Artist Exhibit | Art Up Front by Kerrie Bellisario
Drinkwater’s to host Cambridge artist, Kerrie Bellisario for “Art Up Front”
Cambridge, MA June 2005—Drinkwater’s will be replacing the suits and sportswear usually displayed in their two store-front windows to install Kerrie Bellisario’s artwork. Drinkwater’s joins Cambridge in celebrating artist-business collaborations with storefront artist installations destined to make everyday living and running errands in Cambridge more exciting; as part of the Cambridge Arts Council’s “Art Up Front” project through June 19th.
The project pairs 34 Cambridge businesses and 40 artists to present a variety of projects in unexpected public places. Community Arts Administrator Elizabeth White says storefronts from Huron Village to East Cambridge will be transformed into exciting visual experiences. “This is a way for us to stretch the River Festival excitement across the city,” White says, “and create small artistic ripples that will build a great wave of buzz for River Festival.”
Kerrie Bellisario’s work exhibited in Art Up Front is inspired by stories of people immigrating to Boston and Cambridge. History Book represents the cultural knowledge and richness that people brought with them when they came to the US; Blank Pages is the story of starting over, of their possibilities and hopes for the future. The Map Series books are geographic studies of memory. Logging Memory is an invitational project that invites viewers to share the stories of their ancestors who arrived in the US as immigrants. These stories collected as part of Art Up Front will information the creation of future works.
Gary Drinkwater of Drinkwater’s, says the project also makes the process of seeing art more democratic and accessible to Cambridge citizens, “Not everyone is comfortable going into a gallery to see artwork,” says Drinkwater. “But through ‘Art Up Front’, the businesses of Cambridge are helping bring art directly to the people. Drinkwater’s is proud to be part of this extraordinary collaboration.” The Cambridge Arts council sees “Art Up Front” as an opportunity for businesses and artists to connect, and find ways to continue working with one another. Drinkwater’s has committed to this very notion, and plans on exhibiting artists in the store on an on-going basis.
About the Cambridge River Festival:
For 25 years, the Cambridge River Festival has drawn more than 100,000 enthusiastic patrons to the banks of the Charles River to enjoy a day of music, dance, poetry, food and visual art. Festival highlights include music (Jazz, Folk, Gospel, World), family entertainment, hands-on art-making activities, and vendors selling food and handmade crafts. River Festival activities this year take place along Memorial Drive between JFK Street and Western Avenue. All Cambridge River Festival events are free to the public.