Brush Gallery will be flush with visual arts
Art matters — and has in Lowell for close to 40 years, since the Mill City bounced back from its decline as a flourishing arts destination.
The Brush Art Galleries and Studios has stood at the forefront of that reincarnation from the start.
Nestled near the Visitors Center of the Lowell National Historical Park, it came into existence around the same time the city became a national park. And its history includes hosting great exhibits, offering working artists comfortable studio space to make art, and providing the community with a variety of educational, outreach and cultural programs.
On Saturday, April 24, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., The Brush celebrates that history with a Virtual Concert for the Visual Arts. The evening begins with an introduction to musicians Greg Descoteaux, Bobby Gauvreau and Dan Sirois, who will each perform cabaret-style.
An online silent auction is currently going on and runs through April 26. It includes art, wine, chocolate and gift baskets, all of which would make great Mother’s Day gifts. View the items, and make your bids, at brush-art-gallery-studios.betterworld.org/auctions/ brush-art-gallery-studios-auction.
A donation of $25 is suggested to participate and help support The Brush, but you can attend without donating. To register, visit thebrush.org/concert.htm.
All proceeds will help The Brush continue its outreach programs and educational exhibits.
Gallery notes
: IT’S A DRAW: Making art is therapeutic and fun. And just in time for warm spring days, artist/instructor Claire Gagnon is taking her students, ages 18 and up, outside for a plein air drawing class in downtown Lowell. “We’ll draw Lowell cityscapes, parks and canals using different drawing techniques. After being indoors all winter, this outdoor class is just what you need,” said Gagnon. It meets Fridays, May 7-June 18, 5-7:30 p.m. She’s also offering intermediate and advanced adult students an in-studio class Wednesdays, June 2-23, 1-4 p.m., where they can choose their medium of choice and be surrounded by fellow artists in a relaxed atmosphere with Gagnon’s constructive guidance. These classes are in addition to her acrylic and watercolor classes. Visit www.chezclaireartschool.com for details.
: BRING THE KIDS: Boston Children’s Museum will reopen to the public in May after being closed since December. It initially be open on Saturdays and Sundays next month with plans to expand its schedule to Wednesdays-Sundays beginning June 2. The museum welcomes visitors back by launching the Summer of Play, offering families a range of fun, hands-on and social activities. These consist of access to all exhibits including the New Balance Foundation Climb, outdoor programs under the tent, the new Fantastic Forts exhibit, PlaySpace, the new Turtle Tank, and everyday, hands-on activities involving science, art, music and more. The museum will also offer its first ever Explore It Summer Camp during July. The museum will be open in two time slots — 9 a.m-noon and 1:30-4:30 p.m., with tickets available online. Museum staff and all visitors, ages 2 and older, will be required to wear masks. For full information on what to expect, parents and caregivers should visit www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/reopening. ... Closer to home, Discovery Museum in Acton is reopened and welcomes visitors to its indoor space and outdoor Discovery Woods during ticketed times 9-11 a.m., noon-2 p.m., and 3-4:30 p.m. Visit www.discoveryacton.org for details and special programming.
: WRITE ON: Museum of Fine Arts Boston has extended the exhibition “Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation” through July 25. Originally scheduled to close on May 16, the popular show brings together more than 120 works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and 11 of his peers, including Keith Haring, Kool Koor and Lady Pink, all artists whose techniques share a conceptual approach rooted in early hiphop practices. The exhibit illuminates their fusion of creative energies and defiance of longstanding class and racial divisions in 1980s New York City, as these artists demanded and commanded the attention of the art establishment and the world. Timed-entry tickets, purchased in advance, are required and are on sale for the extended dates. Visit www.mfa.org for details.