I encourage everyone to go search for the cows. So far, I have spotted them in the Common and at Christopher Columbus Park.

Horrible Weather

Boston seems to have entered its own sort of monsoon season this past month. Therefore, please bear with Art Bar if out blogs entries are not as regular... Getting out in the rain can be a real drag!

While it is raining though, it may be a great chance to catch up on movies, museums and other larger indoor attractions with ample parking!

A Once Perfect 10
Bar 10
Westin Hotel, Copley Square
Boston, MA


Thumping house beats and flickering candlelight emanate from this chic bar off the lobby of the Westin. A few high tables and bar give way to a floor full of cushy chairs, booths and low tables. The atmosphere is always so great that you would never place yourself in a “hotel bar,” but rather some trendy, downtown martini bar. With fantastic drinks that really pack a punch, Bar 10 had been one of my favorite haunts in the city. That was until recently…

Bar 10’s martini prices had always been high (around $10-$12 a piece), but now the prices have increased so as to make most drinks closer to $14 dollars. While this price increase will not deter the business men who are expensing all their drinks, it will dissuade the younger, hipper crowd who filled the bar from Thursday to Sunday. To be fair, two drinks at Bar 10 are equivalent to about four or five somewhere else – the martinis are strong. They do what few bars do, and use almost pure alcohol in all of their mixed drinks to surprising effect.

The drinks may hurt your wallet, but the bar menu is not so daunting. Great flat bread pizzas (try the Toscana), quite nice bruschetta and an array of really great hors d’oeuvres make eating at Bar 10 an unexpectedly delightful experience. One more thing to note about the food is that Bar 10 serves good, in fact very good, clam chowder! While a creamy soup doesn’t always mix with a glass of vodka straight up, it is worth trying!

The bottom line about Bar 10 is as follows: Bar 10 is a great hotel bar that serves some of the strongest and best martini’s in the city, accompanied by some good food, BUT the prices are now almost too high to really enjoy the night.

Upcoming Events

There are several new events on the Art Bar site. Make sure to check them out!

Look for a fun tip of the week tomorrow that will be especially great if this weather ever stays nice for more than a day!

Aaron Brewer and
Michael Mahalchick @ Second Gallery
Second Gallery
516 East 2nd Street
South Boston, Massachusetts 02127

One of our readers, Ean, sent this great review in to us. Art Bar encourages all of our readers to interact, leave comments and send us feedback. We hope to build an online community where people can hear honest opinions from us (and others!) about all the lastest "goings on" in Boston.

When living in an age of overconsumption we often find ourselves searching for gold among the piles ofplastic. Aaron Brewer and Michael Mahalchick’s two installations currently showing at the Second Gallery achieve this diamond in the rough status.

Aaron Brewer is an artist, theorist and curator who regularly contributes to C Magazine and is one of the founders of the New York gallery CANADA which also represents Michael Mahalchick. His installation, “And if I only could, I’d make a deal with god, and I’d get him to swap our places”, features an amalgam of produced objects: styrofoam, rope, detergent bottles and plastic bags all covered in commercial colors, ranging from hot pink to cool blue to a limelight green. On top of this are the artist’s cryptic scrawlings. Juxtaposed with the byproducts of consumer society are tree branches holding the whole installation up.

What makes Brewer’s work so striking is that the materials being used are not mere representations of ideas or feelings but rather it is the very physicality of the objects themselves that packs such emotion. An onslaught of trash, slathered in neon colors is on the verge of collapsing on the viewer, much like an empire of plastic crumbling under its own weight. The inundation that the viewer feels is exactly what Brewer wants. He is confronting us with the aesthetic of everyday life.

And here I am using the term not as a designator of any standard of beauty or even just to describe a certain look, but a look and a feeling. Brewer’s work has no time for the pretensions of an art world which seeks to hide from the outside world, rather showing us the raw physicality of our cultural products in an almost violent manner. But it doesn’t end there. Just as the tree branches holding up the installation shows us a dualism between natural and manufactured objects, Brewer leaves us with one more piece of ironic food for thought. Lying on the floor behind the installation is a TV on which plays a montage of wild life stills to Kate Bush’s Running up that Hill, the song from which the title is derived. As Kate croons over haunting synth about swapping places with the Almighty to static images of bears and chipmunks, the conquest of material goods over the biosphere becomes apparent. But there is no condescending moralism here, instead it is all rather tongue in cheek.

Turning from Brewer’s poetic cynicism we find Mahalchick’s “False Profit”. Mahalchick is a sculptor, musician and performance artist who is represented by CANADA. He has exhibited works in the US and internationally, including the Andrew Kreps Gallery, PS1 and the Sculpture Center. In “False Profit”, Mahalchick uses fabric, fur and other bits of textiles to create wrapped and stuffed figures that hint at representation but ultimately fall back into abstraction. These are seated on squares of glass which give the figures an added dimension. The most figurative of the sculptures is about shoulder height with a set of arms that reach upwards towards the sky. The euphoric feeling is matched by the reflection of light which bounces off the mirrored squares. Mahalchick’s textile sculptures have a very playful quality, like Dr. Seuss crossed with Niki de Saint Phalle.

When contrasted with Brewer’s installation we find there is a dialogue between the two installations. Whereas Brewer is commenting on the destruction of the natural environment at the behest of consumer culture, Mahalchick’s works take us away from the harshness of reality into exuberant fantasy. While still retaining the physicality of our world, his figures allude to the world contained in Scharf’s paintings or the imaginations of outsider artists like Adolph Wolfli.



Meanwhile, the use of mirrors conjure other dimensions, reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass”. It is this dialogue that makes the show so successful. Brewer sets us up with a clever joke about the excesses of modernity and Mahalchick takes us away from it all with well crafted fantasy. In the end Brewer and Mahalchick’s show conveys the very power of art itself. The power to both confront us with reality or take us away from it entirely.

“And if I only could, I’d make a deal with god, and I’d get him to swap our places” by Aaron Brewer and “False Profit” by Michael Mahalchick will be shown until June 10 at the Second Gallery in South Boston.
Ean Frick