Garment District Gravity

As the BoMa Bloggers transition into a new world of cultural oddities and artistic mayhem, one of our lesser discussed genres, the fashion world, became the priority of today's adventure. The hearty bloggers traveled to the mystifying hamlet of Cambridge, where The Garment District and wonderfully convenient on-street parking awaited us.

The Garment District provided the bloggers with more shock and laughter then practical shopping, but nonetheless, the visit proved to be valuable, though the store is more thrift than department. Highlighting the trip was the dollar-a-pound section, which essentially is a giant pile of old, crappy and often body-fluid-stained clothes. Still, like any good nose-pick, there's treasure if you're willing to dig deep enough. After sifting through mounds and mounds of pounds and pounds of everything from sleeping bags to thongs (both in beach and undergarment form) to youth league soccer shirts, one particularly frugal blogger came away with several shirts for just $2. The store also included a fabulous costume section, where gladiator and Harry Potter costumes were fruitful, as well as a vintage section, featuring clothing from the '50s and other classic decades that seemed to have come just moments after the dinosaurs. While none of the offerings spoke to the bloggers (except one $35 suit that was later deemed unworthy due to the dirty tissue found in the pocket), the store is certain to tickle the fancy of some adventurous and economically conscious shoppers.

The day also included a stop at Whole Foods, where the bloggers enjoyed an outstanding meal from the salad and sushi bars. Though the food is often quite expensive and the security is excessive, it was just the pick-me-up the bloggers needed to examine the rest of Legacy Place, a hip, happening outdoor mall that offers everything from classy shopping to a movie theater and bowling alley.

To conclude the day, the Bloggers ventured to Chestnut Hill Cinema, where they were entranced by Iron Man 2. The film, though inevitably less riveting than the first, was the perfect cap to a brain-stretching day:


With less than 3 weeks remaining before the BoMa Blast-Off, the bloggers are beginning the final stages of their project. As they mentally prepare for all that awaits them, your courtesy and love, dear readers, is not only encouraged but rather is absolutely vital to their wellbeing. Remember to be kind and rewind. Be well, stay well, farewell.†

Sculpting Genius

With smiles and a new sense of veracity, the BoMa Bloggers headed towards the ever-elusive Lincon, Mass. to visit the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park. However, much to our chagrin, when we finally arrived at the distant pasture, we were confronted with the news that the museum section was closed. While this may appear to have been a crushing blow, the BoMa Bloggers, renowned for their mental toughness and infallibility, were undeterred, as the entry free dropped to only $4 and the sun shined upon each of their glowing faces. They had also prepared a lovely picnic, and the fact that the museum was closed allowed them to more deeply analyze both the sculptures and their own picnicking abilities.

The sculptures themselves provided a large and at times odd spectrum of artistic insight on the world. We were entranced by a spray painted Rolls-Royce (though some BoMa Bloggers thought the vehicle would have looked better on the road) and a giant upper-half of a man painted red sinking into the ground. Others, such as gigantic black hearts and a picture frame capable of fitting three Bloggers within its grasp were more terrifying than stimulating.

After deeply scrutinizing, evaluating and critiquing the sculptures, the Bloggers settled down for a classic picnic, featuring a bevy of sandwiches and fudge cookies. Rabid debate ensued over the magnificent meal, as the Bloggers brainstormed and argued over names they could give some of their favorite pieces of art. While the conversation reflected the high intellectual standards of basic discourse between the Bloggers, it also showed more, something far greater. These BoMa Bloggers are on the path toward becoming one with the art, and in turn, one with humanity. Until next time, be well, stay well and farewell. 

Mayfair Madness

Just as a general rule, we, the BoMa bloggers, well, more like all of humanity, but especially we the BoMa bloggers, love free things. We love free samples of Mountain Dew, we love free cups of iced coffee and Nantucket Nectar on blistering hot days, and we especially love free bottles of Poland Spring during a Massachusetts water crisis. All of this and more were available to us at the Mayfair celebration in Harvard Square on Sunday afternoon.

Upon exiting the T, we found ourselves smack in the middle of many different booth. Booths wafting out tantalizing smells, booths displaying glistening jewelry, and still more booths spreading valuable information, such as the “Nothing but Nets” booth that awarded two of the BoMa bloggers free sweatbands. Our biggest regret is not taking part in the face-painting table that promised to turn the BoMa bloggers from the beautiful art-lovers that we dress as every day into colorful butterflies or frightening tigers.  

But the day would not have been complete without the very entertaining live dance performances we were treated to and the day would certainly not have been as humorous had we not wandered past a stepping lesson taught to an odd group of crumpers in the history of the world—one had a turban, another an old man, still others looking uncomfortable.

After about an hour of surveying the booths, people watching, and enjoying the chalk-drawings along the road, our enthusiasm was beginning to fade. That is when the Brazilian Boost of Energy/plate of goodness came into play. A combination of sorbet, fruit, coconut, honey, and granola, this sample of food really did the trick, perked us back up, and put us back in the game! We were then able to critique the chalk interpretations of Monet, Van Gogh, and Alice in Wonderland. We frolicked, we drooled over Korean barbeque, we happily bopped to live music, we laughed, we cried. It was better than “Cats the Musical.” And finally, after being verbally abused by the scariest balloon man in the world and drawing our names on the sidewalk, the BoMa bloggers enjoyed a lot of Mongolian Barbeque and headed home to dream of art in Boston. 

A Rare Book Here, China Town There

China Town is like the curious Buddhist store you see every other Tuesday on your way to Karate: You know its there, you’re intrigued by it, yet you can never manage to find the time to venture into it. The BoMa bloggers, however, decided to finally take the plunge into China Town Boston.

We were initially overwhelmed by the Chinese writing on every storefront. Were we exploring a simple mom and pop convenient store or an upscale restaurant that just so happened to be the secret meeting location for the Chinese mafia? We decided to brave it, and upon entering exhaled a sigh of relief when we realized we had arrived at a friendly neighborhood dollar store, where one can purchase live turtles (just 18 dollars!) if they so wish.  

After we finished our successful business excursion, we exited into the unpleasant weather that is Hashem’s way of dishing out His leftover winter weather. In order to escape the harsh wind and rain, we dashed toward the closest building for shelter. Upon reaching the entrance, we realized the mysterious building was a rare bookstore. Against our better judgment, we decided to enter the shadowy store. What we thought would appear like the forbidden books section at Hogwarts, turned out to be an exciting bookstore that contained anything from a 1922 history text book to literature about the apocalypse to the original copy of The Cat in the Hat. While we did not purchase any books, the starting cost of many being 12,500 dollars, we learned that books tores are more than just an escape from the cold and can lead to an exciting adventure.

We Got Some Competition from The New York Times...

Check out this article...Having been to Spain this summer, this article was wicked cool to read. Enjoy!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/arts/design/30biblical.html?ref=global-home

More posts about the last few days to come soon. We had some great meetings today with a manager from Club Passim and a Marketing Exec. from ArtsBoston. Stay posted!

Chocolate Madness

Oh, the chocolate. The madness. The resulting stomachache and sugar coma.

We saw. We ate. We conquered. All while supporting pregnant teenagers all over the world. (Your welcome Quinn). This was the event of the year. Nay, the century, and the BoMa Bloggers were there.

Yes, indeed. Last night yours truly attended NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts’ “Chocolate Madness” event in the Cyclorama in the South End. As we strode up the velvet staircase at 7:30 exactly, our eyes fell upon thousands of chocolate creations from Boston area’s finest restaurants and bakeries. In our quest for ultimate chocolate domination, we leaped from stand to stand, tasting, munching, and basking in the sweet chocolate symphony—whispering inappropriate abortion jokes as we went. The smooth chocolate cheesecakes and the towering cocoa waffles broke under our assault until, satisfied with our chocolate eating, we settled down at a table, succumbing to the enveloping sugar coma.

Moral of the Story:

A mix between a feminist rally and the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory is shockingly enjoyable. 

Apropos of Something, We Think We Hope

As our quest to conquer all that is towering above us, to obliterate the uncertain, to dominate those who shake in their boots at the mere mention of our name, our targets have been marked. In the coming week, we will tackle the glorious (MFA, Gardner), the beautiful (Arboretum, Larz Anderson) and the fantastical (DeCordova and the Newberger Homestead). 

Beyond our superb artistic endeavors and analysis, we would also like to officially announce that the BoMa Bloggers, Inc. will formally become a "green," eco-friendly organization. We took our first steps toward this mission by driving in Toyota Prii (though we did drive in two when we only needed to take one) as we ate a lunch at West Roxbury's esteemed and supreme establishment, The Real Deal. Where is the art included in this feast of environmental concern, one ignorant marsupial might wonder? Well, at The Real Deal, vivid imagery of live animals between pieces of bread adorn the walls. Disturbing, sure, but also wildly appetizing, in an odd, Darwinian way. (The BoMa bloggers are in an odd mood right now, if you can't tell)

On a different note, the BoMa bloggers are urging all readers to support Joel Newberger's efforts to create grade sweatshirts. These witty garments are both artistically wondrous and stylish. Rock those sweats, rock the art, and we at BoMa will keep rockin' the suburbs.

Bad Art Has Feelings Too...

Art is only art as long as it makes a statement, as long as it has a purpose. This mantra is true for fine art, (stay posted), as well as good art, decent art, and really really bad art. At our first successful trip to the museum of bad art, (second trip over all…awkward), we, the BoMa bloggers, learned that throwing paint onto a canvas doesn’t constitute art, not even bad art. All of the art displayed in the Museum of Bad Art was made with the intention of being good, with the purpose to make a statement; it just failed. And that’s ok. The Museum of Bad Art is built upon said failure. Many of the artists exhibited in the museum are there because they accepted their failure and submitted their “mistake art” themselves, while other artists, whether amateur or established, don’t even know their art is on display, let alone that it is labeled “bad art.” But Louise said these artists don’t mind when they find out because at least their art is in a museum and as we spotlight lovers/journalists understand, publicity is always good.


Although the BoMa bloggers were amazed that some of the art in the basement of the Somerville movie theater could be called “bad art,” seeing as though never in our wildest dreams could we have produced such art, and if we had we would have thrown ourselves a party, (don’t worry, you’re all invited), we did have some “failure favorites.” One was a sculpture of a skinny man lifting weights, and as the description so wisely enlightened us, not only was his posture unrealistic, lie, impossible, but the man didn’t even look like a human being. He was too twisted around himself and his proportions were quite quite off. Another highlight was the pregnant baby with an old woman’s face and a penis…yeah that happened. Said baby-from-hell will also haunt our dreams and continue staring at us in our mind’s eye for years to come, not just from its angry face, but from the many eyeballs creepily painted all over its confused body. Oy. But our favorite element of the museum was the clever titles and amusing descriptions of the art displayed. We wish we could give you a sample but our wit falls short to the satirical poem about a woman holding a banana as a volcano erupts disproportionally behind her.

In conclusion, we recommend the Museum of Bad Art highly, and our reason for doing so is threefold. One, the art is fun to look at. It is not pretentious or overwhelming like the reputation of some other museums, (although our goal is to prove this unfair statement wrong, we understand some of you will never give the well established museums a chance, so this conclusion is for you)! Two, the museum is entertaining to spend the afternoon in. There is plenty to look at and the ambiance is quirky yet relaxed. And three, a trip to this museum is really an event because to get into the Museum of Bad Art, you have to buy a movie ticket from upstairs. And don’t worry you cynical hot spot hunting non-believers, we didn’t skimp on the full experience. The BoMa bloggers pulled a James Bond maneuver as we nonchalantly strolled into the back row of one of the theaters, sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the screening of a hilarious documentary about illegal immigration in the United States. We were also able to observe the work behind screening a movie as the professionals in the movie business followed our James Bond example by speaking in walkie talkies and running around the theater fixing lighting and other technical things that went a little over our common heads. It really was quite exciting. The movie was informative and enjoyable and if it is any example of its fellow movies, we highly recommend the Independent Film Festival going on now at the Somerville Theater in Davis Square. After speaking to a mysterious expert on the current festival, we, (she) recommends the movie “Cyrus” with Jonah Hill, especially for our teenage followers, but also for anyone who enjoys independent films.

The Somerville Museum is only a mile away from this exciting hot spot, and a delectable crepe café is right down the street. Thus ends our exciting week of excursions to Somerville, but stay tuned for more reviews of the drama and the joy to be experienced all over Boston.

Popcorn Destroyed

You wait for your popcorn to explode into deliciousness in the microwave. You wait for the light to turn green while you’re already late for work. You wait for the paint to dry in your living room. And yesterday, the BoMa bloggers waited for the director of the Museum of Bad Art to meet with us.

Unlike the delicious taste of freshly made popcorn though, we were not so rewarded for our waiting efforts: our meeting fell through and the museum was closed. However, we spent a very artsy and successful day roaming the streets of Somerville. We merrily frolicked around the square, watching people and enjoying the beautiful weather. Our scrumptious lunch at Johnny D’s, complete with an excellent view of the stage we will return to see live as soon as we turn 21, made the trek to Somerville all worth it.

So what can we leave you with after a day less fast paced than some of our other adventures? We leave you with the following words of wisdom, written for you, our faithful followers, from us, your wise and cultured art aficionados. Drum roll please…although the BoMa bloggers may seem to be above all criticism and above all errors, although we may seem to be shrouded in a smoky haze of mystery, in our own art-loving world, we too face challenges and must overcome obstacles. The delay of an important meeting was ours today; but never fear, your loyal and committed BoMa bloggers will triumph. Stay tuned for the promised complete guide to arts in Boston for teens. And, on May 1-2, there will be an open gallery tour around Davis Square, making the journey to Somerville on the red line even more invigorating and exciting for our fellow art loving teenagers.

Waiting for Sheila

She ran by, desperation in her eyes and a quiver in her voice. She gasped, "I can't finish. I can't finish." We stood right next to Sheila's parents as their daughter, the winner of the Austin Half Marathon, struggled to maintain her composure. We had been eagerly waiting for her to run by, a few seconds of cheering for our girl Sheila after hours of eager anticipation. Mother screamed, as her eyes began to well up with tears, "Yes you can, Sheila! Yes you can!" 

We were detached from the situation. We had only heard of Sheila when her friendly parents made conversation with us minutes earlier. But at that moment, we felt Sheila's mom's pain. We yearned for Sheila to do it.

Ah, the Boston Marathon. What don't you get from it? Triumph after tragedy. Thousands at the peak of the most physically challenging day of their lives. Even hilarious costumes, like a man dressed as Mickey Mouse and this guy in a tux.

The power of the marathon is simply everywhere (at least around Blogger Gabi's house--a block from Comm. Ave.) on Patriots Day. A truly touching moment came when a man, whose grimace and bleeding nipples caused spectators to match his disturbing facial movements physical pains, stopped for just a moment when he saw his baby daughter watching from the side. He came over, passionately kissed the top of her head, and ran away with a new sense of renewal. A subtle, seemingly irrelevant part of the marathon, that will be forgotten in the annals of history behind Robert Cheruiyot's victory and the Rays demolition of the Red Sox. But that small moment encapsulated the beauty, the glory, the utter fantasticness (not a real word, if you were wondering diction aficionados*) that is the Boston Marathon.

So where does the art come in, you may be wondering? Well, for one, art is everywhere. Family members and friends make wonderful signs of all shapes and sizes, a small yet hugely important piece of encouragement for the runners. Some are heartwarming, made by a young child. Others are nationalistic and powerful, encouraging the fellow Kenyan or even the occasional Canadian to push through, to bring pride back home. These signs--and the passion of the people they support--are universal and applicable to all walks of life, including art. The Boston Marathon is the epitome of excellence and perseverance in a daunting but achievable task. So whether you are an artist or an athlete, Newtonite or Sharonese, the Boston Marathon is a source of inspiration.

*And by that I mean Joel.

Sometimes,Things Just Come 'Out of the Blue'

Howdy Hearty HotSpot Homies,

We at the BoMa lair recently became aware of the avid group following our assorted affairs. We would like to take a moment before delving into the exciting events of Day 4 to commend you on your admirable interest, and encourage you to explore the varied highlights our blog offers (i.e. the poll).

Day 4 of our quest to reveal the cultural and artistic HotSpots of Boston began as the BoMa Bloggers hopped on the Green Line, coffee mugs in hand (free coffee day at Starbucks!), to meet and greet with Out of the Blue Gallery’s mysterious representative and self-proclaimed artist, Marshall in Cambridge. The gallery, covered from floor to ceiling with paintings, barely leaving room for the 5 of us and Marshall’s Alaskan Husky, was formed in Cambridge about 14 years ago with the intent to provide hanging space for artists of all ages and skill levels. Tim Tipton, the gallery’s founder, felt it was important to allow artists, regardless of social status, a space to show their art. As a result, even today, artists merely have to pay a small fee of $25 to hang 3 cohesive pieces in the gallery. The gallery’s funkiness and emphasis on diversity make it a hot spot. In addition to the standard paintings, Out of the Blue offers a variety of programming, such as poetry readings, live music and even Sunday afternoon drum circles, which according to Marshall, are quite enjoyable for novice but eager drummers. More to come on the gallery later (We are exhausted! Being us is just such a challenge).

After a scintillating discussion with Marshall, a current artist and photographer (who really creates exquisite, albeit unusual work), the team hustled over to Harvard Square (only a half mile walk, though Leah complained of fatigue the whole time) to meet with a local neuroscientist and friend, though this was for lunch rather than artistic curiosity. We hit up Fire and Ice, which has a surprisingly cheap $8 lunch offering. There, we found that the world is still a good place, as we encountered a ridiculously cute baby wearing some sweet high top Nikes. The conclusion of the meal was mired in befuddlement, however, as the remaining BoMa bloggers (our jock Sam had a lacrosse game and our neuroscientist had a surgery) struggled to compute the numbers necessary to pay the bill. With that said, we would like to officially announce that the BoMa bloggers are boycotting all activities involving numbers.

With our minds rocked, we hopped back on the T and got off at Park Street to enjoy the Boston Public Gardens. Though we had prayed it would be 8 degrees warmer, when the wind took a rest, the grassy oasis in the heart of Bean Town was a fabulous conclusion to yet another artful and art-full day. Some solid people-watching and tree hugging lasted about an hour before we finally ventured toward the T to return to the friendly confines of Newton Centre. Thus concluded day 4 of the BoMa bloggers. Pictures, videos and interview transcripts to come soon! Until then, keep reading and keep it real.

-BoMa Bloggers

Water Is Sexy

Hello fellow hipsters and hopsters,

 Your friendly neighborhood BoMa bloggers have returned from an exciting and invigorating day at the Institute of Contemporary Art a.k.a the ICA. Upon arrival, we were greeted with our first challenge: opening the indestructible and unimaginably heavy glass doors. After pushing and shoving past the one negative quality we found in the museum, we finally entered the portal to exciting and contemporary art. The first piece we examined was the elevator. You may be imagining a small compact box with awkward music stifling our creative minds, but instead, we encountered a 20 ft by 7.6 ft (dimensions simply approximated) see-through glass cube that lifted us through the museum to a scenic overview of the Boston Harbor.

After exiting this exquisitely designed transportation device, we found ourselves surrounded by the provocative designs made by Mexican tattoo artist, Dr. Larka, whose exhibit opened today. This artist is not really a doctor though. He merely enjoys the contrast between the title “doctor” which commands respect and the name Larka, which in Spanish slang means “delinquent.” His work includes photographs of iconic images of women tattooed with gothic images and Aztec and Buddhist symbols. His work also includes murals painted directly on the ICA walls showing more primal and gothic imagery. We then journeyed to the other side of the museum to view photographs of water. At first, we rolled our eyes too and smiled at what seemed like the obvious idea to put many pictures of water next to a window of the Boston Harbor. But we were in way over our heads. These were not just simple photographs of water. Each wave and area of water was footnoted with the artist, Roni Horn’s musings about her subject. The ideas flowed like an internal monologue just like the waves of the water flowed in the picture. The ideas covered the bases of “1. Is water sexy? 2. Yes water is sexy,” to 18. Looking at an image like this you may never get to the idea of water at all, 19. Looking at an image like this, if you get to the idea of water at all, then you’ll have to wonder what water really is.” Our group was very amused by these witty photographs and enjoyed our time at the ICA immensely. We were very impressed by our interview with the Educational Director at the museum and will post a transcript of that very successful encounter soon.

Just Because

Art comes in all forms. Gruesome or glorious, concrete or abstract. So ponder this picture, and discover how powerful, massive and unpredictable the full spectrum truly is.

Climbing the Steps to Stardom

As we spend our waning days of high school perusing the artistic accomplishments of other proud Bostonians, the BoMa Bloggers would like to officially announce that we too will be pursuing our own artistic achievements. This Friday, the gang will be auditioning for Fox's hit TV show Glee. This may come as a shock to many of our devoted followers, as we had previously promised to serve as your medium to the Boston arts world, but we will unwaveringly continue to provide you with the most astute and intelligent commentary on the interwebs this side of the Mississippi (though technically we haven't actually provided you with anything yet).

On another note, we would like to formally update you on the happenings here at the Hub of Hot Spots (our secret lair). Tomorrow, the BoMa Bloggers of the feminine persuasion will be visiting the ICA, which is opening a new exhibit featuring the work of Mexican tattoo artist Dr. Larka. Thursday, the hearty hubbers will head to Cambridge to check out the Out of the Blue Gallery before enjoying a relaxing afternoon at the Boston Public Garden. The Boston Center for the Arts may be in the cards as well. An interview with Jason Slavick, head of Gann's arts department and professional director extraordinaire should be posted here soon as well. Our futures are bright, even if our brains are dim.

So until our next post (and with armageddon on the horizon, who knows when and if that will be), be well, stay well and farewell.

Welcome!

Hey Boston Art Zealots,

Over the next seven weeks, five Gann Academy seniors will embark upon what may prove to be a treacherous journey, upon which we will become one with the Boston arts scene as we strive to fully utilize our Ma'avar time. Our final product will be a comprehensive guide for to the Boston arts for teens. It will give a break down of each museum, theatre or other funky, hip or happening location, providing all the details, like nearby T stops and cheap parking, affordable and delectable dining options, and, of course, the must-sees and off-the-beaten-path highlights of each "hot spot."

We plan to hit up all the classic stops, like the MFA and the theatre district. For the big time spots like those, we will provide art-hungry yet attention deficient teens with engaging self-guided tours that we will create and interviews with hot spot reps. We will also be sure to uncover the lesser known spots, providing you with alternatives to the classics. We do the research, you reap the benefits.

And all this will be presented on a stunning, chic website in early June. Until then, kindly turn to this blog if you are wondering what our hearty team of cultural connoisseurs discovers and experiences on the way to our goal. If you have any questions or comments, if you love us or hate us, please e-mail us! We look forward to all your insight.

Keep it fresh,

The Bean Town Hot Spotters